Juan Roberto Melendez has become the 99th death row inmate to be exonerated in the United States since 1973. Like the 98 inmates before him, Melendez was found to be wrongly convicted -- after serving over 17 years on Florida’s death row. This latest exoneration, and the approaching 100th release, comes in the midst of heightened national concern about the accuracy of the death penalty system. Congress, state legislatures, the general public – even the Supreme Court – have voiced concerns and raised questions of confidence in the system.

Today, prosecutors decided not to retry Melendez and formally dropped the charges against him. He is currently being held at the Union Correctional Institution, but could be released as early as Friday.

In early December 2001, Florida 13th Circuit Court Judge Barbara Fleischer overturned Melendez’s 1984 death sentence based on the facts that prosecutors withheld critical evidence for the case and the state failed to present any physical evidence implicating Melendez. Attorney Martin McClain says that Juan Roberto Melendez is being released following the decision by the state of Florida to drop the charges. Melendez is the 22nd Florida death row exoneration.

"Although we are thrilled that Juan is being released, something is gravely wrong with a system that imprisons and nearly executes an innocent person," says attorney McClain.

"Today, our nation approaches a shameful milestone of 100 death row exonerations. Juan Melendez becomes the 99th person freed from death row because he was wrongly convicted," said Wayne Smith, executive director of The Justice Project. "Insurmountable evidence shows that our nation’s death penalty system is broken," added Smith.

In addition to Melendez, the compelling and sometimes horrific stories of many other death row exonerees reflect the urgent need to reform the nation’s capital punishment system. Kirk Bloodsworth spent nine years in a Maryland prison – two on death row – before becoming the first person in the United States released as a result of DNA testing. Mr. Bloodsworth now shares his experiences, testifying before Congress on the need for the Innocence Protection Act. Michael Graham, exonerated from Louisiana’s death row in December 2000, was given an oversized jacket and a $10 check to compensate for the 14 years he wrongfully spent behind bars. William Nieves was convicted of murder and sentenced to die only two and one half days after his capital trial began. Mr. Nieves spent almost six years on Pennsylvania’s death row before a retrial proved him innocent and was released. He now shares his nightmare with the hopes of preventing another innocent person being wrongfully convicted and sentenced to die.

In February 2000, Governor George Ryan (R-IL) ordered a moratorium on Illinois’ death penalty after his state executed 12 people and exonerated 13. In 2001, 37 of the 38 death penalty states considered some type of reform legislation. Numerous polls sponsored by local and national media outlets show that the vast majority of Americans support improvements in the death penalty system. The Washington Post recently reported on the decrease in executions for the second year straight, noting that even Texas and Virginia, the leading death penalty states, are following the trend. This summer, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor stated, "If statistics are any indication, the system may well be allowing some innocent defendants to be executed." In October, she made a similar statement at the Nebraska State Bar Association annual meeting saying, "more often than we want to recognize, some innocent defendants have been convicted and sentenced to death."

The Justice Project is a national, non-profit, non-partisan organization focusing on identifying and solving issues of fairness in our judicial system.



Return to the Top of the Page

© 2002 Jewish Peace Fellowship

Box 271 - Nyack, NY 10960
(845) 348-4601
jpf@forusa.org