September 19, 2003

Contact:
Jennifer Meriam, Director
(954) 262-5355
Mike Laderman, Associate Director,
(954) 262-5354
Mara Kiffin, Coordinator,
(954) 262-5350

Florida Innocence Project At NSU Asks Florida Supreme Court For Emergency Order Preserving DNA Evidence Statewide

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL- The Florida Innocence Project, housed at Nova Southeastern University's Shepard Broad Law Center, has filed an emergency petition today before the Supreme Court of Florida seeking to prevent the destruction of evidence. The petition attempts to counter the Florida statutes that have created an October 1, 2003 deadline to file court papers requesting DNA tests. The Florida statutes also allow for agencies to destroy DNA evidence after October 1 without notice to anyone.

"We are seeking an extraordinary remedy because this is an extraordinary situation," said Craig Trocino, co-director of the FIP and adjunct professor of NSU's Law Center. "There are nearly 600 inmates in Florida whose rights to request DNA testing will be extinguished if the evidence is allowed to be destroyed."

"Having the evidence preserved will only serve justice and is no burden on any of the agencies," said Catherine Arcabascio, professor at NSU and co-director of the FIP.

The Florida Innocence Project was founded at NSU's Law Center in 1999 by Arcabascio and Carol Henderson. Trocino became co-director with Arcabascio in 2001. The project is dedicated to providing pro bono legal services to Florida inmates who are requesting DNA tests to prove their innocence. To date, the FIP has processed over 800 requests for assistance, yet maintains a backlog of 300 cases. "We survive on the assistance of students in the instigation of cases and on the pro bono legal service of lawyers like Craig Trocino," Arcabascio added. "There should be no time limit for justice."

For more information on the Florida Innocence Project at NSU, contact Trocino at (305) 577-1056.

Nova Southeastern University, with its main campus in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and student educational centers in Tampa, Orlando, Miami, West Palm Beach, and Jacksonville, Florida, and Las Vegas, Nevada, is the largest independent institution of higher education in the Southeast, and the 10th largest nationally. It awards bachelor's, master's, educational specialist, doctoral, and first-professional degrees in a wide range of fields, including business, counseling, computer and information sciences, education, medicine, dentistry, various health professions, law, marine sciences, psychology, and other social sciences. The university also offers 16 undergraduate majors through the Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences.

NSU Law Center's mission is to provide students with the skills they need to practice effectively in the vibrant South Florida community or elsewhere in the global community. The faculty, a diverse group of teacher-scholars with a wide range of backgrounds, is committed to producing highly qualified and compassionate practicing attorneys who reflect the diversity of the communities they serve. NSU's curriculum stresses practical skills and the integration of technology with the law, so that students embark on their law careers prepared for the real-world challenges of modern legal practice.

EDITOR'S NOTE: In order to avoid brand confusion, please use "Nova Southeastern University" or "NSU" when referring to the university. Referring to NSU as "Nova" may confuse our school with another university with a similar name and/or with the Nova Schools in the Broward County School District. Thank you.