Gov. Charlie Crist has signed a death warrant for Martin (Michoel Yechiel) Grossman, a Jewish inmate, convicted of murdering a Pinellas County wildlife officer in 1984.
Grossman is scheduled to be put to death by lethal injection on Feb. 16 at 6 p.m.
Grossman was 19 years old when he and a friend went to a wooded area in Pinellas County on Dec. 13, 1984 to shoot a stolen handgun.
26-year-old Florida Wildlife Officer Margaret Park interrupted them and Grossman pleaded with her not to report him for having the gun and being outside Pasco County, both of which were violations of his probation for burglary.
Grossman struck Park on the back of the head when she tried to radio for help and his accomplice beat her.
Grossman, who was a foot taller and 100 pounds heavier than Park, wrestled her gun away from her and shot her in the back of the head.
Last week, Grossman and his attorney, Richard Kiley, appeared before Judge Joseph Bulone asking to introduce evidence on Grossman’s mental state at the time of the killing.
Kiley said Grossman was sentenced by a jury who knew nothing about his mental state.
Bulone denied the petition.
YWN spoke with Rabbi Menachem Katz of the Aleph Institute, who has been visiting Grossman for the past 15 years in prison, most recently as this past Thursday.
Rabbi Katz said his most recent visit was an emotional, and traumatic experience for Grossman – who knows that he has a scheduled date to be executed. The visit lasted two hours, and was held at a special cell called “Death Watch”. Although Grossman understands that he took a life by murdering Margaret Park, he feels that he was not treated fairly. At the time of the murder he and his friend were high on mind-altering drugs (PCP, crystal meth, cocaine & other drugs), and was only 19-years-old. No one gets a death warrant signed for them under such circumstances.
Another point worth questioning is why Florida Governor Charlie Crist suddenly decided to sign the death warrant. There are hundreds of hardened criminals on death row, and the Governor never signed Grossman’s warrant for the past 4 years. Why suddenly did he decide to do this?
Grossman is currently the only Florida inmate with a signed death warrant, and placed onto death watch.
Rabbi Katz tells YWN that Grossman is “holding strong”, and tries to practice Judaism as much as he can, and put on Tefillin at his last visit. He has requested a Jewish burial, but Rabbi Katz of the Aleph Institute are hopeful that he won’t need a burial, and the Governor will have a change of heart – allowing Grossman to live out his sentence behind bars.
“This is Pikuach Nefashos Mammish,” Rabbi Katz told YWN. People are urged to contact the governors office and plead to have him change his mind.
CONTACT INFO FOR FLORIDA GOVERNOR CHARLIE CRIST:
Office of Governor Charlie Crist
State of Florida
The Capitol
400 S. Monroe St.
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0001
[email protected]
Telephone:
Citizen Services Hotline: (850) 488-4441
Executive Office of the Governor Switchboard: (850) 488-7146
[Office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time]
Fax: (850) 487-0801
For individuals with hearing loss or speech disability:
1-850-922-7795 (TTY)
(Dov Gordon – YWN)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
41 Responses
Mendy Katz is a tzadik! He runs Aleph out of the Belle Harbor chabad and I have set up several inmates and military with the org over the last many years.
he DID kill someone…
I;ll write something cause he’s a Jew, but honestly, she was an officer of the law, and I can see why Crist would want to whack him.
I don’t understand, why help him?
i would like to Daven for him whats his name?
Doesn’t there need to be premeditation to warrant the death penalty?
A blood thirsty premeditated cold bloded murderer,and hes jewish, chyav misa twice. Once for murder one, and two for a grotesque chilul Hashem. Margerete Park lies unavenged 26 yrs her family also deserves rectatude.This was cold blooded brutal murder against a police officer. Death is what he deserves. If your krum in ur hashkafa ul plead for mercy of sheker.
Why was’nt he killed on Dec 13 rd 1984?
Sorry 13th, thought 23rd
Maryland
A reader submitted the following text bthat can be used to email Gov Crist:
I am writing this email to request that you reconsider your action of signing Martin Grossman’s death warrant.
While his crime is by no means condonable, a punishment as irreversible as death seems extreme in this case. While I personally do not know Mr. Grossman, I have been informed by his friends and counselors that he sincerely regrets his actions. Of course, taking the life of an officer is a crime that deserves punishment. But, considering the teen’s mental state at the time, and how far he’s come since then, I don’t see how taking another human life would right the wrong.
I greatly appreciate your consideration and wish you the best of luck in your position.
I’m sorry; But if we do anything to further ruin any effectiveness the Death Penalty has, by further weakening it, that would mean that every
gangbanger and every motorcycle gangster will get off, that much easier.
If we are going to talk about Pikuach Nefish
then we must talk about all those innocent people both Jewish and non Jewish who will die in street shootings or beatings or home invasions, caused by those who should have gotten the Death Penalty and instead got ‘life’ which did not actually become, ‘life’ but really was just a few years
‘with good behavior’.
Also, we must consider that even those who never get out but stay alive then become the gang leaders who from prison, call the shots for what the rest of the gang does, outside of prison.
It should never have taken 15 years to execute anyone convicted of murder.
And personally I think many more crimes should get the Death Penalty.
Rape (at least for a second conviction, if not the first).
Perhaps for Rape there should be degrees (First Second Third, premeditated rape, or not) like there is for murder.
That way someone who was falsly accused after two people agreed to be together then had an argument over whether they did something they ‘both’ wanted or not, can be separated from a home invasion where someone was brutually beaten and violently abused.
Drug dealing (certainly anything ‘harder’ then pot, like Meth and Cocaine etc…) and
any kind of brutal assault where the attacker can clearly be shown to have a propensity for dangerous violence and it very likely to do it again, either in prison or out on the street.
Such people only make gangs worse and prepetuate the most violent aspects of society and are growing to the point where society will be torn apart by it.
As a person who studys American law in college. there is no reason for the Gov. to senetence him yet. Since everyone is innocent till proven guilty. The only way to prove someone guilty is if its beyond a resonable doubt that there guilty . So according to american law if he was on drugs he should be proven innocent or at least not the death penalty, due to the fact that his mind wasnt in the right mind set and threfore he wouldnt be liable or at least not liable for the death penalty. Since all U.S.courts are supposed to give this treatment. Regardless if you believe you should call the gov. or not , in my opinion you deffinitly should. Because if everybodys suppose to be treated this way and goyim get treated this way. so then we should for sure stick up for a yid who has a yiddish neshoma, who can do teshuva, to get this equal treatment as everyone according to law is suppose to.
We are the only people that will condemn a fellow Jew even if he is Guilty. African-Americans, Hispanics, Italians, Irish, etc they all would stand up for there fellow now matter how guilty he is but we don’t. Is it a mylah that we have a sense of justice or is it a chasarin that we do not stick to our own?
Why should doing something illegal like taking illegal drugs, excuse someone from murder?
It’s like throwing a rock off of a highway overpass and then saying it killed someone ‘by accident’ because they did not know it would actually hit anyone.
Besides I believe it says somehwere, possibly in Pirkay Avos or some similar place, that when
someone is intoxicated their true self, comes out.
If spomeone while on ilelgal drugs committed murder it was because he at heart, was a murderer.
He was doing nothing ‘innocent’ when he took a stolen gun or when he ‘chose’ to take the drugs.
There is no excuse here, none whatsoever.
To 13:
I feel sorry for this country if people who cannot spell simple English are studying to become lawyers.
There is such a thing as mercy and the governor should give this fellow life in prison instead of death ,or give death right now to all the rest of the killers. There must be equality under the law. If he’d been black instead of Jewish would we demand death,if we’d been related to the murdered officer? She deserves justice,too.
The judge must also weigh all the facts and circumstances,but killing him now won’t do much good.For those who think that min haTorah he is worthy of death-you are wrong. He was not yet 20 years old,he was not warned before by 2 witnesses and he was under influence of substances. This was not a pre-meditated murder. He does deserve strict punishment.
#13, if you really were studying law you would know that governors do not “senetence” people. You are clearly not telling the truth.
bottom line. adam muad leolam. its as simple as that.
“he was on drugs…blah blah blah” why should that matter?!? he should never have taken those drugs! he killed.
EDITED BY MODERATOR.
#8, you call yourself “rabbi”, yet totally disregard Torah law! He is not “Chayav Misah” for murder, unless two witnesses have been properly cross examined by the court (a real beis din, not a jury of hillbillies or some ole shmoyge judge), with no discrepancy found. “Chilul Hashem” is not punishable by lethal injection, and who do you think you are to pass out death sentences?
#13’s response is most sensible and compassionate, and I will iy”h write the judge too.
There is a Judge in heaven for all crimes committed; we should not take his place.
#8 your the krum, one nothing you wrote makes any sense, you have a crooked head
Honestly I wouldn’t want to be sitting at the same bar mitzvah with this perp.
al pi halacha hes not chayav missah without eidim, a baisdin etc. [& if u r wondering what about dina demalchusa -ask ur rav; in this case its easy to answer]
Das Torah is to try to save any Jew from death sentence no matter what. You have to be mechallel shabbos for him. If he dies childless his wife & brother would have a mitzvah of yibum in order to propagate his name. His neshama is cherished by Hashem to no end. But I see that you guys think you know better. You think you have the correct view. Well guess what? Your wrong. Dead wrong. Go learn some Torah and see for yourself what Hashem wants from you. Your heartless comments and lack of concern for another Yid is a sign of your deficiency. Wake up and try to save your bothers life.
I am appalled to read the heartlessness of most of the commenters.
Yes, this person committed a horrific crime. We know that the Torah has a death penalty. BUT it also has laws of aydus. In American law any other murderer or drug pusher can be an ayd.
There were also the facts that this man was below 20 at the time he committed the crime (19) and was high on drugs. He was clearly no tzadik but the death penalty is NOT appropriate by Torah standards in this case.
Rachamim b’nai rachamim, I urge you all to write or call the governor and plead for this Yid’s life.
Have any of YOUR kids (or your neighbors’ kids) EVER used any drugs. What would you say if THEY did something crazy when they were not in control of their actions?
He was such a young man when he was sentenced,he should be given a chance at living a normal life. If he is off drugs and regrets what he has done, he should be let out of prison.
Not to condone his actions but the fact that almost every comment basically says let him die is frightening. What happened to being rachmanim? Killing and Ovdei Cochavim is a hideous crime but you are not chayiv misah. Let Hakodosh boruch judge the world, we can stich to having rachamim. Remeber the gemara in Meseches Rosh Hashana says “one who is ‘moser din’ passes judgement on his friend will have his own deeds scrutinized in shamayim.”
I am so sorely saddened and dismayed reading the majority of the comments here. Hashem yiracheim! How can we do this? We are so misguided, we need so much rachmonus ourselves.
We are forgetting that yidden are not merely “cousins” or people of the same nationality. We are actually part of one whole. Saying “well he deserves it” is like saying “well, yeah, please cut off my arm”. I mamash have tears in my eyes as I write this.
Also, let’s remember that the world, and judgement, is run very much by the concept of “midah k’neged midah”. Chas vesholom that we should get to our judgement and hear those who are supposed to defend us and find z’chusim in us say “he deserves it”.
Please, let’s not get to that. Hashem yeracheim!! Let’s show Hashem that we are rachmonim. That it is so true that what this guy did is horrific and unexcusable, but still, we will try to do at least the minimal amount that we could (write an email) to try and get his life spared.
And saying “as a jew, I’ll write something, but really I don’t believe he should get off” – gevald! Yidden! PLEASE!! We need to show Hashem that we are worthy of His rachmonus!!
Noone will say that he should be excused for his crime or be released. Noone is arguing that. But death! How can we NOT try?!
It is so sad that we are turning on a part of us. I think this phenomenon of being so quick to condemn those who we should be going to great lengths to defend and protect can be attributed to collective low self-esteem. As yidden, we are so tired of being persecuted and downtrodden, which has been our lot since the churban bais hamikdosh. And so we are used to seeing ourselves in a bad light.
Let’s wake up!! May Hashem have rachmonus on us and send us the geulah bimhairoh.
Lastly, if you really can’t find it in your heart to have pity on someone, don’t flaunt it on every blog. It’s terrible the way such things just roll off the keyboard so easily. Yesh din v’yesh dayan! (there is a Judge and there is Judgement). Protect yourselves!!
It is my fervent hope that my heartfelt plea will find a place in your heart. Really, I am no tzadaikes, but it hurts me so much.
In light of comments #26 and #27, I’m worried about the scary din Moysser C”V regarding those who wrote negative posts, being that they could be viewed by anyone with power to influence the lethal decision.
I would therefore ask you to joining me in urging YWN to delete all comments immediately.
May Hashem accept our Teshuva.
The drug problem is huge in our community, just as it is all over the U.S. The drug business is the largest business in the world–bigger than cars.
We will not solve this problem until we get some honest people in government–people who will not protect the drug trade.
In the comments I am seeing that a lot of people are making incorrect judgments about the standards applied under U.S. law before a person can be executed for murder. First a jury must find him guilty of capital murder beyond a reasonable doubt. Then the jury reconvenes and is shown evidence as to why or why not the convict should receive the death penalty or some lesser penalty. This takes some time. Then there are appeals on a variety of topics. Certainly, since this case began in 1984, Mr. Grossman has been through all of this. The article above, then expresses surprise that, after 4 years on his desk, the Govenor “suddenly” decided to sign the death warrant. In reality, the Governor’s legal advisors have been studying all aspects of this case before making a recommendation to the Governor. This was not a sudden decision. Before he is executed, Mr. Grossman’s attorney will, no doubt, appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court to have the execution stayed, if they haven’t done so already. The process is extremely long — this is not Iraq or China — and Mr. Grossman has had more than enough opportunities to plead his arguments regarding his drug use at the time of the crime. In fact, if his lawyer had not argued them in the original trial, it would have been reversible error by the court or ripe for a finding of incopetent representation by counsel, and therefore the basis for a retrial. It is safe to assume that if true, the argument was before the judge and jury who both rejected it as a mitigating factor.
For all thise who are having a hard time understanding this: The Mitzvah of “Loshon Hora” is NOT the only Mitzvah in the Torah. There is an even GREATER Mitzvah called “saving a Jewish life”! Could be in your Yeshivos wherw you were brought up this was not emphasized enough – but this is the truth. I think you may actualy try to “work on your Middos” a bit. Thank you.
based on the chazal that identify the 3 base caracteristics of a jew – i strongly would check the yichus of writer # 8.
Without asking for clemency for him or necessarily letting this man die, I’d like to ask all those commentators who are asking for clemency whether they would be so energized to sk for remission if this man’s name was gonzales (hispanic) or brown (african-american)?
the point is that if you think a crime committed under the circumstances mentioned should be eligible for clemency, then you must also raise your voice for everyone else- regardless of his/her ethnicity. I have my doubts that this would be the case and i fear that most of these same people would be asking for the blood of the criminal.
20 is the age for death by heaven, 13 is for death by man but as has been said he still shouldn’t get the death penalty according to the Torah because there was witness’ and warnings. He also shouldn’t get death under American law because it wasn’t premeditated. He lost himself as the situation escalated out of control.
Well I have a different from you guys because I knew martinand this is a letter I sent to the govoner
I was a friend of martin back before he killed Peggy Park. I met him in school before he dropped out of the 8th grade.
We used to hang out but because my dad was a Deputy I had to stop being friends with him because he started hanging with the wrong people and of course the drugs.
Martin was the smartest guy but was a follower. Easily manipulated into doing things he was not raised to do. He loved his mother and treated her with respect. Wasn’t outgoing and shy.
But he had bad friends. His friends were from a different upbringing than he was.
When I had heard what he did I was sure it was a mistake and it was actually one of his friends that did it. Well I was wrong.
Just before his crime I would see him around the neighborhood and he would ignore me.
It was because he was embarrassed of the way he looked,acted and the company he kept.And of course the drugs.
Drugs do that to people. It makes them do things they ordinarily wouldn’t do.
The combination of drugs and impulsive youth can cloud your judgment and make you do unexpected things and make unspeakable decisions. Martin was a young Jewish boy who had a good upbringing. But something happened after his dad died. All young men need dads to teach them how to be a man and keep their young sons in check. My dad kept me in check and I do so to my son. You look at the people in prison and you will see that vicious cycle of inmates who were raised in a fatherless home or their dad themselves were not good dads because of how they were raised My son suffers from ADHD and I know that he will be predisposed to making bad decisions. It affects the prefrontal lobes where the decision making is made. We had to put him on medication after one day at the age of five when he ran out in front of a car.
Now I’m not saying that he had a problem like that but I often wonder how a non violent man could kill someone just because he didn’t want to go to prison.
Was it Drugs? Was it impulsive youth? Was it something mental?
I guess we will never know.
But I know one thing, I am for the death penalty. But I think it should be reserved for the Richard Covey’s,Ted Bundy’s and the other serial Killers,baby raper’s,and child killers.
These people are inherently sick, twisted, and I think shouldn’t be allowed to live.
But martin killed a officer. If he had maybe a few seconds more to think about what he was getting ready to do we possibly wouldn’t be here talking about whether or not he should die.
I have heard he has been a model prisoner and is certainly not the same person who killed a person 25 yrs ago. He was not a bad person , just made a bad..bad decision.
Recently a judge denied him a chance to put forward some evidence to shed some light
on his mental capacity .
I just ask you to make sure before we execute him that all the mitigating,and aggravating
circumstances have been explored
Oh by the way. His co-defendent served 2.5 years!
The torah says you’re supposed to have two eyewitnesses to convict such a crime.
I am sure that even ר’ יהושע would agree that murderers should get killed, and yes, בית דין wouldn’t be able to send him to get killed but for sure he would be sent to the “Kipa” until he dies, but when there is no בית דין and the Gov. is about to give him what he deserved we – Jews – shouldn’t help him get away with it, קוצים אני מכלה מן הכרם.
ר’ אלעזר ב”ר שמעון אשכח לההוא פרהגונא דקא תפיס גנבי אמר ליה היכי יכלת להו לאו כחיותא מתילי דכתיב בו תרמוש כל חיתו יער איכא דאמרי מהאי קרא קאמר ליה (תהילים י) יארב במסתר כאריה בסוכו דלמא שקלת צדיקי ושבקת רשיעי א”ל ומאי אעביד הרמנא דמלכא הוא אמר תא אגמרך היכי תעביד עול בארבע שעי לחנותא כי חזית איניש דקא שתי חמרא וקא נקיט כסא בידיה וקא מנמנם שאול עילויה אי צורבא מרבנן הוא וניים אקדומי קדים לגרסיה אי פועל הוא קדים קא עביד עבידתיה ואי עבידתיה בליליא רדודי רדיד ואי לא גנבא הוא ותפסיה אישתמע מילתא בי מלכא אמרו קריינא דאיגרתא איהו ליהוי פרונקא אתיוה לרבי אלעזר ברבי שמעון וקא תפיס גנבי ואזיל שלח ליה ר’ יהושע בן קרחה חומץ בן יין עד מתי אתה מוסר עמו של אלהינו להריגה שלח ליה קוצים אני מכלה מן הכרם שלח ליה יבא בעל הכרם ויכלה את קוציו יומא חד פגע ביה ההוא כובס קרייה חומץ בן יין אמר מדחציף כולי האי שמע מינה רשיעא הוא אמר להו תפסוהו תפסוהו לבתר דנח דעתיה אזל בתריה לפרוקיה ולא מצי קרי עליה (משלי כא) שומר פיו ולשונו שומר מצרות נפשו זקפוהו קם תותי זקיפא וקא בכי אמרו ליה רבי אל ירע בעיניך שהוא ובנו בעלו נערה מאורסה ביום הכפורים הניח ידו על בני מעיו אמר שישו בני מעי שישו ומה ספיקות שלכם כך ודאית שלכם על אחת כמה וכמה מובטח אני בכם שאין רמה ותולעה שולטת בכם ואפי’ הכי לא מייתבא דעתיה אשקיוהו סמא דשינתא ועיילוהו לביתא דשישא וקרעו לכריסיה הוו מפקו מיניה דיקולי דיקולי דתרבא ומותבי בשמשא בתמוז ואב ולא מסרחי כל תרבא נמי לא סריח כל תרבא לא סריח שורייקי סומקי מסריח הכא אף על גב דאיכא שורייקי סומקי לא מסריח קרי אנפשיה (תהילים טז) אף בשרי ישכון לבטח
To all BELIEVERS of the death sentence…
גמרא מס’ נדה דף יג’
Please give a look in the above mentioned גמרא you’ll see some kind עבירות you would be doing, that the גמרא states that its like you brought a. מבול on the world, and its like you killed your own children,and also statement of the גמרא ,chayev misah…
So please think in ..
For your knowledge, when god wants to sentence a person on a surtain sin, he makes somebody tell to this person, in a daily discussion,a story of a person that has done this sin, and what “his reaction and judgement” will be on this particular sin, same exact hashem punishes him-self, meaning that’he’by “him-self” was his own judge!!!
This is not my own, this says in seforim hakdoishim…
If so, I will let you now, say again what your opinion on this person…
The Governors phone and fax numbers are ‘chronically busy’. here is the phone and fax number for his senate campaign headquarters (He is running for Senate):
Phone: 850-907-1218
Fax: 850-907-1219
#7 – rabbi108300:
Your words sound like they’re coming from anything but a “Rabbi”.
1. There is no room for harsh words such as those in the vocabulary of a Jew, let alone a rabbi, especially towards a fellow Jew.
2. Kindly learn the FACTS of the case before you spew forth your angry venomous words.
3. Even if you did know the facts (which you clearly don’t) and if you did find that your words were at all called for (which they’re not) you would simply NOT be in a position to judge. Our job is to act as Torah teaches us to. Not only does Torah not tell us to analyze the situation and judge the person. Torah tells us the opposite – we are NOT permitted to judge this Jew. That said, I see no reason to bother with the details of Mr. Grossman and the (many) arguments in his favor, simply because it’s not our call to make ANYWAY.
Death penalty in this case is CLEARLY not applicable because,
a. secular court is not a beit din and does not have jurisdiction over the life of a Jew
b. he killed a goy, and there is no death penalty in Jewish law for killing a nochri
c. there aren’t 2 witnesses who warned him as is required in Jewish law before administering the death penalty.
This is without mentioning the circumstances of his state at the time of the crime, since those are simply irrelevant for my purposes.
As death penalty doesn’t apply here, our job is not only dan l’kaf zechut, ve’ahavta lereecha kamocha, and pidyon shivuyim at all costs. Let’s not forget LO TA’AMOD AL DAM RE’ECHA. Unfortunately, my dear friend, of these and more you are terribly guilty.
All are equal in the eyes of God, Jew and Gentile alike. As much as I disagree with the death penalty, Jew or not, he shouldn’t be given special treatment. If the officer was a Jew, many Jews would want his head, more so if he was a Gentile, remember that. Killing others whoever they are IS a sin, no matter who or what tells you it isn’t.