In an exclusive interview aired Tuesday night on NewsNation’s Banfield, former Florida Agriculture Commissioner and past member of the Florida Board of Executive Clemency Nikki Fried strongly condemned Michael Edwards’s ongoing imprisonment, stating it is a “travesty of justice” and that “it’s time to release him.”
Edwards has served 31 years of a 60-year sentence for selling a small amount of cocaine in 1993. A spoonful-sized amount.
Fried and the former state attorney, whose office originally prosecuted Edwards, now advocate for his clemency.
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Speaking with Banfield host Ashleigh Banfield, Fried addressed Edwards’ continued incarceration with palpable frustration.
“First of all, thank you so much for covering this and into such emotion and coverage, because it is a travesty of justice,” Fried began. “You know, as not only a member of that clemency board, but also a past public defender, I had numerous cases every single day that offers were being made, whether it’s drugs, you can look at the case that you were just talking about. That woman got 15 years for her assault and rape against Elizabeth Smart, and yet, here is this man who was nonviolent to begin with, who was sold to his ex-girlfriend because he, too, had a drug problem. This is not a violent person.”
Fried emphasized the length of time Edwards has already served, asserting, “He served his time way past that, and it’s time to release him.”
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Fried recounted how the case was brought to the clemency board’s attention by Edwards’ family and a Republican elected official from Fort Myers. She noted that the former state attorney involved in Edwards’ prosecution testified in favor of his release at a clemency hearing. However, Fried stated that “unfortunately, Governor DeSantis took it under advisement and then later issued that statement that he was unwilling to grant him commutation and release him from prison with no explanation whatsoever. This is one of those cases that the public should want this man released.”
Discussing the process for potentially granting clemency to Edwards, Fried explained that a new petition would need to be filed by his attorney or family members. Following this, a member of the clemency board, which consists of the governor, the chief financial officer, the attorney general, and the agriculture commissioner, would need to “pull what’s called a rule 17.” This rule, Fried explained, “expedites these cases, because, unfortunately, here in the state of Florida, we are behind by years and years and years and years to get somebody brought up in front of the clemency board.”
Fried elaborated on the rule 17 process, stating, “you bring the case, you expedite that case in front of the clemency board, and then you have a hearing and allotment of time that the governor has discretion on about how much time gets allotted, and then a decision gets made. So, at any point, this could happen.”
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However, Fried expressed concern about the current political climate, saying, “But unfortunately, it doesn’t sound, even from your opening, that the governor is even willing to have this conversation of this carriage of justice of what’s happening.”
Fried also highlighted the financial burden on taxpayers, noting that “as individuals get older and older that they need more medical attention inside of our prison systems, which will be, again, something that the taxpayers will have to pay for. And this man’s life is already, he’s been sitting behind bars for 31 years. He’s not violent. He served his time way past that, and it’s time to release him.”
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