State Attorney R.J. Larizza opted to try Benjamin Allen as an adult for the July 12 incident. If convicted, he may face life in prison, but he is not eligible for the death penalty.
juvenile crime
25 Years Later, a Palm Coast Murder Is Relived in Flagler Courtroom as Killer Seeks Release
Michael Renaud, now 44, was 17 when he murdered Margaret Rogers at a house on Point Pleasant Drive in Palm Coast in 1992. Today he was back in court, arguing for his early release.
No Longer in Juvenile Court, Jesse Fisher, 18, Faces Aggravated Assault Charges Over Pointing Shotgun at Family
Jesse Fisher had initially been charged as a juvenile after allegedly pointing a shotgun at a family in a car he was following in Palm Coast’s L-Section, but the State Attorney had the charges transferred to adult court Monday.
3 Teens Linger in Jail Over Epic Theater Armed Robbery Allegation Even as Accuser, in Switch, Is Implicated
The accuser who claimed three teens robbed him at gunpoint at Epic Theaters last Friday was in fact there to sell a gun, a FlaglerLive investigation reveals. Yet the three teens he accused are still in jail.
Chase Through P, R and W Sections and Around School Buses Ends in Arrest of Teen
School buses were unloading students as a 16 year old at the wheel of a Toyota sped through three neighborhoods, caused one crash, nearly caused two others, and was finally arrested in the W Section.
Zaire Roberts, 17, Gets 7 Years in Prison in Shooting of Phillip Haire in Palm Coast Last Summer
Zaire Roberts was 16 and Phillip Haire 18 when they got in a fistfight on an L-Section street in Palm Coast and Roberts shot Haire twice in July 2015. Haire today pleaded for mercy on behalf of Roberts.
FTI Director’s Suspicions Lead to Arrest of 2 Boys, 14, One of Them Carrying Stun Gun
FTI Director Kevin McCarthy got suspicious when he saw the two boys walking on FPC’s and FTI’s campus. They fled when he and a deputy confronted them but were soon after arrested in the Target shopping center.
Congress Has Created An Average of 50 New Crimes Per Year for the Past Decade
In just the five years Congress created 439 new criminal offenses for a of 4,889 federal crimes. That’s in addition to the growing number of state and local crimes for which Americans can be prosecuted.
Court Uphold 45-Year Sentence for Inmate Convicted of Rape and Robbery When 15
Continuing to grapple with decades-long sentences for juveniles who commit serious crimes, a divided state appeals court refused Monday to order a new sentence for Thomas Kelsey, now 28, but asked the Supreme Court to take up the question.
Three Matanzas High School Students Arrested For Armed Burglary in Palm Coast’s F-Section
A ninth grader and two tenth graders who’d run from Matanzas High School were charged with armed robbery following two incidents in Palm Coast’s F-Section this morning.
Yes, It’s Retroactive: Florida Supreme Court Rules All Lifers Sentenced as Juveniles Must Be Resentenced
The justices ordered lower Florida courts to apply a 2014 law to inmates who, as juveniles, were sentenced in the past either to life in prison or to terms that would have effectively kept them behind bars until they die. Two of the inmates were convicted of murder.
13-Year-Old Indian Trails Boy Arrested on Knife Charge at School and Tied to Stolen Gun
A 13-year-old Indian Trails Middle School student, on probation over a drug charge, was arrested Tuesday on a felony weapons possession charge for taking a knife to school after authorities discovered he had allegedly given a stolen .380 Glock 42 to a friend.
Bi-Partisan Lawmakers Looking to Expunge Criminal Records of Non-Violent Juveniles
An Orlando Senator is sponsoring a bill that would allow the expunging of records for minors who commit nonviolent misdemeanors and go on to complete diversion programs.
Counties Withhold Payments to State as Dispute Over Juvenile Costs Flares Again
After the failure of a legislative compromise last year, some counties are withholding their share of the costs from the Department of Juvenile Justice.
Cruel and Unusual: 2 Inmates Who Murdered as Juveniles Challenge Their Life Sentences
Two inmates serving life in prison for murders committed as juveniles are challenging their sentences based on a 2012 US Supreme Court ruling that bans mandatory life sentences for juveniles.
Florida Supreme Court Seeks Clarity on Inmates Sentenced to Life in Prison as Juveniles
The U.S. Supreme Court held that juvenile sentencing guidelines must offer young offenders the chance to have their cases reviewed after serving a certain number of years. A Florida law went into effect July 1, seeking to comply. But it remains unclear in key regards.
As Florida Eases Harsh Approach, Study Shows Locking Up Juveniles Makes Them Likelier Adult Criminals
Between fiscal year 2010-11 and fiscal year 2012-13, juvenile arrests in Florida declined 23 percent and felony juvenile arrests declined 17 percent, while transfers to adult court declined 36 percent.
Dispute Over State’s Shifting Juvenile Detention Costs to Counties Simmers Again
The dispute goes back to 2004 and centers on DJJ’s handling of a law that requires counties help pay for “predisposition,” or the costs of detaining underage offenders before they are sentenced. It affects 38 counties. The 29 poorest counties in the state are considered “fiscally constrained” and aren’t part of the cost-sharing formula.
Life Without Parole for Juveniles: Florida Struggles to Comply With Supreme Court Ruling
Florida sentences more juveniles to life in prison without parole than any other state, but the pressure is on the Legislature this year to comply with restrictive U.S. Supreme Court rulings because without sentencing guidelines, the Florida judiciary is filling the gap one case at a time.
Harsh Outlier: Florida’s Sentencing Laws Still Lock Up More Juveniles Than Any Other State
As state legislators have tried and failed to craft a juvenile-sentencing law that conforms to landmark U.S. Supreme Court rulings, a national advocacy group is calling Florida a “clear outlier” among states for its hard-line approach to trying juveniles as adults.
Life Sentence for Rest-Stop Murder That Shattered Florida Tourism Is Reduced
Audra Akins was 14 when he murdered British tourist Gary Colley at an I-10 rest stop near Tallahassee 20 years ago. His life sentence was deemed unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. He was re-sentenced to 40 years, making him eligible for release in 12 years.
16-Year-Old Palm Coast Boy Accused of Raping 5 Year Old Is in Juvenile Justice Custody
A 16-year-old Palm Coast boy is facing a felony charge of sexual battery, or rape, of a 5-year-old boy in an incident reported to have taken place in May in the older boy’s bedroom, in the boys’ home.
Juvenile Detention Cost-Shifting Arguments in Appeals Court, With Implications for Counties
Counties argue they currently pick up 75 percent of some juvenile detention costs, but should be paying less. The state claims in in court filings that the Legislature actually intended for the counties to cover 89 percent of the costs.Either way, local governments are groaning under the burden.
Duping Court Ruling, Florida Replacing Life Juvenile Sentencing With 50-Year Minimum
Legislation aimed at putting Florida in line with a U.S. Supreme Court ban on automatic life sentences for juvenile murderers cleared a House panel Tuesday, but with a 50 year minimum sentence that opponents say may keep the state’s law at odds with the court’s aim.
Florida Posts 32% Drop in Youth Lock-Up Rate Since 1997, In Line With U.S. Numbers
The peak nationally came in 1995, with 107,637 juveniles incarcerated on a single day, and dropped to 70,792 on a single day in 2010, according to the U.S. Census Bureau and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. During that time, the overall incarceration rate dropped by 41 percent.
After Abuse at Girls’ Lock-Up, Promises of More Oversight from Florida’s Juvenile Justice
In the wake of allegations of abuse by staffers at a girls’ lockup in Milton, the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice is tightening its oversight of private residential facilities – adding interviews with youths and a partnership with the non-profit Annie E. Casey Foundation to its monitoring procedures.
Abuse of Girls at Milton Detention Facility Exposes Flaws in Florida’s Juvenile Justice
The Florida juvenile prison for girls got a 100 percent satisfactory rating from the state a year ago, though two staffers have been accused of abusing girls there, and one was caught on video.
Three Teens Face Felony Charges for Car Burglary Spree in Palm Coast’s B Section
Marcus Chamblin, 17, D’Shawn Hosang, 16, and Darius Harvey, 16, are accused of breaking into almost a dozen unlocked vehicles on Beachway, Bradmore and Bracken Lanes the night of July 12.
Five Questions for Wansley Walters, Head of Florida’s Department of Juvenile Justice
Before becoming secretary of the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, Wansley Walters directed the Miami-Dade County Juvenile Services Department, considered a national model for saving money while reducing the juvenile arrest rate. She’s the first woman to lead DJJ.
Counties Challenge Juvenile Detention Costs
The challenge to Department of Juvenile Justice rules is part of a string of related legal disputes involving at least 10 counties over how much of the detention tab counties should pay. The case may have repercussions across the state.
Florida Lawmaker Proposes Broader GPS Tracking of Juvenile Offenders
Florida’s Juvenile Justice system eliminated its ankle-monitoring system in 2004. GPS tracking would be cheaper, but also possibly more pervasive, and paid for out of local dollars set aside for various court initiatives.
Hawking Stolen iPod on Craig’s List Leads to Charges Against 3 Palm Coast Teens
Charges stem from a May 26 burglary of a vehicle on Palm Coast’s Fernon Lane. The iPod in question had been part of a swap with an unsuspecting recipient, who then advertised the item online.
Florida’s Juvenile Justice Eliminating 1,200 Jobs and Closing 3 Youth Prisons
The budget Gov. Rick Scott signed into law last week reduces juvenile justice’s budget 11 percent, and eliminates 700 jobs in addition to 500 vacant positions that will be abolished. The Legislature singled out youth prisons for closure.
15-Year-Old Faces Charges Over a .40-Caliber Gun at Indian Trails Middle School Campus
The gun never made it into the school building, nor was it found during school hours. But Travis Williams was already serving a 10-day suspension from school when he allegedly walked with the gun on school property.
Two Bus Stop Robbery Suspects, Riding With Schoolgirls, Arrested Following a Wreck
Sebastian Dominguez, 18 and Brandon Smith, 19, were riding in a truck with a 14 year old girl from Indian Trails Middle School and a 15-year-old girl from Matanzas High School when they allegedly decided to hold up a Matanzas High School student.
Abu Ghraib Brutality in Florida’s Youth Prisons: Suit Charges Rape and Other Abuses
A class-action law suit against a private Florida juvenile prion contractor claims children were physically abused, forced to have sex with counselors, and kept from seeing lawyers.
Three Palm Coast Boys, 16 and 17, Arrested Over a 10-Car Thieving Spree Sunday
The boys allegedly stole GPS devices, music CDs, phone chargers and a camera–about $2,000 worth–before being picked up in the Pet Smart parking lot early Sunday morning.
Flagler Student Is Jailed After Setting Off A “Bottle Bomb” at a Bus Stop
18-year-old Giuseppe Verdone Jr. set off the “bottle bomb” at Bird of Paradise and Biscayne Drive while waiting for a bus to Pathways, the district’s school for problem students.
This Year: 5 School Deputies for $300,000; Four Years Ago: 9 Deputies for $222,000
The sheriff has virtually eliminated his department’s share of the cost of keeping deputies in schools, forcing the district to pick up most of the costs.
Conklin’s Latest: Paddy Wagon for Rowdy Kids
School board members were cool to Colleen Conklin idea of a paddy wagon for rowdy riders. They were warmer to her volunteer ride-along idea.