The last exe­cu­tion sched­uled for 2006 involves a Florida inmate, Angel Nieves-Diaz, who defend­ed him­self at his tri­al and need­ed an inter­preter because he did not speak English. Diaz, a native of Puerto Rico, was con­vict­ed and sen­tenced to death in 1986 for a mur­der in con­nec­tion with a rob­bery of a bar in Miami in 1979.

Diaz’s exe­cu­tion is sched­uled for December 13 and would be the 4th exe­cu­tion in Florida this year, the most exe­cu­tions in that state in 6 years. In addi­tion to his claims that his rep­re­sen­ta­tion failed to pro­duce a fair tri­al, Diaz is also chal­leng­ing the lethal injec­tion process in Florida. Groups in Puerto Rico, which bars the death penal­ty in its con­sti­tu­tion, are urg­ing that Diaz receive clemen­cy from the governor.

(Sun-Sentinel (AP), Nov. 14, 2006; Miami Herald, Nov. 15, 2006; let­ter from Civil Rights Commission of Puerto Rico, Nov. 20, 2006). 

See Representation and Arbitrariness.

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