Circuit Judge Terence Perkins today found Brendan Depa, the 17-year-old former Matanzas High School student accused of assaulting a teacher aide in February, competent to stand trial.
Cops/Courts
Indian Trails Middle School Teacher Suing District Has a New Attorney, and Seeks Trial
Indian Trails Middle School teacher JaWanda Dove’s employment discrimination case against the Flagler County school district is back on track toward a trial date as both sides also continue to seek an out-of-court settlement.
Sheriff Negotiates $10 Million Joint Training Facility for Local Police, Fire and State Guard HQ
The Flagler County Commission and the Florida State Guard are preparing to sign a lease agreement conceived by Sheriff Rick Staly that would have the Guard build a $10 million headquarters and training facility in Bunnell that would also be a training ground for all local law enforcement and firefighting agencies.
Once a Model of Independence, Florida’s Judicial Nominating Process Is Now an Irrelevant Farce
Veteran prosecutor Victoria Avalon, a Florida Supreme Court candidate, warned that the judicial nominating process that once was a model of independence under Gov. Reubin Askew has been politicized to the point of irrelevance by Republican governors since Jeb Bush, with all picks pre-ordained.
19 Year Old With mental Health Issues Arrested After Rampage Against Family and Cops
M.A.F., a 19-year-old resident of Evanston Lane in Palm Coast with a record of mental health issues, was arrested and charged with two counts of aggravated assault and two counts of battery on law enforcement officers after apparently experiencing a mental episode at his home Tuesday night.
Marc Gordon, 32, Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison Over Unlawful Sex with Minor in Plea Deal
Marc Christian Gordon, 32, was sentenced this morning to three years in prison on convictions for unlawful sex with a minor and felony battery of a fellow-inmate at the Flagler County jail. He had faced up to 20 years in prison but for a plea deal that reduced the sentence considerably.
Thieving Pastor Just Released from Prison Objects to Restitution. Judge Orders Additional $100,000
Just days out of prison, Wesley Brown, the former Flagler Beach pastor who bilked parishioners of large sums of money in an investment scheme, was ordered today to pay an additional $100,000 in restitution to one of his victims, over his lawyer’s objections.
Lawyers Ask U.S. Supreme Court to Halt Duane Owen’s Killing, Arguing Mental Incompetence
Attorneys for convicted murderer Duane Owen on Monday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to block his execution, after Florida courts rejected arguments that he was not mentally competent to be put to death.
19-Year-Old Man With Knives Breaches FPC’s Perimeter Before He Is Arrested
Flagler Palm Coast High School, operating a number of summer programs, went on Code Red lockdown this afternoon as Colasanti, 19, allegedly armed with knives breached the school’s perimeter. Colasanti was arrested. There was no indication that the man entered any school buildings at any point.
Flagler Sheriff Requests 12.2% Budget Increase and 5 New Deputies from County as Constitutionals Submit Proposals
All constitutional officers’ budgets will be reviewed by the County Commission Monday. The sheriff’s budget, the largest constitutional portion in the county budget, would include funding for five new deputies, increasing retirement costs, union-negotiated pay increases and a 5.3 percent across-the-board cost of living pay increase.