Felix Garcia Gets First Parole Hearing

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By BitcoDavid

At 9:30AM, Eastern Standard Time, Felix Garcia – the innocent Deaf man who is currently serving his 31st year of a life sentence – will plead his case in front of a parole board.

Although we all hope desperately, that Felix finally gets a scintilla of the justice he so rightly deserves, parole would not have been my option of choice. There are 4 ways an inmate can be released. Exoneration, clemency, pardon and parole. Exoneration is when the court admits that they were wrong, and the individual is innocent. Clemency is a way the court can say they may or may not have been wrong, but they are willing to defer on the side of the defendant. Pardon is when the Governor – or the President of the United States – releases the inmate based on mercy. It means the inmate is guilty, but society is of a higher mind than simple punishment, and capable of taking mercy on the deserving. Parole on the other hand, requires an admission of guilt. In order to even qualify for parole, the inmate must show contrition and demonstrate rehabilitation.

Felix's most recent shot December 2013 Tomoka. Image Courtesy Pat Bliss

Felix’s most recent shot December 2013 Tomoka.
Image Courtesy Pat Bliss

Personally, I think that might be impossible for Felix. He has maintained his innocence for his entire life behind bars. I think he will struggle with the integral hypocrisy of admitting to being contrite over a crime he didn’t commit. Furthermore, parole isn’t freedom. It’s a qualified release. Felix will have to report to a parole officer who can violate him at any time, and at whim. He will be expected to take whatever job they assign him, and he will be subjected to regular drug tests.

Felix could easily qualify to teach ASL, or to work in the computer industry, but he’ll end up working in a car wash, until his parole is satisfied. I know of a certain blog site that would jump at the chance to have him on staff. And I have no doubt our readers would welcome his work. As a parolee, that would be difficult – if not impossible.

Porsche Haynes of Sachs Media Group, who has also worked very hard on obtaining justice for Felix, asked me to send a letter to the parole board, for this hearing. Since it is now 11:00, and I can assume the letter has been read, I know of no reason why you shouldn’t be able to see it.

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Regardless of my personal feelings, we wish Felix all the best possible luck in this hearing. If a single Human being ever deserved freedom, that Human being is Felix Garcia.

BitcoDavid is a blogger and a blog site consultant. In former lives, he was an audio engineer, a videographer, a teacher – even a cab driver. He is an avid health and fitness enthusiast and a Pro/Am boxer. He has spent years working with diet and exercise to combat obesity and obesity related illness.

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Comments (5)

  1. Aviva Glasner

    It’s about time!!!!  Good for him, I will be thinking of hm. Thanks David for sharing this.  Aviva  

  2. Penny

    Thanks for the great support David, my imaginary NAD President! 🙂 Love you bunches! If Felix gets paroled then more likely staff from NAD offices will come out and say oh! We are with you, Felix. touching his cheeks…100% Bull! I have the feeling that Felix’s team will not make Felix confess the crime he didn’t commit in parole hearing. I believe that they will use strategy to explain the board about his case. If he gets parole then the next step would be clemency, I think. I hope the meeting went very well this morning.

    I don’t know but it never sits me right when I see someone mention about other person reading grade level. I think most appropriate is to say that he/she had language delayed or something like that instead of what reading grade he/she was in…it gives me creepy feeling but I know you didn’t/don’t mean any harm.

    Keep fighting for our community!

    • bitcodavid

      Oh, thank you so much, Penny. I’m flattered and grateful for your wonderful compliments. The term Language Delayed works well, within the Deaf community, because the Deaf – and those who live and work with them – can understand it. Most Hearing however, cannot. We use the reading grade level to speak to our own. People from something like a parole board, or other government bureaucracy need that kind of description if they’re to empathize with the Deaf individual, at all.

      • Penny

        That is interesting. Thanks for explaining this to me. Did you hear about the parole hearing yesterday? Felix was denied and will have another hearing in three years. I learned they will transfer him to deaf friendly prison soon. It is like giving him a sugar candy to quiet him. I know they will not parole him in three years. I do not have faith with the parole board. Felix was in the news all over in Florida so I hope people will push for clemency. Let us wait and see. Again, they listened to hearsay—his baby brother! Evidences don’t mean anything to the court of the law in Florida. They much prefer hearsays and that is so scary. His sister Tina is now giggling at home as she still gets away with the murder crime. I am floored!

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