Convicted murderer deserves stay of execution, say Jewish organizations

Killer seeks mercy

By Michael Orbach

Issue of February 12, 2010/ 28 Shvat 5770

Two hundred Jewish and non-Jewish organizations have signed a petition to Florida Governor Charlie Crist asking for a stay of execution for a Jewish inmate, Martin Grossman, who was convicted of first-degree murder for killing Margaret “Peggy” Park, a Florida Wildlife Officer, in 1984. He is to be put to death by lethal injection on Feb. 16 at 6 P.M.

Among the signers are some of the most prominent Orthodox organizations including Agudath Israel of America, Rabbinical Council of America, and both rival Satmar organizations, the United Jewish Organization of Williamsburg and UJCare.

The case against Grossman seems clear cut.

Grossman, 19, and a friend, were caught by Officer Margaret Park firing a stolen handgun in a wooded area of Florida’s Pinellas County. Grossman, already on probation for burglary, pleaded with Park to not report him. When she reached for her radio microphone to call it in, he became enraged and beat her with her own flashlight 20-30 times. Park managed to draw her weapon and fire a stray round. Grossman, who was 6”4 and 220 pounds, overpowered the much more slender Park, then shot her in the back of the head. A jury convicted Grossman and unanimously recommended the death penalty. The friend, Thane Taylor, received a much lighter sentence of seven years and was released after two.

The letter from the Jewish groups does not dispute the horrific nature of the crime.

“We are well aware that Mr. Grossman was convicted of a most serious crime,” it states, but then elaborates that while he may have “killed.. he is not a killer.”

In the twenty-five years he has spent in prison, “[Grossman] has transformed himself from a deeply troubled teenager into a gentle and simple man, a proud practitioner of his faith and a humble servant of his G-d,” the letter continues.

The letter asks for a 60-day stay of execution in order to prepare a full-fledged plea to commute the death sentence to a life in prison. The organizations contend that Grossman had a troubled adolescence and was under the influence of drugs and alcohol at the time of the shooting and that the murder was not premeditated. They also contend that a psychiatric test at the time of the murder put Grossman’s IQ at 77.

“We feel that life in prison is sufficient punishment, considering his age at the time of the crime, his impairment then and his remorse over the years,” explained Rabbi Avi Shafran, director of public affairs for the Agudah and one of the signatories. “Obviously, we’re motivated by his being a Jew, but the reasons for mercy are humanitarian and independent of his “family” connection.”

Neither Agudah or the Rabbinical Council of America said they had a position about the death penalty itself.

Rabbi Mendy Katz, director of outreach for Aleph Institute, a non-profit that works with Jews in the military and prison, and the organization largely responsible for the attempt to win commutation of Grossman’s death sentence, has known the inmate for fifteen years. He described him as being like “you or me.”

“He’s a normal human being, Jewish and very proud to be a Jewish person. He’s very remorseful,” Katz explained. “He lives it every day of his life for the last twenty-six years of life. We talked a lot about teshuva in general and his latest schedule of davening. He’s now davening three times a day; he explained to the guards not to disrupt him. He’s saying a lot of tehillim. He’s very interested in making sure his cousins put on tefillin every day.”

The petition has also tied itself to what could be a pivotal time in Governor Crist’s political career. Crist has said he will not run for reelection as governor but will instead run for a US Senate seat. Current polls show him trailing his more conservative opponent, Marc Rubio.

Katz said he believed that the governor’s decision to sign the execution warrant was politically motivated.

“It’s a very sad state of affairs, when a person could be put to death, so another could be elected,” Katz lamented.

PS Ruckman, editor of the Pardon Blog, said he saw a “glimmer of hope” in the petition, mainly due to Crist’s unsteady political footing and the fact that a number of Jewish and non-Jewish organizations were arguing for the plea.

“I think that’s just a fantastically reasonable thing to ask for, given the widespread reason for this,” said Ruckman. “If Crist doesn’t do that, that’s just going to be a gamble that may cost him more than he can afford.”

Governor Crist's office did not return phone calls in time for the print edition of The Jewish Star.

Katz stressed that the petition does not detract from the sympathy felt for the Park family.

“No one is diminishing the pain and suffering that they’ve experienced since their loved one is gone, but killing him [Grossman] doesn’t bring her back. Justice will be served by his incarceration for life. I can tell you that there are many family members of victims who have come in strong support against the death penalty,” Katz said.

Katz said he had not spoken with the Park family but knows they are in favor of the execution.

In 2004, Margaret Park’s mother, a schoolteacher also named Margaret, spoke to the Columbus Dispatch about the execution. Park, 73 at the time of the article, stated that Grossman’s execution wouldn’t “bring closure,” but it would “prevent him from ever, under any circumstances being released and injuring other people.

“I spent 25 years teaching kids that they had to take responsibility for their actions,” she said. “And I think he needs to be held accountable for what he did.”