judge decides if the immunity

is warranted.

Many citizens, including law

enforcement officers, are

protected by this law. How-

ever, we have seen numer-

ous instances where individu-

als use deadly force to end a

fist fight and are able to take

advantage of this law.

JUDF is a complicated law,

but inures to the benefit of

law abiding citizens who are

truly using justifiable force in

defense of themselves or

others.

In the last two SAO Side-

bar issues, we covered why

we did not use a Grand Jury

in the George Zimmerman

case. We also addressed

how an overcharge is vir-

tually impossible in the State

of Florida. Now, we will

address another hot button

topic - Stand Your Ground.

This law has sparked a lot

of conversation, which is

good. However, many times

the concept of Stand Your

Ground is misunderstood.

While the defense of Justifia-

ble Use of Deadly Force

(JUDF) has been around for

years, it wasnt until the shooting

of Trayvon Martin that people

really started to talk about it.

While we expected Zimmerman

to avail himself of a SYG hearing,

he chose not to. We always be-

lieved the issue in the Zimmer-

man case was that he was the

initial aggressor and the force

used against Trayvon Martin was

excessive. We handle cases

weekly where Stand Your

Ground is asserted and hearings

are conducted. While any de-

fendant can claim the defense, a

The Rebuttal

The State Attorney Sidebar

O C T O B E R 2 0 1 3 V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 3

SPECIAL

POINTS OF

INTEREST:

A message

from the

State Attor-

ney

Third Re-

sponse to

questions

regarding

the Zimmer-

man case

Recent SAO

trial victories

B.A.C.A. Or-

ganization

Featured

SAO em-

ployee

Domestic

Violence

warning

signs

A Message From the State Attorney The month of October

is Domestic Violence

Awareness Month.

This is a crime that not

only affects women, but

also men. The good

news is you dont have to

be a victim.

Many times, there are

signs that a relationship is

on a downward spiral

and action can be taken

before it is too late.

In the safety tips sec-

tion of The SAO Sidebar,

we have listed warning

signs of domestic vio-

lence and some tips on

how one can avoid be-

coming a victim.

God Bless. ~Angela

The third in a series of responses to questions about the Zimmerman case

P A G E 2 V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 3

guilty of Schemes to Defraud,

False Insurance Claims and

Knowingly Participating in an In-

tentional Motor Vehicle Crash.

~ASAs Joe Licandro and Michael

Kennedy

Kim Jackson was sentenced to

death for First Degree Murder.

~ASAs Alan Mizrahi and Theresa

Simak

Maurice J. Jackson was con-

victed of Attempted Murder in

the Second Degree and PFCF.

~ASAs David Thompson and

Katie Deal

Alfred L. George was convict-

ed of Burglary (Occupied Dwell-

ing). ~ASAs Ashley Young and

Mai Tran

John A. Ramos was found guilty

of Aggravated Battery. ~ASAs

Rebecca Emert and Avery Sander

Rodney L. Long Jr. was con-

victed of two counts of Burglary

(Dwelling). ~ASAs Sandra Rosen-

dale and Mark Hulsey

George P. Landgraff was found

guilty of Murder in the First De-

gree and Armed Burglary with

Assault or Battery. ~ASA Jeff

Moody

Norman J. Thompson was

convicted of Sexual Battery.

~ASAs Alan Mizrahi and Theresa

Simak

Luis E. Amador-Carbajal was

found guilty of Attempted Murder

in the First Degree and PFCF.

~ASAs Garrett Hill and Matt Po-

limeni

Anthony R. Christopher was

convicted of Armed Robbery.

~ASAs Sandra Rosendale and

Yiolanta Jones

Zaynus C. Crawford was con-

victed of Aggravated Assault

(Domestic). ~ASAs Gary Bryant

and Rachel Demers

Alexander J. Silvers was found

guilty of three counts of Battery

and two counts of Unlawful Sex-

ual Activity with Certain Minors.

~ASAs Catherine Licandro and

Chris Bracken

Eric L. Myrick was convicted

of Armed Robbery with a Fire-

arm and False Imprisonment.

~ASAs Ryan Healy and Lewis

Price

David R. Lopez was found

Justice Promised, Justice Delivered

Hearings and Cheerings

On October 1st, the SAO welcomed eleven new Assistant State Attorneys to the Fourth Judicial

Circuit. They were sworn in by the Honorable Adrian Soud and State Attorney Angela Corey.

This group of men and women studied law at various universities, including the University of Flor-

ida, Florida State University, Valparaiso University, Stetson and Florida Coastal School of Law. Most

of them recently passed the Florida Bar Exam. One of our new ASAs was a former prosecutor for

the Eighth Judicial Circuit.

Congratulations to the

newest Assistant State Attor-

neys of the Fourth Judicial

Circuit!

P A G E 3

Every BACA

member is

dedicated to

lending their

physical and

emotional

support to each

child abuse

victim.

Victims Voice

Off The Record

Special Acknowledgement Opportunity Keith Jordan has been part of the SAO since Octo-ber 2012. Last year, Ms. Corey met Keith while in line at Solo-mons store. He shared with her his interest in the crimi-nal justice system and his desire to one day be in law

enforcement. Ms. Corey was impressed with Keiths enthusiasm and suggested that he apply for a job with our office, which he did. In addition to being a student at Trinity Baptist College, Keith worked as an OPS Clerk and is now a full-time employee in File Con-

trol. Keith says that he looks

forward to coming to work

every morning and is grate-

ful for all of the opportuni-

ties that have come his way

since working at the SAO.

partner with professional dancers from our area and take part in the dance competition. Each couple performed an original piece for the audience and the judges.

On September 21st, the Beaches Fine Arts Series hosted their annual First Coast Dancing with the Stars event. SAO Investi-gator Adam Kline was chosen, along with ten other local celebrities, to

The event raised a total

of $60,000. Every ticket

purchased helped benefit

the Beaches Fine Arts Se-

ries, which provides local

children with free con-

certs and art workshops.

male and female bikers from a variety of backgrounds who also work full-time jobs. When BACA is chosen to work with a child, and the childs parent is present, they deploy a group to ride in their biker gear to meet with the child. They introduce them-selves by their biker name and conduct a ceremony in which the child is given a ted-dy bear for comfort and their own biker nameadopting them into the BACA family. Two BACA members are then assigned as primary contacts for the child 24-hours a day. The victim can call their biker brother or sister to come with them to therapy, court or even stand outside of their house if they are feeling

scared. This type of physical pres-ence provides the child with the security they need to regain their confidence. Every BACA member is dedicat-ed to lending their physical and emotional support to each child abuse victim. These individuals stand ready to shield the child from any further abuse while at the same time, encouraging them to not feel afraid of the world in which they live. For more information about BACA, go to their site at: www.bacaworld.org

The SAO works closely with different organizations that pro-vide support for victims in our community. Bikers Against Child Abuse (BACA), is a non-profit organiza-tion that strives to create a safer environment for young, abused children by empowering and sup-porting them. It was founded in 1995 by John Paul Chief Lilly, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, who spent a majority of his twen-ty plus years working with abused children. He found that although the system helped children, there was still a lack of security. Each volunteer member of BACA must go through an exten-sive process that includes federal and state background checks and a one year internship program.

The organization consists of

Keith Jordan

Inv. Adam Kline and his dance partner Ruhiyyih McKinley

BACA Bike Pack

The decision is based solely on the facts and the death penalty aggrava-tors and mitigators involved in the case. What many may not realize is that in order to seek death in a case, the facts and circumstances must meet a set of statutory aggravators which must outweigh the statutory and non-statutory mitigation factors. In Florida, there are sixteen aggrava-tors. Some of which are: prior violent felony convictions, great risk of harm to many people, heightened premedi-tation, felony murder and heinous, atrocious and cruel. Just because the State seeks a death sentence does not mean the defend-ant will go to death row upon convic-tion. Both the jury and judge are a

Recently, there have been several death penalty cases highlighted by the media. In order to set the record straight, we want to inform you how the decision is made to seek death in a case. The decision to seek death is based on the facts of the case and the law. In other words, we look at the way the murder was committed what the defendant did; and we rely on Florida Statutes which clearly detail the aggravating and mitigating fac-tors that determine whether the death penalty is appropriate. Experienced Homicide Assistant State Attorneys thoroughly review each case that is considered to be death qualified and the State Attor-ney makes the final decision.

part of the decision making process. Once the jury reaches a verdict of guilty in the trial phase, that same jury then returns for the penalty phase. The jury hears evidence of the aggra-vating and mitigating circumstances in the case. The jury is given detailed instructions on how to weigh those factors. The jury then deliberates and makes an advisory recommendation, which the court must give great weight. If the jury votes by a majority that the defendant be sentenced to death, the recommendation then goes to the judge. It is up to the trial judge to make the final decision on whether a death or a mandatory life sentence will be imposed.

Setting the Record Straight

Safety Zone Warning signs of domestic violence

Many actions that are interpreted as caring, attentive and romantic are actually early warning signs for future abuse. Some examples include:

INTRUSION Your partner constantly asks what you are doing, who you are with, etc. Your partner also regularly checks your cell phone or e-mail without permission.

ISOLATION Insists that you spend all or most of your time together, cutting you off from your friends and family.

POSSESSION & JEALOUSY Your partner accuses you of flirting or having sexual relationships with others and monitors what you wear or who you talk to.

NEED FOR CONTROL Displays extreme anger or fits of rage when things do not go their way and attempts to make all decisions for you.

UNKNOWN PAST Your partner is secretive about their past relationships, but feels the need to know

every detail about yours.

DISRESPECTFUL Is constantly putting you down or refers to members of the opposite sex in a derogatory

manner.

Remember to contact authorities if you see or hear any evidence of domestic violence. For more information

and helpful links to domestic violence agencies, please visit our website!

www.sao4th.com

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