Bill > S1750

This bill, known as the "Timely Justice Act of 2013," aims to streamline and clarify the legal processes for individuals sentenced to death in Florida, particularly concerning clemency proceedings and postconviction representation. It mandates that the Capital Collateral Regional Counsel, an entity responsible for representing individuals facing death sentences in postconviction legal challenges, be appointed to represent these individuals in clemency proceedings, which are requests for mercy from the Governor. The bill also shifts the responsibility for compensating attorneys appointed for these clemency proceedings from the Department of Corrections to the Justice Administrative Commission, a state agency that provides administrative support to various legal entities. Furthermore, it requires the Board of Executive Clemency, the body that reviews clemency requests, to maintain a list of attorneys available for such appointments, ensuring a pool of qualified legal representation. The act also introduces new provisions for the issuance of warrants of execution, clarifies the scope of capital postconviction proceedings, and establishes reporting requirements for the Florida Supreme Court regarding the status of capital cases. It also introduces a new section that prohibits attorneys who have provided constitutionally deficient representation in two separate capital postconviction cases from representing defendants in capital cases for a period of five years. Finally, the bill makes several amendments to existing statutes concerning the duties and qualifications of attorneys involved in capital postconviction and clemency matters, and repeals certain outdated provisions.