The Careful Legislator

Radley Balko | May 9, 2007

Alan Crotzer was convicted of a brutal rape in Florida way back in 1982. Last year, he was exonerated with DNA evidence. He served 24 years in prison, and was denied permission to attend his mother's funeral.

Nevertheless, the Florida legislature is taking its sweet time compensating him. When the Florida house finally approved a $1.25 million compensation package, the state's senate allowed the session to expire without approving the bill, meaning Crotzer will have to wait (at least) another year.

State Senate President Ken Pruitt told the Miami Herald :

"I'm not going to give an opinion on what's fair and not fair. The Senate is not going to be put in a position where we're doing it at the last minute. Nothing good ever happens whenever you're rushed or you work late."

In the past, Pruitt has shown his measured, careful approach to legislating by, for example, exhorting voters to demand emergency legislation that would force "Florida's liberals" to "take a stand one way or the other" on the Pledge of Allegiance in public schools and allowing Boy Scouts to meet in public facilities.