The 5-4 decision, written by Chief Justice Roberts, upholds a ban in a case started by Lanell Williams-Yulee, who in 2009 sent out a mass mailing asking for campaign contributions during her bid for a Hillsborough County judgeship.
Cops/Courts
Neighborhood Feuds Again Simmer Around Ralph Carter Park, But Solutions Questioned
While Ralph Carter Park in Palm Coast’s R-Section thrives, neighbors around Richardson Drive are feuding with younger people, who feel harassed for just hanging out. The city council is looking into a block party–and possibly more fence-building around the park.
The FBI’s Hairy Evidence Sends Floridians to Prison on Unscientific Testimony
At least 42 Floridians have gone to prison on tainted FBI evidence, including one who was executed and as many as nine who remain on death row, after trials in which FBI “experts” gave testimony that the agency concedes to have been unscientific.
“It’s Called Punishment”: Judge Denies Clemency for Man Who Killed Benjamin Rossie in 2008 Crash
Peter Hamill, who killed Benjamin “Bo” Rossie in a car crash in the Hammock, told a judge that completing his probation was “more than I’m comfortable with,” a startling request Judge Walsh did not buy this morning.
Palm Coast Mayor Rips Waste of County’s EMS Service and Says Do It All Or Pay the City
Palm Coast Mayor Jon Netts doesn’t question the quality of emergency services but considers them wastefully duplicative, and wants to see the city’s and county’s approach change.
19-Year-Old Palm Coast Man Accused of Raping Underage Girl Passed Out at a Party
William Demetrious Kitts, a resident of Pine Ash Lane in Palm Coast, is accused of raping a girl who’d become heavily intoxicated at a U-Section party on April 17, and had passed out in a bedroom.
Off-Duty Deputy Witnesses Armed Robbery at Palm Coast CVS, But Suspect Gets Away
An off-duty Flagler County Sheriff’s deputy was standing in line for the cashier behind a man at the Palm Coast CVS on Palm Coast Parkway Sunday afternoon when the man, claiming he had a gun, asked the clerk to put all the money in a bag.
Double-Hit and Run Wreck Involves 5 Vehicles, 6 Injuries on I-95 in Palm Coast Overnight
The individual who triggered the 5-vehicle wreck ran off on foot, and the last driver to strike a car kept driving north as I-95 was shut down for over two hours early Saturday morning at the weigh scales in Palm Coast.
A Palm Coast Woman Is Accused of Fabricating Theft By 2 Black Men at Walmart
Magdaline Scott, a 38-year-old resident of Berkshire Lane in Palm Coast, claimed ina videotaped statement she gave police that she’d been ripped off of her backpack at Walmart Wednesday evening, and accused two black men she’d made up. The bag had never been stolen.
Crime Down 20% in Two Years, Jail Population Isn’t: Sheriff Strains to Explain Paradox
Sheriff Jim Manfre touted Flagler County as one of the safest places in Florida and said the fact should be marketed to prospective businesses, but was less clear about the relationship between falling crime and a still-high jail population, or the county’s need for nearly tripling its jail beds.
4-Vehicle Wreck Involving Chlorine and Acids Shuts Down U.S. 1 Northbound in Bunnell
A four-vehicle wreck involving a pick-up truck that was carrying pool chemicals shut down both northbound lanes of U.S. 1 in Bunnell at 8:30 this morning. There were no injuries, but chemicals spilled, requiring the scene to be turned into a hazardous material scene.
Three Hurt in 3 Bizarre Shootings in 32 Hours in Palm Coast and Bunnell This Weekend
Three unrelated shootings, once of them authorities described as an attempted murder, left three people injured and involved three police agencies, including in one case the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, though no arrests have been made.
Jim Davis, Ex-Cop With Ormond and Flagler Beach, Pleads to Lesser Charge in Child Molestation Case
Davis pleaded guilty to a count of battery against a child and was sentenced to a year’s probation. His record reveals a long history of domestic violence and conduct against policy while he was with the Ormond Beach Police Department.
School Officials Tamp Down Credibility of Threatening Message on Matanzas High School Wall
The message–“I am going To shoot up the School Tomorrow Happy Friday” is believed to be a hoax spreading on social media, and made to appear as if it had been scrawled on a bathroom wall at Matanzas High School.
James McDevitt Pleads Guilty as Charged of Rape, May Face Up to Life in Prison for Flagler Beach Attack
By pleading guilty, James McDevitt hopes to avoid life in prison had the case gone to trial. He’ll be sentenced in late May. The June 2013 incident took place in an isolated lot in Flagler Beach, but was witnessed by a neighbor.
Supreme Court Turns Down Red-Light Camera Appeal, Leaving In Place Restrictions On Who May Issue Tickets
The Florida Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear an appeal on a red-light camera case with a direct bearing on Palm Coast’s traffic-enforcement program. Five justices concurred in turning down the appeal, without explanation, as is customary when the court turns down a case.
27-Year-Old Woman Accused of Robbing and Assaulting 67-Year-Old For Prescription Pills
Tara Lynn Davis, a 27-year-old resident of Espanola Road in Bunnell, was booked at the Flagler County jail on three felony charges: robbery, battery on a person 65 or older, and grand theft.
Sheriff’s Awards Go To Deputy Pedersen, Detention Deputy Ward and Volunteer Ramos
Deputy Erik Pedersen was recognized for going beyond the call of duty in helping a 94-year-old woman reconnect to the world, and Detention Deputy Ronald Ward stopped an inmate from committing suicide.
Last Patrol: Undersheriff Rick Staly Looks Back On 40 Years as a “Cop’s Cop,” and Forward
Undersheriff Rick Staly, who retires this week, took his last road patrol last Friday, an unusually quiet evening he spent driving and reflecting on his career and how law enforcement has changed since his first days as a cop in 1974.
Sheriff’s Deputy Under Investigation After He’s Found at “Young Adults” Drinking Party
The deputy, Jonathan Kuleski, 22, was in the company of about 15 people in a wooded area behind houses along Wood Aspen Drive and Wood Acre Lane in Palm Coast.
Police Badge More Than “Just a Trinket Or Souvenir”: Sheriff and Bunnell Deny Ex-Cop
When David Barbee, who’d worked with the Flagler sheriff’s office and the Bunnell Police Department for a badge and retirement ID–though he did not retire from either agency–he was denied from both agencies. He is protesting the decision to the Bunnell commission tonight.
Upon Further Review: Inside the Police Failure to Stop Darren Sharper’s Rape Spree
Nine women reported being raped or drugged by Sharper to four different agencies before NFL safety Darren Sharper’s capture. His Sharper’s rampage of druggings and rapes could have been prevented, according to a two-month investigation by ProPublica and The New Orleans Advocate.
Draft Lease With YMCA at Belle Terre Racquet Club May Be Ready in May, But First, a Trial
The Flagler schoolo administration has made steady progress toward a lease agreement with the YMCA to take over the Belle Terre Swim and Racquet Club, but a negligence lawsuit hanging over the club since 2012 may be heading for trial at the end of May or in early June.
Guess Who’s Rethinking Guns In Schools: Colleen Conklin May Not Oppose Designating Concealed Carriers, But She’s In a Minority
Most Flagler County School Board members, the superintendent and the sheriff say school officers, not individuals carrying concealed weapons, can best address security needs in local schools. A bill making its way through the Legislature would allow school boards to designate employees or volunteers to carry concealed weapons.
Palm Coast Man, 18, and Ex-Girlfriend, 20, Charged With Capital Child Rape
Paul Dyckes, 18, had been arrested on child porn charges in late March. Further investigation led the FDLE to uncover two incidents in which Dykes and his ex-girlfriend, Erin Marie Vickers, allegedly raped two children younger than 5.
As Sheriff Defends Cops’ Body Cams, Public Defender Warns Of Untenable New Work Load
Public Defender James Purdy agrees with Sheriff Manfre that cops’ body cams are a valuable addition, but he says neither his nor the state attorney’s office have the manpower required to review the data being generated by the cameras, and the Legislature isntt about to provide more money or attorneys to help.
Midnight Crash on I-95 Leaves Palm Coast’s Jeffrey Coffey, 30, in Critical Condition
Jeffrey Coffey, a resident of Palm Coast’s S Section, was in critical condition after a wreck on I-95 just after midnight Wednesday morning (April 8), the Florida Highway Patrol reports.
Florida Senate Calls For Police Policies on Body Cameras, Addressing Privacy and Data
Body cams are worn by deputies at the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff Jim Manfre instituted the practice when he took office in 2013 and has been an ardent defender of the cameras.
Man, 18, Arrested After Rayonier Complains of Dumping, Partying and Shooting On Its Land
The arrest of James Cortright, 18, of Bunnell’s Mondex, follows Rayonier officials’ concerns about an area it manages in Palm Coast, just west of U.S. 1 and two miles north of County Road 13 that had been repeatedly used for illegal dumping, trespassing, illegal burns and illegal discharges of firearms.
From One Second To The Next: Werner Herzog’s Texting and Driving Documentary
Werner Herzog’s texting and driving documentary on the consequences of tragedies started as announcements he’d agreed to make for AT&T’s “It Can Wait” campaign.
Florida Prison Guards and KKK Members Arrested in Plot to Murder Black Ex-Inmate
Arrest documents in the case expose chilling details of the Klan’s organization in North Florida and offer a reminder of the region’s ugly history of racism.
Guilty of Being Poor: Across the Nation, Courts Shake Down the Destitute
From fines targeting the poor to civil asset forfeiture, courts have mounted odious means of seizing cash and property from people not charged with any crime and who can’t afford legal defense.
After-School Confrontation Near Buddy Taylor, a Racism-Motivated Burglary at Kangaroo
A student allegedly stomped on the face of another after five students are reported to have set upon two school-mates walking home from Buddy Taylor Middle School Tuesday afternoon, and a man’s car was burglarized after a woman used a racist slur to tell him to lower the music from his car radio.
Ahead of Political Season, Sheriff’s PIO Chief Weber Is Latest on Growing List of Departures
Bob Weber’s departure means that none of the top staff Sheriff Jim Manfre introduced a day before his inauguration will be in the sheriff’s office by the end of April as significant turnover continues.
This Time a Car Break-In, Near Bealls, Is Followed By a Quick Arrest
Four women witnessed the mid-afternoon break-in of a Honda in the Winn-Dixie shopping center off Palm Coast Parkway Tuesday, soon leading to the arrest of Nicholas Leblanc, a Palm Coast resident with a long but non-violent arrest record in the county.
CodeRed System Credited With Locating Missing 16-Year-Old With Special Needs
Within a quarter hour of a CodeRed alert that went out to 15,214 subscribers Monday evening, a 16-year-old boy with the mental capacity of a 6 year old who’d gone missing was located in the W Section.
My Surprise Visit From FDLE
FDLE interprets Beatles lyrics as a threat on Gov. Rick Scott, and Daniel Tilson, the columnist, gets a call investigating his intentions. He wonders if this is the way FDLE operates under Rick Swearingen, Scott’s hand-picked replacement of Gerald Bailey.
An Arrest for Child Neglect and Battery; Shots on Old Dixie; $250,000 Yacht Burns on Cimarron Drive
A 1-year-old child left unattended was rescued from choking on a cigarette butt; a suspected backyard gun range of the sort the Legislature just refused to let local governments regulate may have been the source of a “stray” bullet that found its way into a 67-year-old man’s residence off Old Dixie Highway.
Flagler Emergency Services Broadening Dollars Available to Homeowners and Governments For Disaster Preparation
While Flagler Emergency Services has brought in more than $1 million in grants and subsidies in the past year, division director Kevin Guthrie is concerned that not enough local government agencies are aware of the dollars available, or the need to be involved to tap into the money.
Deadliest State: Florida Roads Have Highest Bicyclist Fatality Rate in The Nation
Florida spent decades building roads designed to move commuters from homes in sprawling suburbs as fast as possible. Conventional wisdom says these roads were built for speed, not bicycles.
Drugs, Weapons and Child Porn Lead to 3 Separate Arrests in Palm Coast and Bunnell
The Palm Coast teen had transmitted items flagged as child porn by the social media site Whisper, then was found to have 10 short videos of explicit sexual acts between adult men and pre-pubescent girls.
Palm Coast “Watchdogs” and Attorney Ordered to Pay County $3,100 Over Frivolous Suit
Eight weeks ago, Orfinger found in favor of Palm Coast government, ordering the same attorney–Josh Knight–and a different client–Dennis McDonald–to pay Palm Coast $15,900 as a result of a frivolous suit the city fought off.
Palm Coast Teen Critical After Motorcycle Wreck On Lakeview Blvd.
A Palm Coast teen was critically injured in a motorcycle wreck at the intersection of Lakeview Boulevard and Laramie Drive in north Palm Coast just after noon today.
Blairsville Resident Missing Since March 16 Located Near Publix on Belle Terre
A tipster said he recognized Vickers from his image posted on FlaglerLive. Stephen Vickers, a 50-year-old Palm Coast resident of Blairsville Drive, had been last seen at his Blairsville home on March 16.
Sheriff Names Jeff Hoffman Chief Deputy, Eliminating Undersheriff Position
The promotion follows the recent announcement that Undersheriff Rick Staly will retire next month. The sheriff also announced the promotions of Jason Neat and Jon Welker to Sergeant.
10-Year-Old Palm Coast Girl Charged With Criminal Mischief After Starting Garage Fire
The fire and damage at 2 Blaine Court in Palm Coast could have been far worse than it turned out, as the girl had been playing with matches next to a container of gasoline.
Two Palm Coast Residents Arrested in Bizarre Tale of Violent Assault on Pair of Contractors
Joseph D. Patten and Russell Cade of Palm Coast are accused of violently assaulting a pair of contractors Cade had summoned for an estimate on bathroom repairs at his house. Both men have arrest records, including, in Cade’s case, a conviction for sexually abusing a child in 2000.
Two Palm Coast Servicemen On ISIS Kill List, But Sheriff’s Office Notes “No Credible Threat”
Palm Coast, St. Augustine and “Saint John” are among the 55 cities in the United States where ISIS, or Islamic State, has placed named members of the U.S. military on an alleged “kill list” for their role in attacks on ISIS in Syria, Iraq and Yemen.
Pursuit of Vehicle Connected to Homicide Ends in Flagler As Car Plunges Into Wooded Ditch on I-95
The pursued vehicle had been stolen in connection with a homicide in West Columbia, South Carolina. One occupant was in critical condition, the other was in custody.
Larrys’ Guns and Ammo in Heart Of Bunnell Is Target of a Night Burglary
Burglars got away with at least five shotguns, gaining access to the store by way of a ceiling vent and the attic before cops responded to a store alarm.