A task force report on Florida’s Criminal Punishment Code failed to take a broad enough look at the overall criminal justice system and overlooked some important historical information, according to a response from the Florida Public Defenders Association.

The association, which represents 19 of the state’s 20 public defenders, has released its view of the Criminal Punishment Code Task Force’s June report and sent it to Gov. Ron DeSantis, Senate President Wilton Simpson, House Speaker Chris Sprowls, and Attorney General Ashley Moody, who was also chair of the task force.

“We understand the limitations that were placed on the task force in last year’s legislation,” said FPDA President and 10th Circuit Public Defender Rex Dimmig. “They were given the responsibility of reviewing and making recommendations about the criminal justice code. It’s our position what was really needed was more extensive than that.