We are looking for a just and proportionate sentence for Jennifer Mee. Although Jennifer was caught up in a terrible crime and a price should be paid, the sentence of life in prison without possibility of parole is extreme and we see it as a crime in itself. We are looking for a chance for Jennifer to be able to plead that the sentence passed as unwarranted in this case and for her to be allowed a chance to be put forward for parole. Jennifer has been in prison now for almost 11 years which we feel would be a just sentence in itself

The cost Jennifer should pay must not be to take away any future chance of redemption for this young woman. We can all at any time in our lives (and often do) make mistakes be it trivial errors to major disasters. It is how we deal with those mistakes and how we make amends for them that any punishment should work towards. In Jennifer’s case the sentence goes beyond all of that and is unjustly extreme in every way.

The idea behind the Florida Felony law was to punish those who were part of a crime fully knowing a potential outcome. In Jennifer’s case she believed she was ONLY helping someone to buy some marijuana and understood it to mean no more than that. It was her co-defendants who decided to rob Mr Griffin and who ultimately killed him. Jennifer was not on the scene at the time, had no idea a gun was involved and the possibility one maybe used was never a consideration for her. Jennifer‘s actions can be seen as foolish and at the time she made no more forward thinking than to arrange the sale of marijuana, no more than that. Looking back Jennifer understands how naive and stupid she was to think that this was anything but reckless and wrong. She can only think that as a young “lost 19 year old kid” she was drawn into the 'exciting' life being surrounded by the wrong people and environment.

In hindsight she could have attempted to negotiate a plea bargain which may have given her a lower sentence. But Jennifer believed if she told the truth, that she had no expectation of nothing more than the purchase of marijuana was going to happen, she would win her case and would walk away free or with a sentence for the small part she played. As well as Jennifer’s background of physical and mental abuse by those around her the Independent Act doctrine should have been a realistic avenue for defence. The appellate court also deemed she should’ve been given the chance to plead the Independent Act doctrine in her case. However they stated the failure to do so was a harmless error. What an injustice to Jennifer and the administration of justice to consider this a harmless error when its hadn’t been considered such in previous proceedings. There’s nothing that can be considered harmless about this young woman spending the rest of her life in prison for a crime it is evident she did not commit.

There is a back ground to Jennifer Mee’s life, nothing is as black and white as it first seems (as in everyone’s life). We do not make excuses for Jennifer and she never wanted anyone to do so for her. We say that many unfortunate and at times distressing events in her life brought her to that day and a greater overview of her life may bring some understanding as to how she got there.

I have tried to be as objective as possible and fully appreciate the actions Jennifer took on that night was a part that ultimately cost an innocent young man his life. As a father myself my thoughts & heartfelt support sincerely go out to everyone he left behind, I would not start to reduce how they must feel. I have sometimes wondered why I don't just forget about Jennifer and let her serve her term. Yet I cannot in full conscience let what I know as another crime, Jennifer’s sentence, go unchallenged. Jennifer had never been in trouble with the authorities before that night and can in no way be classed as a hardened criminal, someone to protect society from. Life without the possibility of parole does not solve or do anything and in fact only sets out to destroy yet another human being of a future.

Jennifer is incredibly remorseful of her actions and would like to be able to show that not only to Shannon’s family and friends but to society as a whole. It weighs heavily on Jennifer to this day the part she played in the taking of a life and would like nothing more than to tell Shannon’s family she thinks of him every day. She will carry this heavy burden for the rest of her life.