A parole hearing was held in Tallahassee Florida today to consider parole for convicted murderer, Michael Griffin, who was thrown in jail for killing abortion doctor David Gunn 25 years ago.
Abortion providers all over the country were worried that if Griffin were paroled it would embolden other anti-abortion zealots.
Here’s the SLATE article about the hearing and the history of the case.
Dr. Gunn’s son, David Gunn just sent me the following good news:
"Awesome news from Tallahassee. Florida law dictates their parole commission to set presumptive parole release dates for all inmates with parole eligible sentences. The presumptive date does not mean parole or release. Today, the parole board set a presumptive parole date of 2043 for Michael Griffin. Griffin, 56, will be 82; however, based on the statements of the commissioners, it seems likely the state will never grace Griffin with parole as they all indicated he was a danger to others and his parole could be seen as an influential to others (as it would have been) to act as he did. Though there is another hearing in seven years, the max they can delay a rehearing under FL law, the state’s decision signals they have no inclination to parole this repugnant and unrepentant terrorist. My family thanks everyone who helped make the hearing a success.”
Since Dr. Gunn’s murder in 1993, there have been 10 other assassinations of abortion providers. Providers regularly are under attack from anti-abortion terrorists, and this administration probably won’t do anything to abate this domestic terrorism.
But cheers to Florida for keeping this unrepentant animal locked up, hopefully for life.
UPDATE:
Michael Frederick Griffin, an anti-abortion activist, fatally shot Dr. David Gunn of Eufala, Ala., outside a Pensacola clinic in March 1993. Although Florida has largely done away with parole, the details of Griffin's case had made him eligible for review after serving 25 years of his life sentence.
That review came Wednesday, alarming abortion-right supporters who said Gunn had emboldened other extremists to add to a wave of lethal violence against providers. Some said his parole would have a similar effect.