When people are caught knowingly buying, selling or using false cards, the proof of guilt will often be clear. The real question is about the appropriate punishment. The law gives prosecutors and judges huge discretion on how to charge and sentence offenders.
Cops/Courts
Federal Judge Tangles with DeSantis Administration Lawyer Over ‘Rabbit Hole’ Protest Law
The Dream Defenders, the Florida State Conference of the NAACP and other organizations allege in a lawsuit that the measure, approved by Republican legislators and signed by DeSantis this spring, is unconstitutionally vague, has a “chilling” effect on First Amendment rights and gives local police too much power.
Family Dollar Arsonist Pleads to Probation, New Sentencing Trial for Death-Row Inmate Cornelius Baker in Spring
Tonya Bennett had faced up to 30 years in prison fora first-degree felony arson charge. She will serve 10 years’ probation if the judge agrees to the plea terms. Cornelius Baker, sentenced to die for the murder of Elizabeth Uptagrafft in 2007, will get a new sentencing-phase trial sometime in spring.
Flagler County Fire Rescue’s Jake Gonzalez, Jon Moscowitz, and Dylan Pontorno Promoted to Lieutenant
Three of Flagler County’s firefighters have been promoted to the rank of lieutenant after distinguishing themselves within their former roles, extensive education and training, and comprehensive testing. Jake Gonzalez, Jon Moscowitz, and Dylan Pontorno were promoted out of the 13 applicants who tested.
Palm Coast Council Has Votes to Increase Deputies By More than 6 and Lower Tax Rate Symbolically
The Palm Coast City Council is in a 3-2 split that would approve lowering the property tax rate symbolically and increase the number of deputies the sheriff is requesting to police the city by more than the six the administration had been prepared to award.
Fallen Deputy’s Daughter’s Anguish: ‘This Virus Has Come Home, It’s Everywhere and It’s Killing the People We Love’
Tina Luciano, the 30-year-old daughter of Paul Luciano, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Corrections Deputy who died on Thursday of covid complications, had written of witnessing her father’s struggle three weeks ago, and wrote again after losing him on Thursday, both times voicing her grief–and both times urging people to get vaccinated.
Covid’s Casualties: Sheriff’s Deputy Paul Luciano Dies in Flagler, Circuit Judge Steven Henderson Dies in Volusia
Flagler County Sheriff’s Correction Deputy Paul Luciano was 60. Volusia County Circuit Judge Steven Henderson was 49. Both were still in their prime, at work as professionals and at home as family men. Neither fit the profile of Covid casualties, at least not of previous covid waves. Henderson died of the disease on Thursday at a hospital in Volusia County. Luciano died the same day at AdventHealth Palm Coast.
Judge Rules DeSantis Had No Authority to Ban School Mask Mandates or Punish School Boards That Adopt Masking
Judge John Cooper of the 2nd Judicial Circuit Court of Florida ruled today that Gov. Ron DeSantis had no legal authority under the recently-enacted Parental Bill of Rights to prohibit local school boards from adopting mask mandates that did not include opt-out provisions. The judge found DeSantis’s order “capricious” and not based in evidence, but rather based on an incomplete reading of the Bill of Rights.
Half of Florida’s Students Now in Districts Defying DeSantis Ban on Mask Mandates as Judge Readies to Rule
Circuit Judge John Cooper said he was “still wrestling” with the “sophisticated legal issues” presented in the case and promised to issue a verbal decision at 10 a.m. Friday. DeSantis on Thursday promised to appeal if Cooper does not side with the state.
Bob Newsholme of Flagler Tax Service Shoots Himself in the Chest, and Tells His Son 10 Hours Later
Robert “Bob” Newsholme, a Palm Coast resident and the long-time owner of Flagler Tax Service in Bunnell was trauma-evacuated to a hospital in Daytona Beach Tuesday 10 hours after he revealed to his family that he’d shot himself.
As 8 School Districts Approve Mask Mandates, DeSantis Administration Argues in Court Against Them
As the legal battle plays out, eight school districts as of Tuesday afternoon had voted to require masks for students, with exceptions only for students whose parents submit doctors’ notes. The mask mandates in the eight counties cover an estimated 1.23 million students, based on state enrollment data from the 2020-2021 school year.
Target of an Injunction and Embroiled in Domestic Violence Allegation, Flagler Sheriff’s Deputy Lentino Resigns
Robert Lentino, the 26-year-old Palm Coast resident suspended from his job as a Flagler County Sheriff’s deputy in early July over allegations of domestic violence, resigned today. His ex-girlfriend alleges he physically abused her and misused his patrol car to intimidate her.
Gunnar Galambos, 27, Faces Felony Charges After Violent Weekend Incident Involving 3 Victims at Johnny D’s
Gunnar Joseph Galambos, 27, is accused of violently assaulting Johnny D’s manager and pulling a gun on two patrons, and was seen striking his girlfriend, who did not want to pursue charges as the other alleged victims are. The Saturday incident drew a large police response including a helicopter and a K-9 unit as cops searched for Galambos, eventually finding him in Palm Coast.
In a Victory for Public Beach Access, Federal Court Rules in Favor of ‘Customary Use’ of Sands on Private Portions
Flagler County in 2018 passed an ordinance similar to the town ordinance the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld today. The court’s decision backed the county over property owners who argued a 2018 Florida law gave them the right to exclude beach-goers from the dry portions of privately owned beach.
A 13-Year-Old Mondex Girl Faces Felony Charge Over Threatening Video and Texts
On the fourth day of the new schoolyear, a 13-year-old Bunnell girl became the first student to be arrested on a felony charge that has sent dozens of students through the judicial system since 2018: making written threats to kill.
County’s Budget Agreement Nets Sheriff 10 of 15 Requested Deputies and $400,000 Mobile Command Vehicle
The Flagler County Commission this afternoon agreed to lower the county’s property tax by a symbolic decimal point next year, though county revenue will still grow by nearly $6 million and the sheriff will get an additional $2.2 million, ensuring the addition of 10 new deputies and a $400,000 mobile command center.
Two Palm Coast Men and Girl, 17, Accused of Smashing Spree and Burglary at Old Dixie Motel Eyesore
The trio claimed friends told them the old Country Hearth Inn on Old Dixie Highway was a fun place to go to smash things. The long-disused motel was acquired by a company in May and was ostensibly undergoing renovations.
Flagler’s Prescribed Fire Program Supervisor Assigned to Northern California’s “Monument Fire”
Flagler County Prescribed Fire Program Supervisor Michael Orlando has been assigned to the Monument Fire in Northern California’s Shasta-Trinity National Forest, well north of Sacramento.
Nysean D. Giddens, 23, Charged With Manslaughter in Overdose Death of Shaun Callahan
Nysean Giddens is the fifth Flagler County resident criminally charged in the death of another person after an overdose. The four previous indictments were on first-degree felony charges. Two of the four have have been convicted.
Palm Coast and Flagler at Risk of Overfunding Police
Policing in Flagler has never been at risk of “defunding,” nor have relations between police and the community lacked for cohesion and respect. But Sheriff Staly’s request for 25 additional deputies from Palm Coast and the county overplay a hand, while both governments are teetering on going along with what would be overfunding police, at the expense of other needs.
Palm Coast Man Accused of Shooting Into a Neighbor’s House Wants to Go Home. Judge Swiftly Says No.
The swiftness of Circuit Judge Terence Perkins’s decision, paired with the brief but wrenching testimony of one of the victims, was a passing illustration of how the casualness of gun wielding in a county where almost a fifth of adult residents have a concealed weapon permit at times results in severe consequences–and potentially deadly incidents, with continuing ramifications for all involved.
Man Who Killed Flagler Sheriff’s Deputy Chuck Sease in 2003 Wants Clemency, Half-Way of 35-Year Prison Sentence
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly and State Attorney R.J. Larizza have written the state clemency board stern letters opposing any commutation of sentence for Bruce Grove, the now-46-year-old former Palm Coast resident serving 35 years in prison for the killing of Flagler County Sheriff’s deputy Charles “Chuck” Sease in 2003 as Grove was eluding other deputies in a chase.
Judge Will Weigh DeSantis Order Banning Mask Mandates in Schools
A Leon County circuit judge has scheduled a hearing Friday in a lawsuit filed by parents challenging an executive order by Gov. Ron DeSantis that seeks to prevent school districts from requiring students to wear masks during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Flagler Commissioners Want to Cut Tax Rate, Give Sheriff 15 Deputies And Force Staff to Cut $2 Million in County Services
A majority of Flagler county commissioners ignored their administrator’s and finance director’s numbers and proposals today and told their staff to find ways to cut $2 million from the county’s own budget while ensuring that the sheriff and other constitutional officers, such as the clerk of court and supervisor of elections, get all the budget increases they’re asking for.
A Trip Between ‘Friends’ Through Palm Coast Turns Into a Carjacking, and an Arrest on 1st Degree Felony Charge
Stephen Morel, 36, was driving with a friend through Palm Coast when the car overheated, and Morel got upset that the driver pulled over, so Morel allegedly carjacked the vehicle, and was soon afteward arrested at the Flagler-St. Johns County line.
A Flagler Beach Man Is Accused of Statutory Rape of a Minor Visiting Flagler
Justin M. Wallace, a 21-year-old new Flagler resident, from Massachusetts, faces three second-degree felony counts involving a minor who’d been visiting Flagler Beach with her parents.
Flagler County Fire Rescue Lt. Andrew Keppler of Storied Local Family of Firefighters Retires
Fire Rescue Lt. Andrew Keppler recently retired after a 28-year career that began in 1993 with the St. John’s Park Volunteer Fire Department, which is now Flagler County Station 71.
Sheriff’s Office Seeks Public’s Help Locating Fugitive in Grand Theft Case
The FCSO General Assignment Unit obtained an arrest warrant for Gonzalez-Merlo. Gonzalez- Merlo has a criminal history in Duval County. He’s been previously charged with Grand Theft of a Motor Vehicle and Resisting Officer Without Violence.
Robert Batie, Accused Rapist of 16-Year-Old Patient, Was Employed By Practice Working With Flagler Schools
Therapist Robert Batie was arrested on four charges of molesting and raping a 16-year-old patient at his office on Hargrove Grade in Palm Coast. He had worked with Palm Coast Counseling, engaged by Flagler schools since 2020 to provide mental health services to students at the practice or elsewhere.
James Harris of Jimmy’s Hang 10 Will Remain in Jail Pending Trial as Judge Denies Motion for Bond
Circuit Judge Terence Perkins this afternoon denied a motion by James Harris’s attorney to release Harris from jail, on bond, pending trial on three charges of molestation involving his stepdaughter over what she says is a period of five years. She is 14. Harris is the 61-year-old owner of Jimmy’s Hang 10, the Flagler Beach restaurant, who was arrested on July 2.
A Man Is Killed in 2-Car Crash on Royal Palms Parkway at Point Pleasant Drive
A two-vehicle crash just past midday at Royal Palms Parkway and Point Pleasant Drive in Palm Coast resulted in the death of one of the drivers, according to authorities. The Palm Coast Fire Police shut down Royal Palms Parkway at Belle Terre Parkway to the west and Town Center Boulevard to the east.
Crisis at the Border: Sheriff Staly’s On-the-Ground Report on a ‘Failed Immigration Policy’ Affecting All Communities
Earlier this month Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly took part in a fact-finding trip along the Texas side of the border with Mexico with several other law enforcement officials and U.S. Rep. Kat Cammack, R-Fla. “The border crisis,” he argues, “is coming to you whether you like it or not.”
Changing Crime Reporting Practices to Do Less Harm
Acknowledging that journalism can inflict wounds unnecessarily, AP will no longer name those arrested for minor crimes when the news service is unlikely to cover the story’s subsequent developments. Often, such stories’ publication hinges on an odd or entertaining quirk, and the names are irrelevant. Yet, the ramifications can loom large and be long-lasting for the persons named.
Sheriff’s K-9 Unit Named Trailing Team of the Year For 2nd Year in a Row
K-9 Holmes joined the FCSO in April of 2018 and began working with Commander Gimbel. The K-9 Unit made national news after FCSO requested the help of the community in naming the first bloodhound the Agency has had in decades.
63-Year-Old Palm Coast Man Dies in 2-Vehicle Crash at West Hampton Drive and Pine Lakes Parkway
A 63-year-old Palm Coast resident died in a two-vehicle car crash at West Hampton Drive and Pine Lakes Parkway just past 3 p.m. Wednesday, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. The death, however, appears to have been the result of a heart attack.
17 Cats and Dogs Rescued from Near-Death in U-Haul Truck; Two Owners Face Animal Cruelty Charges
Jason Donellan-Sparks, 29, and Shawna Doud, 23, were traveling in a U-Haul from Tennessee when they parked in Palm Coast Wednesday morning and a witness noticed the condition of the animals in back of the truck, alerting sheriff’s deputies.
Seminole Woods Man, 26, Arrested on Aggravated Domestic Violence Charge After Beating and Terrorizing Mom
Oleksandr Podolskyy, a 26-year-old resident of Seminole Woods in Palm Coast, is at the Flagler County jail on two felony counts, including aggravated domestic assault, following a violent ordeal through which he allegedly humiliated, threatened and repeatedly beat his mother, days after firing off weapons in his yard.
Domestic Violence 911 Calls Increased During Lockdown, but Police Reports and Arrests Declined
Stay-at-home orders disrupted traditional abuse-detection processes and support systems. A real increase in domestic violence indicates that this disruption occurred at a particularly damaging time. Better measures need to be put in place in order to protect victims during future outbreaks and keep everyone safe during lockdowns.
Year-Long Cabal of Claims Against Holland Comes Down to Wrist-Slap Over 2 Errant Emails as Ethics Commission Rules
A 15-month drumbeat of sound and fury over allegations of corruption, cover-ups, cabals and criminal acts, a drumbeat that influenced two elections, a city manager’s career and the mayor’s own, among others, tarnishing the reputation of a leading private company in the county, came down to a minor rebuke over an email misuse Holland long ago acknowledged and apologized for. Nothing else.
Florida Sheriffs Task Force “Operation Breaking Chains” Nets 363 Arrests in 16 Counties
“Amplifying the safety on our roads and waterways is crucial for all Floridians, including our children, and those who visit the Sunshine State,” said FSA President and Gilchrist County Sheriff Bobby Schultz. “The dedicated enforcement of state laws that deal with businesses suspected of human trafficking and online operations will help to keep us all safe.”
Same Suicidal Teen Who Teetered on Palm Coast Parkway Overpass in June Tries Again, and Is Again Stopped
The 17-year-old girl who caught Palm Coast’s attention on June 20 when she walked outside the grille of the Palm Coast Parkway overpass above I-95 and threatened to jump was again on the overpass just past noon today, and was again rescued by firefighters and law enforcement after a 45-minute ordeal.
Flagler Records 99 Covid Infections Sunday, County Jail Outbreak Hits 37, AdventHealth Palm Coast Has 45 Hospitalized
The numbers across the community continue to point toward more gravity than relief, with infections still on the upswing, with few people and fewer organizations–including governments–returning to safety protocols essential to slowing the spread, such as masking and social distancing.
As Flagler Beach Grapples with Tawdry Pro-Trump Gatherings, City’s Wink to Surveillance Cameras Raises Questions
The weekly pro-Trump demonstrations featuring profane language in the heart of Flagler Beach has city commissioners concerned about the city’s image and the administration and police eying surveillance cameras they insist will not target the demonstrators, but be used as a tool in case of criminal activity. Others see a Pandora’s box.
Jamal Nejame, Ex-Flagler Beach Candidate, Arrested on Felony Charge of Shooting Into House With Children
Jamal K. Nejame, 72, a three-time candidate for mayor and city commission in Flagler Beach, where he was known as Jamie, was arrested on a felony charge of shooting into a dwelling. It is the third time Nejame has been charged criminally in Flagler in the last 12 years.
17-Year-Old Lifeguard in Flagler Beach Is Seriously Injured in Diving Accident While Training
A 17-year-old lifeguard was seriously injured during training on the beach around 2nd Street South in Flagler Beach Monday morning, injuring his spine. The lifeguards were practicing dolphin dives into the surf, running in from the beach, a routine exercise.
Former Florida Chief Justice Kogan: Why Florida Should Abolish the Death Penalty
In a compelling new interview conducted by attorney and filmmaker Ted Corless, the late Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Gerald Kogan lists the numerous reasons why he believed Florida’s death penalty should be abolished.
Contrary to Viral Posts, Head Injury to 13-Year-Old Boy in Palm Coast’s R-Section Attributed to a Fall
A social media post that went viral about a 13-year-old boy getting severely hurt near Rymfire Elementary Friday was traced to an injury to Jacob D. Pelton, a resident of Palm Coast’s P Section, who told authorities he fell off his bike, but in murky circumstances.
FPC’s Shauntiana Stafford, 17, Killed Herself in 2019. Her Mother is Suing Flagler Schools, Charging Wrongful Death
Seemingly the first such lawsuit in recent decades in Flagler, the case opens a rare window into bullying issues behind normally restrictive student privacy laws, potentially revealing in detail the psychological and mental context of a student in the weeks and months leading up to her death, her relationship with school staffers, and the district’s responses in all its intricacies.
Their Boat Sank in Minutes 10 Miles Offshore of Flagler Beach: How 4 Men and 2 Boys Kept Their Cool Until Rescued
A group of six Palm Coast boaters off on a snapper fishing trip Saturday (July 10) rapidly sank two hours into their trip, 10 miles offshore. Quick action, level heads and a series of fortunate events led to their rescue by another fishing boat, then the Coast Guard. here’s their story.
Palm Coast’s Joseph Carroll, 42, Indicted on 1st Degree Murder in Overdose Death of Michael Burnett Jr.
Michael Burnett Jr. was 31 when he overdosed on drugs allegedly sold to him by Joseph Carroll, 42, and Allyson Bennett, 39, in 2018. Bennett this week pleaded to manslaughter, and faces up to 15 years in prison. Carroll was indicted on the first-degree murder charge, a capital felony, on Tuesday.