William Copeland is serving 40 years for shooting his daughter’s grandfather in Palm Coast in 2011. The court made a 10-year error in one of his sentences.
judicial system
For Overworked County Judge Melissa Moore-Stens, $150,000 Worth of Help May Be Coming
Flagler County is not getting an additional county judge, but the money appropriated will pay for the equivalent of 428 days of service by retired judges brought back on a per-day basis to handle cases.
Criminal Torment: Once Again, Phillip Haire Is Arrested Days After Other Charges Are Dropped
In the third arrest in three months, Haire’s arrest, on minor charges–missing a supervision meeting and having a small amount of pot–illustrate the unforgiving spiral of the judicial system that certain defendants who can;t afford a lawyer end up repeatedly navigating.
Criminal Immunity: Prosecutors Are Rarely Punished for Mistakes and Misconduct
The Innocence Project alleges that prosecutors across the country are almost never punished when they withhold evidence or commit other forms of misconduct that land innocent people in prison.
Case Against Man Accused of Animal Cruelty and Battery Starts Anew as He Reverses Plea
Shawn Higgins previously had agreed to plead no contest to charges of animal cruelty and domestic violence after allegedly forcefully throwing a dog on the floor and strangling an ex-girlfriend. He now has withdrawn his plea even though he faces potentially stiffer punishment.
Briefing: Amendment 3 Would Give Governor Power to Make Midnight Appointments to Florida’s Courts
A low-profile ballot proposal that supporters say would avert a constitutional crisis but opponents say is nothing more than thinly-veiled partisan power grab is headed to voters in November, possibly with the future of the Florida Supreme Court at stake.
After 11,000 Days as Flagler’s Judge, Kim C. Hammond Retires to FSU Fight Song
Kim Hammond started his career as a judge in Flagler County four decades, six presidents and 11,0000 days ago. His retirement ceremony Friday was a tribute to an institution.
