A long-shot candidate — one who can’t legally carry a gun and would not be qualified to work as a deputy because of his felony record — is campaigning to become Alachua County’s top law enforcement official despite questions over whether his candidacy is even lawful. Tyrone Randy Johnson Jr., …
Read More »Photos: Vocational programs give inmates at Lancaster Correctional Institution a second chance
The Lancaster Correctional Institution is a level IV youthful offender facility for male inmates between the ages of 15 and 24. Operated by the Florida Department of Corrections, it is located in Trenton, Florida and can house up to 730 minimum, medium, and closed-custody inmates. The Marine Service Technology Program …
Read More »Death row inmate Michael Zack executed Tuesday night for 1996 murder of two women
Zack, 54, died by lethal injection at 6:14 p.m. Tuesday at the Florida State Prison in Raiford, Florida, just north of Gainesville.
Read More »DeSantis suspends Orlando-area prosecutor
TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday suspended Orlando-area State Attorney Monique Worrell, accusing the prosecutor of “neglecting her duty” and being lax on criminal enforcement. DeSantis’ suspension of Worrell, elected in 2020 as state attorney for Florida’s 9th Judicial Circuit in Orange and Osceola counties, marks the second time …
Read More »Dog training program at Lowell Correctional Institution changes inmates’ lives
Nina Digiacomo said she was made to go to prison. Fueled by anger without a shred of ambition, Digiacomo was prepared to keep her head down and get through her three-year sentence, until an unexpected furry friend entered the picture two years ago and started to soften her outlook on …
Read More »Inmates face off in state culinary arts competition
The smell of various foods filled the air, pans of grilled chicken sizzled on the stove and inmates wearing aprons, hats and chef’s coats rushed around the industrial kitchen at Lowell Correctional Institution as they worked with their team to win the gold trophy. Wendasia Gipson, an inmate, kept her cool as she moved through the kitchen calling out “behind” to her teammates warning them not to bump into her as she helped prepare a dish called “Not the Taco." Four teams of male and female inmates from across the state competed in the first Culinary Arts Training Competition hosted by Lowell Correctional Institution Wednesday.
Read More »The Point, Nov. 2, 2022: UF selects Sasse as next president
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • Fresh Take Florida: UF selects Sasse as its next president; conservative U.S. senator pledges ‘political celibacy.’ “The University of Florida on Tuesday formally selected Ben Sasse as its next president, setting aside …
Read More »Alachua County makes history with approval of equitable criminal sentencing technology
Alachua County made the joint-effort of state attorney Brian Kramer and public defender Stacy Scott a historic reality: Florida’s Eighth Judicial Circuit will become Florida’s first judicial circuit to integrate equitable sentencing software as an official part of its case management system and plea-bargaining process. Roughly 95% of cases are settled in plea negotiations. Known as the Equity in Sentencing Analysis System (ESAS), this fairly new software provides legal practitioners with a searchable database of statewide sentencing data from the Florida Department of Corrections going back to 1998.
Read More »Gainesville fugitive spends birthday in jail after high-speed pursuits
A man wanted on felony battery and robbery charges is spending his 37th birthday in the Alachua County Jail after he is accused of leading deputies and police on an impromptu, high-speed tour of west Gainesville early Monday, court records show.
Read More »Alachua County Sheriff’s Office releases video of wrong-way pursuit that ended in crash on SW 34th Street
The Alachua County Sheriff’s Office has released a more than 8-minute dash cam video of the law enforcement pursuit of a man driving a truck reported stolen in Tampa. That chase ended ended in a wreck on Gainesville’s Southwest 34th Street during Tuesday’s busy morning commute. The video is a …
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