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MERIWETHER’S JAIL SENTENCE I COMMUTEDTallahassee —The Florida Board of Pardons today commuted to a fine of $200 and costs the one-year jail sentence imposed on James Rice Meriwether, Sarasota labor j council business agent, for an as- i sault with a knife on Muzzio Scar-rioffini, Sarasota building contractor.Meriwether was found guilty in a circuit cpurt trial in November, 1948, of aggravated assault on Scarrioffini and sentenced to one year in jail by Judge W. T. Harrison. Meriwether appealed to the Florida Supreme Court, but the verdict of the Sarasota court was upheld. •Circuit court testimony showed that Meriwether had stabbed Scarrioffini in the arm with a knife as the climax of an oral argument in front of the Labor Temple on Fourth Street.Following the high court ruling Governor Fuller Warren granted a 60-day stay of sentence and the pardon board accepted Meriwether’s request for a hearing. During the 60 days a petition was circulated on behalf of Meriwether urging a pardon, and it was presented to the board with 192 signatures.Attorney Frank Redd. Meriwether’s brother-in-law, in an appearance before the pardon board Tuesday on behalf of Meriwether, asked that the jail sentence be reduced, stating that he felt that the judge (Harrison) was prejudiced against unionism when he issued the sentence.“The severity of the sentence has to do with the clash between labor and management and capital,” Redd told the board. “Judge Harrison in some way had gained some anti-labor idea and felt that now was the time to strike. Judge Harrison is a fine gentleman but very opinionated.”Wendell Heaten, acting, director of the State Workmen’s compensation Division and official of the Florida Federation of Labor, told the pardon board he did not believe the aged Meriwether could stand a year in jail. The labor leader is free under a 60-day reprieve granted by Governor Warren.Meriwether stood up before the boarlt;j to show his age and size. He be weighed about 170- pounds. Scarrioffini is in his 40’s and weighs about 200 pounds, Redd told the board.Meriwether took a pauper's oath at the time the conviction was appealed to the Florida SupremeCourt.
Newspaper Details
Sarasota Herald Tribune
Sarasota, Florida, US
Wed, Aug 03, 1949
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Rini R.
USA 20 Jan 2019
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