In a win for Gov. Ron DeSantis, a federal judge Wednesday dismissed a lawsuit alleging that the state unconstitutionally retaliated against Walt Disney Parks and Resorts because of the company’s opposition to a controversial education law.
Cops/Courts
Threatening Charges, Florida Forbids Trans’ Preferred Gender Identity on Driver’s Licenses
Transgender people can no longer obtain a driver’s license that reflects their gender identity under a new policy that treats “misrepresenting one’s gender, understood as sex, on a driver license” as fraud punishable by civil and criminal penalties plus cancellation, suspension, or revocation of the license.
Mother of 6-Week-Old Boy at Project Warm Is Charged with Aggravated Child Abuse After Discovery of Burns
Jessica Marie Jordan, a 35-year-old resident of Project Warm, the behavioral health program in Bunnell for pregnant women and young mothers who have battled addiction, is at the Flagler County jail, facing two grave child abuse charges after her 6-week-old child was found to have burn marks that were several days old. Jordan has been a client, or resident, at Project Warm since May 2.
Defense Files Motion to Dismiss Manslaughter Charge Against Migrant in Arrest Followed by Deputy’s Heart Attack
Two weeks after all but accusing the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office of fabricating parts of the account surrounding the arrest of 18-year-old Virgilio Aguilar Mendez, the migrant’s defense attorney has filed a motion to dismiss the manslaughter count against him, calling it “legally insufficient” and arguing that there’s no connection between Mendez and what led to the death of Sheriff’s deputy Michael Kunovich of a heart attack after the arrest.
Circle K Murder Trial of Marcus Chamblin Is Set for April 8, With Co-Conspirator’s Trial Soon to Follow
Circuit Judge Terence Perkins today set April 8 as the trial date for Marcus Chamblin, one of two defendants facing a first-degree murder charge in the October 12, 2019 murder of Deon O’Neal Jenkins and an attempted murder charge in the shooting of a second victim, whose name authorities have not released. The shooting took place in the parking lot of the Circle K gas station and convenience store on Palm Coast Parkway, off of Belle Terre Parkway.
Targeting Homeless, Lawmakers Want to Forbid Local Governments from Allowing Sleeping on Public Property
A Senate committee Monday backed a proposal that would prevent counties and cities from allowing people to sleep or camp on public property without permits. Bill sponsor Jonathan Martin, R-Fort Myers, called his proposal (SB 1530) a way to address a mental-health crisis in the state and to assist the “chronically homeless.”
Brendan Depa’s Sentencing is Postponed as Lawyers Cite More Preparation Needed
Originally scheduled for Wednesday, the sentencing of Brendan Depa, the former Matanzas High School student who pleaded to a count of aggravated battery on a school employee, has ben postponed to an undetermined date, and may not be held until past mid-March.
Stabbing at Econolodge: Money Issues for Homeless Family Staying There Escalate Into Violence
A juvenile girl apparently defending herself from being choked stabbed her mother’s boyfriend, 35-year-old Tyland Chambers, at the Econolodge in Palm Coast Sunday morning, before Chambers allegedly attacked another man who was trying to protect the girl. Chambers ended up hospitalized for treatment, and facing four charges, including two felonies. The girl was not charged.
Palm Coast’s Eric Galdabini, 56, Randomly Attacks and Stabs a Man After Attempting to Pick-Up His Girlfriend
Eric Philip Galdabini, a 56-year-old resident of 126 Birchwood Drive in Palm Coast, had circled by a couple walking in the B-Section and asked a 21-year-old woman if she wanted a ride before he stopped the car and rushed her boyfriend. The two scuffled, Galdabini slashed at the man with a pocketknife, and was later arrested on an aggravated battery with a deadly weapon count.
Bill Lowers Florida State Guard Training Standards, Allows Use Outside the State, and Broadens In-State Mission
The Florida State Guard, revived by Gov. Ron DeSantis, could operate outside Florida and be called into service anytime he “deemed necessary,” under a bill approved Thursday by a House panel. The bill also removes a requirement that state guard standards and training be equivalent to the Florida National Guard.