November 20, 2006
TALLAHASSEE,
Florida -- If the investigation into the death of Martin Lee
Anderson is not concluded by Jan. 2, the day Charlie Crist will
be sworn in as governor, members of the Florida NAACP, students
and the Conference of Black State Legislators vowed today to
conduct a silent protest at the ceremony.
"We feel justice for Martin Lee
Anderson is long overdue and are outraged," said state Sen.
Frederica Wilson, D-Miami. "What does this say to the world, how
Florida feels about its children?"
The Black Caucus held a news
conference earlier this afternoon to express their anger to Gov.
Jeb Bush and Gov.-elect and Attorney General Crist, that no
charges have yet been brought in the death of the 14-year-old
Panama City teen and the investigation has taken more than 300
days.
Bush's spokeswoman, Alia Faraj,
said he, too, is frustrated that the investigation has taken
this long . She said someone from the governor's office calls
State Attorney Mark Ober, who is investigating the case, every
week for an update.
Anderson died Jan. 6, a day
after he was hit, kicked and kneed by guards at a Bay County
boot camp for juvenile offenders.
Anderson's parents have filed a
civil suit against the Bay County Sheriff's Office and the
Florida Department of Juvenile Justice seeking $40 million.
Last week, a former acting
inspector general for the DJJ said he was fired from his job in
August because he wouldn't go along with a "misrepresentation"
in the death of Anderson, and filed a whistle-blower complaint
with the state Commission on Human Relations.
