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The 395 people currently on death row would have to decide whether they wanted to die in the electric chair or by firing squad under legislation filed at the state Capitol. State Representative Brad Drake wants to abolish lethal injections. But making changes in execution methods could slow down an already slow process.

Florida conducted its last hanging in the early 1900‘s.  The electric chair became the law of the state in 1924 and lasted until three botched executions in the 90‘s forced lawmakers to switch to lethal injection.

Now State Rep. Brad Drake wants to bring back the electric chair and also give inmates a choice of a firing squad. “I am bemused and baffled at the number of people that calibrate their scales of justice in favor of the criminal as opposed to the victim,” says Drake.

Drakes bill would give all 395 current death row inmates a choice between the two methods. those who don’t choose would automatically get the electric chair. Any change in the way the state carries out executions is likely to keep the attorney General busy, fighting new rounds of appeals.

Mark Schlakman, who handled death cases for Governor Lawton Chiles says the hype over firing squads is a distraction from an otherwise broken system. “The overriding concern,” says Schlakman “is that the process itself does not insure fair and accurate outcomes, does not insure impartial outcomes.”

Drake, a marketing executive, says he came up with the firing squad idea after complaints about the drugs used in lethal injections.

At least two former Florida Supreme court justices question the fairness of the state’s process. A federal judge has declared unconstitutional Florida’s system that allows a mere majority of jurors to choose death. And state and national bar associations have criticized Florida’s process for executing people.