• WEAR 3 NEWS TOP STORIES VIDEO

FLORIDA - The Florida Supreme Court ordered a stay of execution for a man convicted of a triple murder.

Channel Three capitol reporter Whitney Ray explains why.

On January 9, 1981, Paul Johnson shot and killed a Polk County Deputy and two others. He was sentenced to death for the murders, but the Florida Supreme Court is ordering a stay of execution, saying Governor Charlie Crist may have jumped the gun in Johnson's case.

"Crist signed Johnson's death warrant even though the convicted killer hadn't exhausted his appeals, but political pressure was mounting on the governor."

More than 2,200 people signed a petition asking Crist to sign the death certificate. ACLU Attorney Larry Spalding doesn't know why Crist was so eager, but says politics should never taint such dire decisions.

"You shouldn't react on emotional calls to do things. You react rationally and responsible and working within the system."

A system many say is broken. Florida is the only state with capital punishment that allows a jury to hand down the death sentence without a unanimous vote. Three years ago, the American Bar Association recommended changes to the system. Mark Schlakman was one of eight lawyers working on the report. The recommendations have been ignored.

"It is apprehension by elected officials as the possibility of being branded as anything but tough on crime, but these issues don't go to whether one is tough on crime, they go to administration of justice."

More than 20 death row inmates have been exonerated since executions resumed in 1979. In Tallahassee, Whitney Ray, Channel Three News.

Executions also come with a hefty price tag: on average, two death row inmates are executed in Florida every year, at a cost of $51 million to taxpayers.

Life in prison for an inmate entering the system at 20 years old costs an estimated 1.5 million tax dollars.Florida Supreme Court Ordering Stay of Execution for Triple-Murderer

• IN FLORIDA NEWS

John Travolta, family attend open of new movie
November 20, 2009 21:39 EST

OCALA, Fla. (AP) -- The Travolta's are home for the Ocala open of the new Disney comedy 'Old Dogs' and to help raise money for five charities.

John Travolta, Kelly Preston and their daughter Ella Bleu Travolta greeted hundreds of fans on the red carpet Friday. The family expressed their appreciation to the community, ending their thanks with: "Love you, Ocala."

In January, 16-year-old Jett Travolta died at the family vacation home in Grand Bahamas.

The private gala raised money for five nonprofit agencies selected by Travolta: The Jett Travolta Foundation, Florida Highway Patrol Advisory Council, Project Hope, the Marion County Public Safety Assistance Trust, and the Humane Society of Marion County.

About 150 tickets at $250 apiece were sold to the general public, and the gala also had private invitations.

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Information from: Ocala Star-Banner, http://www.starbanner.com/

Thursday, October 29 2009, 11:46 PM EDT

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