Former Florida death row inmates to ask Donalds to pause executions
A group of anti-death-penalty advocates will gather in Florida's capitol on Thursday, Nov. 12, to call on Governor-elect Byron Donalds to pause executions in the state when he takes office. Under Gov. Ron DeSantis, Florida has put 38 people to death since 2025 , with more scheduled. This particular group has a special insight on the matter: some of them have been on Florida's death row themselves. “When I hear about another execution, I think about how close I came to being one of those names," said Herman Lindsey, Executive Director of Witness to Innocence, in an emailed release. Lindsey was convicted in 2006 for a 12-year-old murder without eyewitnesses, fingerprints, or anything to place him at the scene. He was exonerated for insufficient evidence in 2009. "I was released, but I worry about who is still there and whether anyone is listening to them. That’s what I want the next governor to understand when we ask him to stop executions.” Republican Rep. Byron Donalds won the governor's race in the general election on Nov. 3, defeating Democrat David Jolly with 50.1% of the vote, according to unofficial results. The event is organized by Floridians for Alternatives to the Death
