The State Attorney’s Office is now accepting applications for their Annual Youth Mock Trial. The four-day program will take place June 6th through June 9th from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Polk County Courthouse in Bartow. This program gives students going in to the 11th and 12th grade an opportunity to work with […]
School bus attendant, Juanita Tappin, physically and verbally abused several special needs students while they were taken to and from school. On multiple occasions, video surveillance shows Tappin hitting the children on their head, face, and hands and using different objects to abuse them. No plea agreement was made and therefore this case was decided […]
Daniel Meekins was sentenced by a Highlands County Circuit Judge on Friday, March 25th to 30 years in prison followed by 30 years of Probation for Lewd Molestation. Meekins sexually abused a child on multiple occasions and tried to flee the country before Sgt. DeShazo, of the Sebring Police Department, located him packing a van […]
A Circuit Judge sentenced Stevin Smith to Life in prison after being found guilty by a Polk County Jury of Attempted Armed Kidnapping and Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon. Smith has an extensive criminal record for Possession of Firearm by Convicted Felon, Domestic Battery Strangulation, Robbery with a Weapon, Burglary of a Structure, Robbery, […]