Loran Cole, a Death Row inmate scheduled to be executed in Florida this month, is seeking to have his death sentence vacated. His legal team argues that the abuse he suffered at the notorious Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys, a state-run reform school with a history of documented abuse, significantly impacted his life choices.
Cole, 57, was convicted in 1994 for the murder of a Florida State University student. He was 17 years old when he was sent to Dozier in 1984. His lawyers contend that the jury was not made aware of the “torturous treatment” Cole endured at the now-shuttered Marianna facility.
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Cole’s case has gained additional complexity due to a recently passed Florida law offering compensation to former Dozier students who suffered abuse.
While Cole isn’t eligible for compensation, his attorneys argue that this acknowledgment of the state’s responsibility for the abuse further supports their plea for clemency.
The state, however, argues that Cole’s experiences at Dozier have already been considered in previous appeals and are not grounds for overturning his sentence.
Cole’s execution is scheduled for August 29th, pending a final decision by Marion County Circuit Judge Robert Hodges.
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