Mr. Marek's attorney, Marty McClain, presented evidence in the form of statements from three witnesses who said the co-defendant, Raymond Wigley, admitted that he was the strangler and not Marek. Wigley was killed by another inmate in 2000 while serving a life sentence.

David Eugene Johnston, convicted of the stabbing and strangulation of 84-year-old Mary Hammond, was scheduled for execution on Wednesday, May 27.  His attorney, Todd Doss, argued before the Florida Supreme Court that physical evidence in the case should be DNA tested since that technology was not available at the time of the crime.  Mr. Johnston’s request was granted, and the testing must be completed within 90 days.

"While the Church acknowledges that society has a right to execute violent transgressors, the ability of the modern penal system to protect society makes the need for the death penalty very rare, if not practically nonexistent."
 
Bishops of Florida
September 17, 2008

On March 9, President Obama issued an Executive Order overturning limits placed on government funding of destructive embryonic stem cell research. On April 23, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) published and accepted public comments on their draft guidelines to implement this directive.  Both the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and Florida-based Citizens for Science Ethics provided official comments.  Key points from the USCCB message include: 

• Concern that the guidelines miss the “central fact of science” that embryos are living humans, and they ought not be destroyed for research.
• Advancements in treatment using stem cells have come from the use of adult and cord blood stem cells.

• The proposal fails to consider a key finding of the National Bioethics Advisory Commission, that human embryos should only be used for research when there is no other source of these cells; we now have induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS), which are embryonic-like and obtained without harming embryos.

• Leading researchers have expressed their own misgivings regarding the morality of destroying human embryos for research and indicated, due to the advancement of iPS cells, it is the "beginning of the end" for embryonic stem cell research.

Said Michael Sheedy, Florida Catholic Conference Associate Director for Health, “We regret that the U.S. appears poised to exceed the current funding restrictions on this life destroying research.” Proposed guidelines do not allow creation of embryos for destruction in research, but use of "leftover" embryos from in vitro fertilization clinics.  Sheedy added, "This does not prevent scientists from creating a surplus of embryos in the fertility process with the knowledge that they will not be implanted and thus considered "leftover".  The guidelines also prohibit funding for human/animal hybrids, somatic cell nuclear transfer (cloning) and parthenogenesis (forming an embryo with only one gamete).

> Full comments from USCCB to NIH

2009 State Respect Life Conference

The Love that Satisfies

The Diocese of Orlando is pleased to host this year's event. With topics that include Best Practices in Ministry, Theology of the Body, Human Trafficking, Legislative Issues and Evangelization, this conference provides a great opportunity to gain knowledge and join in prayer and fellowship. It kicks-off on Friday, October 16 with a youth night and ends with a White Mass celebrated by Bishop Wenski on Sunday, October 18. All events take place at the Marriott Hotel, Lake Mary. Registration deadline: September 15, 2009.

For more information, Contact Liz Clayton at (407) 246-4819; eclayton@orlandodiocese.org or visit www.advocacyjustice.org.

Prior to the mechanization of sugar cane harvesting in the 1990's, H-2A migrant workers from the Caribbean were brought to Florida for the hand harvesting of the crops working for companies in the Clewiston, Belle Glade and Palm Beach areas. In Achord vs. Osceola Farms Co., the cutters claim they were not paid the federally guaranteed hourly wage. Former supervisors have stated in depositions that they were ordered by company officials to underreport workers’ hours.

The constitutionality of an 1835 statute that requires non-residents of Florida to post a $100 bond in order to access the court system is being challenged by Florida Legal Services representing the cutters, most of whom live in Jamaica making less than $100 per month. In addition to the Florida Catholic Conference, others filing amicus curiae or “friend of the court” briefs in support of the approximately 1,500 workers seeking back wages are several farmworker organizations; the Guatemalan consulate; Sandy D’Alemberte, former president of Florida State University and past president of the American Bar Association and John Mills, former speaker of the Florida House of Representatives and former dean of the University of Florida law school.

The flow of information from the United States Department of Education (USDOE) to state and local agencies has been a topic of discussion and action by the Florida Catholic Conference Schools Executive Committee.  Presently, communication channels are from the USDOE to the Florida Department of Education (FDOE); from there, information flows to and from local school districts and then to public and non-public, elementary and secondary schools.

James Herzog, Florida Catholic Conference Associate Director for Education, held meetings in May 2009 with Michael Kooi, Executive Director of the FDOE Office of Independent Education and Parental Choice, and state contact persons for priority areas addressed in the Vision for Catholic School Participation in Federal Programs.

At present, Conference staff is corresponding with appropriate state contact persons to identify instances in which Catholic schools are successfully participating in priority programs and those in which schools may need additional information and encouragement for eligible students. 

Furthermore, staff is hoping to identify the dollar value of services being rendered by students in Catholic schools.  The overarching goal is to help encourage schools to seek their equitable share of services from title programs, as well as the American Recovery and Reinvestment (ARRA) funds starting to flow into the Sunshine State.  Finally, the Conference Education Office plans to develop an annual survey or reporting mechanism to gather information from each diocesan schools office about participation levels in each county served.

Photo: FCC

Pat Bronsard to Assume Role as Superintendent, Diocese of St. Augustine
Pat Bronsard has been with the diocese of St. Augustine for 12 years, first as a teacher at Christ the King school and then as curriculum coordinator.  In 2005, she became associate superintendent.  She has master's degrees in reading and English and completed a certification program in Catholic Education Leadership from the University of Notre Dame. 

Mrs. Bronsard currently serves as Florida Catholic Conference Accreditation Committee Vice Chair for the 2008-09 and 2009-10 school years and is a member of the Subcommittee on the Second Round of the School Improvement Plan (SIP).