The Office of the State Attorney is committed to transparency and responds to all records requests in a timely manner. If you wish to make a request, you can do so by contacting Paul Sessions, custodian of Public Records, at (863) 534-4844 or by clicking the button to submit a request.
Recent Press Releases
Please be advised that Florida has a broad Public Records law and all e-mail correspondence to this office or anyone employed here may be subject to disclosure. Under Florida law, e-mail addresses are public records. If you do not want your e-mail address released in response to a public-records request, do not send electronic mail to this agency. Instead, contact this office by phone or in writing.
State Attorney seeking death against Highlands man who murdered deputy
/in SAO10 Blog /by Kaitlyn PearsonA Highlands County Grand Jury indicted Joseph Ables, 69, of Lake Placid, Tuesday on charges of first-degree murder of a law enforcement officer and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Ables was arrested May 6 and was charged with the fatal shooting of Highlands County Deputy William J. Gentry two days later. Following […]
JURY VERDICT: Lake Wales man who shot at helicopter, stole three vehicles to receive life
/in SAO10 Blog /by Kaitlyn PearsonWesley Grace led law enforcement on a three-day manhunt from Lake Wales to Haines City before he was finally apprehended. Grace fired five rounds at a Sheriff’s Office helicopter, stole three vehicles, assaulted three people, burglarized a home, and led law enforcement on a high speed chase, racking up more than 10 charges. After a […]
JURY VERDICT: Man guilty of attempted lewd battery, transmitting harmful material to a minor
/in SAO10 Blog /by Kaitlyn PearsonWhen Eric Norris found an ad on Craigslist about a sexual encounter with a minor, he promptly replied: “I am interested.” For three days, Norris had non-stop graphic discussions about what he would do to the 12-year-old girl. He also sent explicit photos of himself. On May 19, 2017, Norris drove from Jacksonville to a […]
SENTENCING UPDATE: Bennett sentenced to life after being convicted of attempted murder
/in SAO10 Blog /by Kaitlyn PearsonWhen Derek Maude got into the car with Kaheem Bennett, he had no way of knowing he would be robbed, kidnapped, and paralyzed from a gunshot wound that severed his spinal cord. On Jan. 25, 2015, Bennett and two others violently beat Maude before unlocking the doors of the car they had him trapped in. […]
SENTENCING UPDATE: Haines City man sentenced to 25 years for execution-style robbery
/in SAO10 Blog /by Kaitlyn PearsonNicolas Vasquez held a gun to the back of Joshua Dibling’s head, threatening to kill him if he did not hand over money. Vasquez was convicted by a jury Oct. 25, 2017, of three counts of robbery with a deadly weapon and one count of burglary while armed with assault or battery. He was sentenced […]
JURY VERDICT: Man convicted of DUI manslaughter, faces 30 years
/in SAO10 Blog /by Kaitlyn PearsonJames Marcelin had been partying all day when he made the decision to drive three of his friends to Haines City. While traveling at least 20 MPH over the speed limit, Marcelin veered off the roadway and crashed head-on into a tree. The collision killed 19-year-old Andrew Valdez and critically injured Jose Almanzar and James […]