There's at least some positive news for a Hillsborough County man who's been serving 33 years in prison for a 1981 murder he didn't commit. The Florida Commission on Offender Review voted to reduce Felix Garcia's presumptive parole release date by 12 months and his parole hearing was moved from five years to three.
Innocent or not, Garcia is not going home yet.
Garcia, 53, deaf since the age of 3, has been serving a life sentence for a crime his brother and sister admit they framed him for. Read his story here.
Garcia's pro bono attorney, Reggie Garcia (no relation), made the case for his client at the hearing, telling the parole board Garcia has made great strides while in prison, obtaining over 30 certifications from the Florida Department of Corrections.
Beyond that, Reggie Garcia contends his client did not commit the murder of Tampa businessman Joseph Tramontana Jr.
Felix Garcia was not in the hearing room this morning.
"Unlike most of the cases you hear, Felix Garcia is 100 percent, totally innocent," Garcia told board members, noting Felix Garcia has a seven-hour alibi which was substantiated by two witnesses.
"It is long overdue to release this man," he pleaded.
He was joined by Pat Bliss, a retired paralegal and a former board member of HEARD (Helping Educate to Advance the Rights of the Deaf). Bliss was given Garcia's case in 1996 and has since developed a close relationship with the prisoner.
"I've been like a mom to him now for all these years," said Bliss. "I'm the person who has stood by him for 18 years."
Garcia's attorney said his client was framed by his brother, Frank Garcia, who is also serving a lengthy prison sentence. Frank Garcia has recanted his testimony and said his brother wasn't involved in the murder, yet the sentence still stands.
The board ultimately decided to move up Felixs parole date, but did not do the same for his brother, Frank.
As part of Wednesday's board ruling, Felix Garcia will also be moved to a different facility, either to the Wakulla Correctional Institution or to the Sumter Correctional Institution. It was not determined when, exactly, the move would take place.
"I'm really happy with the decision," said Bliss. "I pray that when we come up here in three years that it's going to show that Felix, no matter where he's at, is successful (and) a kind person."
Felix Garcias next parole hearing will be in 2017. But there is no hearing scheduled for the governor and Cabinet to commute his sentence and free him.
Reach Allison Nielsen at allison@sunshinestatenews.com or at 561-719-2000.
