In April 2020, Representative Ashley V. Gantt (D- Miami) was selected to serve on an Independent Review Panel for the Conviction Review Unit for State Attorney Michael J. Satz Office of the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit under supervision of Assistant State Attorney Arielle Demby Berger. Attorney Gantt, along with four other attorneys, reviewed the evidence presented against Leonard Cure to assess whether he was wrongfully convicted. On December 8, 2020, the panel recommended that based upon the CRU investigation and the panel’s review, Mr. Cure’s judgment and sentence should be vacated, and the State Attorney’s Office should enter a Nolle Prosequi as to both counts. On December 14, 2020, the State Attorney’s office filed the State’s Notice of Nolle Prosequi, dropping the charges against Mr. Cure.
House Bill 6001 was introduced by attorney Representative Michael “Mike” Gottlieb (D-Davie). If passed, the bill will direct Florida’s Chief Financial Officer to draw a warrant in favor of Mr. Cure and provide compensation for his wrongful incarceration of 16 years. In addition, the bill will waive tuition and fees for up to a total of 120 hours of instruction at any career center, college or university established in the State of Florida.
Representative Gantt remarked, “In 2020, I was honored to serve on the Independent Review Panel to ensure that justice was rendered, although delayed, for Mr. Cure. It is truly a humbling experience to, again, be in a position to support Mr. Cure on this journey to justice for being wrongfully incarcerated for 16 plus years. If one of us is susceptible to injustice, we all are. I firmly believe that we all have a duty and responsibility to help others and to ensure that we are creating a better world than the one we inherited. Though we all understand the priceless commodity of time, I am thankful for my colleagues unanimous vote to provide compensation to Mr. Cure to provide a modicum of recompense for the years he unjustly suffered.”
