Florida executed its 12th person in 2025, setting a new state record while the condemned man declared his innocence with his dying breath.
Story Overview
- David Pittman executed September 17, 2025, maintaining innocence in final statement.
- Florida sets a new execution record with 12 deaths in 2025 under Governor DeSantis.
- State leads nation in death row exonerations, suggesting systemic problems.
- New laws expand death penalty eligibility and lower jury requirements to dangerous levels.
Execution Proceeds Despite Innocence Claims
David Pittman, 63, was executed by lethal injection at Florida State Prison after spending 34 years on death row for the 1990 murders of his estranged wife’s sister and parents. His final words were chilling: “I know you all came to watch an innocent man be murdered by the state of Florida. I am innocent. I didn’t kill anybody. That’s it.”
The U.S. Supreme Court denied his final appeal, clearing the way for his execution.
Pittman’s legal team had argued he suffered from intellectual disability, which should have barred his execution under Supreme Court precedent. However, state courts rejected these claims.
Florida man uses last words to insist he’s innocent during state’s record 12th execution of the year https://t.co/z9rLjHaVjn pic.twitter.com/ZOEOOtEm2p
— New York Post (@nypost) September 18, 2025
Florida’s Execution Assembly Line Raises Constitutional Concerns
Under Governor Ron DeSantis, Florida has transformed into an execution factory that appears more focused on speed than accuracy.
The state now holds the dubious distinction of having the lowest jury threshold for death sentences in America, requiring only an 8-4 vote instead of unanimity. This dangerous precedent essentially allows the government to kill citizens without the traditional safeguards our Constitution demands.
The numbers tell a disturbing story. Florida leads the nation with 30 death row exonerations, meaning 30 innocent people were wrongly convicted and nearly executed.
When you’re wrong that often, common sense dictates you should slow down, not speed up. Instead, DeSantis has signed a record number of death warrants, turning capital punishment into a political theater rather than a careful pursuit of justice.
Taxpayers Fund Flawed System at Enormous Cost
Florida’s death penalty obsession costs taxpayers $51 million annually above the cost of life imprisonment without parole.
That’s $51 million that could be allocated toward actual crime prevention, improved policing, or victim services. Instead, we’re funding a system that gets it wrong so frequently that it has become a national embarrassment.
The financial burden extends beyond the executions themselves. Each death penalty case requires extensive legal proceedings, multiple appeals, and specialized housing on death row.
When the system fails and innocent people are exonerated, taxpayers foot the bill for those legal costs too. It’s government waste on a massive scale, dressed up as tough-on-crime policy.
Constitutional Principles Under Attack
Recent legislative changes in Florida represent a dangerous erosion of constitutional protections that should concern every American who believes in due process.
The state now mandates death sentences for certain crimes involving “unauthorized aliens,” creating a two-tiered justice system that treats people differently based on immigration status. This violates the equal protection principles that form the bedrock of American justice.
The lowered jury threshold is particularly troubling. The Founding Fathers understood that taking a life requires the highest level of certainty, which is why unanimous jury verdicts have been the gold standard for centuries.
Florida’s 8-4 standard means the government can execute someone even when one-third of jurors have a reasonable doubt about their guilt. This isn’t justice; it’s government overreach in its most deadly form.
Time for Conservative Reform?
Many conservatives oppose a system that wastes taxpayer money, expands government power, and tramples constitutional rights.
The death penalty in Florida has become everything conservatives traditionally oppose: an expensive, inefficient government program that makes irreversible mistakes.
When the government gets things wrong in other areas, we can fix them. When the state executes an innocent person, that mistake lasts forever.
