Record-Tying Eighth Execution Scheduled

Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed an eighth death warrant since the start of 2025. If the state puts Michael Bell to death by lethal injection on July 15 and carries out the scheduled June 24 execution of Thomas Gudinas, it would match the most executions in a year since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976 by a decision of the U.S. Supreme Court. Florida also executed eight inmates in 1984 and 2014.

In a letter to DeSantis, the FCCB has requested Gov. DeSantis to stay the execution of Thomas Gudinas and commute his sentence to life imprisonment without parole. “There is a way to punish without ending another human life,” wrote Michael Sheedy, executive director. “Life-long incarceration without the possibility of parole is a severe yet more humane punishment that ensures societal safety, allows the guilty the possibility of redemption, and offers finality to court processes.” A similar letter will urge the governor to stay Michael Bell's execution and any future scheduled executions.