A point of pride for all Americans is our justice system. Although most of us recognize that it is not perfect, our courts and legal system generally protect our citizens and provide a framework of justice often not afforded to other societies around the world.
On Saturday, May 12, Seth Miller, Executive Director of the Innocence Project of Florida, will focus on times when our system has proved imperfect. He will talk about the Innocence Project’s efforts to “Correct Injustices and Restore Lives Lost to Wrongful Convictions.”
Miller will discuss the causes of wrongful conviction, potential remedies to prevent future wrongful convictions and the work of the Innocence Project of Florida (IPF). IPF is the first project in the US to have a full-time social worker on staff to help the exonerees transition back into society. On average, the exonerees spend two decades wrongfully imprisoned.
Miller will be joined by Derrick Williams who was exonerated on April 4, 2011 after serving 18 years in prison for a Manatee County rape. He has since married his longtime fiancé and is working full-time in Bradenton.
Miller joined the Innocent Project of Florida in 2006. A magna cum laude graduate of FSU’s College of Law, he had been a student intern with IPF in 2003. He also teaches Post-conviction Remedies as an adjunct professor at the FSU College of Law.
Reservations are required.
Read instructions below carefully.
To make a reservation, e-mail reserve@sarasotadems.com and indicate the name of your guests and your menu choices, or leave that information on the voice mail at 379-9233.
Menu choices for this month are: Florida Citrus Chicken with rosemary roasted potatoes OR Mediterranean Corvina Salad with kalamata olives, feta cheese, tomatoes & cucumbers OR Vegetarian Pasta Primavera. Dessert is Key Lime Pie.
The luncheon is held at Laurel Oak Country Club, 2700 Gary Player Blvd, Sarasota, FL. Travel 2 miles east of I-75 on Bee Ridge Road. Turn left at the light at Gary Player Blvd. Bent Tree will be on your right. Proceed past the guard shack, through one stop sign, and the club house will be on your left.
Social Hour starts at 11 with the program beginning promptly at noon.
Cost for Members is $23 each. Cost for non-members or walk-in’s is $25 each. You may pay by cash or with a check made payable to the DCS. Please fill out your checks ahead of time.
IMPORTANT – Reservations are required and must be made by midnight, May 9th. Cancellations must also be made by midnight, May 9th or we will bill you for your meal.
The Economic Forum brought to you by the Democratic Club of Sarasota and the South West Florida Coalition for Peace & Justice is coming our way again on Monday, April 9th. If you’ve joined us in past years, you know you won’t want to miss out on this informative C-Span quality panel event.
Moderater – Rob Lorei – Managing Editor and Moderator of Florida This Week on WEDU and Co-founder and News and Public Affairs Director of WMNF Radio
Featured Speaker – Ayse Somersan – Emeritus Professor of Economics and Dean, University of WI
A panel of local economic experts including Rick Edmunds, researcher and writer for the Poynter Institute on business and journalism issues and Lauren Rudd , CEO/CIO of Savannah Capital Management and co-owner of WSRQ Radio. More panelists to be announced.
Event Details:
Monday, April 9th, 7:30 p.m., doors open at 6.
Golden Apple Theater – 25 N. Pineapple Avenue, Sarasota, FL
Cost is $20 for 1, $35 for 2
Beverages and light bites available for purchase.
Tickets can be purchased at the Golden Apple or by mailing a check made payable to the SWFCPJ to:
5318 Calle Florida Avenue, Sarasota, FL 34242.
For more details call Augi Schmitz at 941-586-6839 or JoAnne DeVries at 941-320-8825 .
Representative Kriseman captivated our members last year with his 2011 Florida Legislative Session update, so by popular demand, we have invited him back in 2012 to do it again.
The Florida redistricting initiative, mandated by voters in 2010, has been the focus of legislative efforts this session. Rick will update us on this important issue, as well as the details on the budget, the overall state of Democrats in Tallahassee, and his take on the 2012 elections. He will also elaborate on an effort by the leaders of the Democratic caucuses in the Florida Senate and House of Representatives to develop a set of Guiding Principles to move Florida forward. Representative Kriseman commented on the Guiding Principles, “It has become clear to Democrats in the Legislature that it is not enough to just speak out against bad ideas and policies. It’s not enough to stand up in fervent defense of hard-working, middle-class Floridians, seniors, children and small business owners. It is time now for Democrats in the Legislature to clearly communicate to Floridians what guides us and how our values and beliefs shape the legislation we propose and the legislative stances we take.”
With a background in law, Kriseman served as a St. Petersburg City Council member for 6 years. In 2006, he won the Florida House seat in District 53 with more than 60% of the vote. He was reelected without opposition in 2008 and was one of the few Florida Democrats left standing in 2010. He now serves as the Democratic Caucus Policy Chair. Rick will be introduced by his friend and colleague, and our Congressional Candidate, Keith Fitzgerald.
Reservations are required. Read instructions below carefully.
To make a reservation, e-mail reserve@sarasotadems.com and indicate the name of your guests and your menu choices, or leave that information on the voice mail at 379-9233.
Menu choices for this month are: Grilled Tilapia in Lemon Caper Sauce with Basmati Rice & Chefs Vegetables OR Fresh Vegetable Greek Salad. Dessert is Apple Pie.
The luncheon is held at Laurel Oak Country Club, 2700 Gary Player Blvd, Sarasota, FL. Travel 2 miles east of I-75 on Bee Ridge Road. Turn left at the light at Gary Player Blvd. Bent Tree will be on your right. Proceed past the guard shack, through one stop sign, and the club house will be on your left.
Social Hour starts at 11 with the program beginning promptly at noon.
Cost for Members is $23 each. Cost for non-members or walk-in’s is $25 each. You may pay by cash or with a check made payable to the DCS. Please fill out your checks ahead of time.
IMPORTANT – Reservations are required and must be made by midnight, April 11th. Cancellations must also be made by midnight, April 11th or we will bill you for your meal.
Mike Pheneger, Colonel US Army (retired), is the President of the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida and our special guest speaker for our April 26th Wine, Cheese & Politics series. Colonel Pheneger received rave reviews from our membership when he addressed the Democratic Club of Sarasota in December of 2009 asking the question, “Is There a Right Choice on Afghanistan?”
With 30 years of active duty in the U.S. Army, serving as Director of Intelligence for U.S. Special Operations Command and Deputy Director of Intelligence for U.S. Special Command, we look forward to hearing his expert insight into today’s hot topic of Iran and their potential nuclear capability. Tehran claims its attempts to enrich uranium are purely for peaceful purposes. Israel and the West believe the efforts are to achieve nuclear weapons. The questions are many. Are sanctions effective? Will Israel act? Join us as we turn to Colonel Pheneger to apply his years of experience in answering these questions and more.
The event is at 1350 Main Street, 6th Floor, Downtown Sarasota at 6:30 p.m. Wine and other beverages will be provided along with light bites. Please make your reservations by e-mailing rsvp@sarasotadems.com or leaving a message at 404-4678. Attendees who make reservations will be entered into a drawing for a Proud Sarasota Democrat Tote Bag filled with goodies valued at $50. Cost for members is $15 and for non-members, $20. Payment can be prepaid by mailing a check made payable to the DCS to: PO Box 51076, Sarasota, FL 34232 or at the door the night of the event.
We all know Jerry as the host of the daytime talk show, The Jerry Springer Show. But his resume also includes actor, television news anchor, and believe it or not — progressive political activist and elected official.
Jerry majored in political science at Tulane University and then received a law degree from Northwestern University in Chicago. Not long after graduating from law school, Jerry met Robert Kennedy at a dinner party and soon signed on to work on his presidential campaign.
After the blow of Kennedy’s assassination, he joined the law firm of Frost and Jacobs in Cincinnati. While there, the 25-year-old Springer led the movement in Ohio to lower the voting age from 21 to 18, which resulted in his Senate Judiciary Committee testimony supporting ratification of the 26th Amendment to the Constitution.
Springer then ran for Congress in Ohio in 1970, almost beating the Republican incumbent, Donald Clancy. In 1971, he won a seat on the Cincinnati City Council and served five terms before becoming mayor at the age of 33, with the largest plurality in the city’s history. He served two terms as Mayor.
After an unsuccessful bid for governor of Ohio in 1982, he was courted by several networks, ultimately signing with the Cincinnati NBC affiliate WLWT. As its anchor and managing editor, he won multiple Emmy Awards. His success in television news eventually led to The Jerry Springer Show and the rest is history.
A frequent guest and political commentator on CNN and other news networks, we have no doubt that Jerry will provide a thought-provoking and entertaining evening of political conversation.
The event is at 1350 Main Street in Downtown Sarasota at 6:30 pm. Reservations are required for this special event, as space is limited. Please make your reservations by e-mailing rsvp@sarasotadems.com or leaving a message at 404-4678. Admission is $40 for prepaid reservations and $45 for those paying at the door. To prepay, please mail your check made payable to the DCS to: Democratic Club of Sarasota, PO Box 51076, Sarasota, FL 34232.
Please join us on Saturday, March 10th as we welcome Bill Cotter asking the question “Same Sex Marriage and the Health Care Mandate: What will the Supreme Court Do?”Democrats living in Florida are often embarrassed by the politics of the state they call home. We have a history of controversies ranging from hanging chads, to disappearing touch-screen votes, to the election of a governor whose company was fined for massive Medicare fraud. And then there’s the errymandering that sustains a Republican majority in Tallahassee despite the Democratic lead in voter registration.
In late March, we get to witness one more “brilliant” move by the state of Florida, as the Supreme Court listens to arguments to repeal key components of President Obama’s Affordable Care Act. The Sunshine State is right in the thick of the proceedings with its State of Florida v. US Department of Health and Human Services suit.
We are fortunate that Bill Cotter, who has taught classes on the Supreme Court at the Pierian Spring Academy, will share his expertise on the arguments the Supreme Court will hear and his analysis of the potential outcome. He will also discuss what impact the Court may have on the same-sex marriage issue.
A Sarasota resident, Cotter’s recent background includes chairing the advisory board for the Oak Foundation, an international philanthropy which funds projects in conservation, human rights, abuse, housing, learning disabilities, and other social justice issues. Prior to that he spent 21 years as President of Colby College in Waterville, Maine. He also worked on international programs for the Ford Foundation, and has lived in Nigeria, Colombia and Venezuela.
Join us on March 10th as Bill Cotter helps us to better understand the issues the Supreme Court will consider in these critical decisions.
Reservations are required. Click here for menu details and reservation information.
March 10th – Luncheon Menu and Information
By · CommentsJoin us Saturday, March 10th, to hear from William Cotter,
Former President of Colby College and Supreme Court Expert speaking on
“Same Sex Marriage and the Health Care Mandate: What will the Supreme Court Do?”
Check-in opens at 11:00 a.m. Luncheon program begins at 12:00 p.m.
MENU:
Tuna Salad Stuffed Tomato with Fresh Fruit
OR
Honey Pecan Chicken with Rosemary Roasted Potatoes and Vegetables
OR
Vegetable Pasta Primavera
Dessert: Tiramisu
DEADLINE:
Wednesday evening, March 7th
LATE FEE:
Late cancellations and no-shows will be billed. If canceling, must do so by Wednesday evening, March 7th.
Reservations made after the deadline will be charged $25, if accepted.
Walk-ins will be charged $25, if accommodated.
TO MAKE RESERVATIONS:
Call 941-379-9233 or e-mail reserve@sarasotadems.com (include menu choice in your e-mail).
Please join us on Saturday, February 11th, as we welcome Dr. Edelin to ask the question, “Where are you, Pro-Choice America?” He will speak about Florida’s anti-choice government, Vern Buchanan’s Congressional anti-choice votes, and his concerns about how the outcome of the 2012 presidential election will impact Supreme Court decisions on this topic.
Dr. Edelin brings great insight and experience on these issues. He is an Emeritus Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Boston University School of Medicine. During his tenure at BU he was Chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Director of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Boston City Hospital and Gynecologist-in-Chief at Boston University Hospital. He was Managing Director of Roxbury Comprehensive Community Health Center, the largest provider of primary health care services in Boston’s African American Community. He was also a member of the Public Health Commission of the City of Boston. Dr. Edelin was chairman of the board of Planned Parenthood from 1989 – 1992. In 2008 he received the Margaret Sanger Award from Planned Parenthood and in the same year his book about his arrest in Boston, “Broken Justice”, won the Bronze Medal in the Independent Publishers Book Award competition. In his retirement, Dr. Edelin lives in Sarasota and is a member of the Democratic Club.
Reservations are required. Click here for menu details and reservations information.
February 11th – Luncheon Menu and Information
By · CommentsJoin us Saturday, February 11th, to hear from Dr. Kenneth Edelin,
Emeritus Professor Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Boston University School of Medicine and Activist for the protection of a Woman’s Right to Choose
Check-in opens at 11:00 a.m. Luncheon program begins at 12:00 p.m.
MENU:
Chicken Caesar Salad
OR
Grilled Vegetable Wrap with a side of Fruit
OR
Grilled Corvina Buerre Blanc with Rice Pilaf & Chef’s Vegetables
Dessert: Key Lime Pie
DEADLINE:
Wednesday evening, February 8th
LATE FEE:
Late cancellations and no-shows will be billed. If canceling, must do so by Wednesday evening, February 8th.
Reservations made after the deadline will be charged $25, if accepted.
Walk-ins will be charged $25, if accommodated.
TO MAKE RESERVATIONS:
Call 941-379-9233 or e-mail reserve@sarasotadems.com (include menu choice in your e-mail).
Join us on Wednesday, February 22nd as we welcome two local political journalists who will share their insight on the Sarasota, Florida, and national political scene.
Jeremy Wallace is the Sarasota Herald-Tribune’s political writer. Jeremy follows the Florida politics with his Monday column and Political Insider Blog. He has covered politics for 15 years, reporting from Florida, New York, and Washington, DC. He has recently focused several articles on controversial issues surrounding U.S. Congressman Vern Buchanan. We look forward to hearing more from him on this topic.
Teaming up with Jeremy, will be Cooper Levey-Baker. Cooper is a familiar face to many Sarasota Democrats. A native of Sarasota, Cooper was recently the editor of Creative Loafing Magazine, an alternative weekly newspaper. He is now editor of the Florida Independent, an online news source that is published by The American Independent News Network, a 501(c)3 organization that is dedicated to investigating and disseminating news that impacts the public debate and advances the common good.
These two journalists eat, breathe, and sleep politics. You won’t want to miss the opportunity to join this political discussion.
Beer, wine, and light bites will be provided. The event will be held at 1350 Main Street, 6th Floor, Sarasota, FL at 6:30 p.m. Doors open at 6 p.m. The cost is $15 for Club Members, $20 for Non-Members. RSVP by e-mailing rsvp@sarasotadems.com or by calling 941-404-4678. Walk-in’s welcome, however those making a reservation and attending will be entered in a drawing for a Democratic Club of Sarasota Gift Bag valued at $50 that will be given out at the event.
