State Attorney Brian Haas met with Polk County Sheriff, Grady Judd and members of the Polk County Sheriff’s Office today to discuss the partnership between the two agencies. These meetings take place every few months to keep lines of communication open between PCSO and SAO staff. We are grateful for the hard work and dedication […]
Author Archive for: jowensSAO10
Entries by Jamie Owens
Shawn Fitzgerald, Former Lakeland High School Teacher, Soccer Coach and Youth Minister, Sentenced to 35 Years in Prison for Possession of Child Pornography.
Fitzgerald was arrested by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office in November 2020. The investigation revealed that Fitzgerald possessed more than 700 pictures and videos of children, as young as infants, being sexually abused by adults or sexually exploited. The child pornography was located on Fitzgerald’s cell phone in multiple encrypted apps; including one app that […]
State Attorney’s Office Youth Mock Trial 2023
The State Attorney’s Office recently hosted its Youth Mock Trial Program. Nine High School students thinking about pursuing careers as attorneys or law enforcement attended our week-long program to learn more about our court system and try some mock cases in a courtroom. In addition to being mentored by a handful of our prosecutors throughout […]
Lake Wales Man Convicted for 2nd Degree Murder in Wife’s 2019 Death
On June 11th, 2019, Ronald Strouse, 77, called 911 and told the operator a “lady” was fighting with him. The “lady” turned out to be Strouse’s 77 year old wife of almost 50 years of marriage. Later in the call, the defendant told the 911 operator he and his wife were physically fighting and he […]