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.
SAO SPOTLIGHT: Henry’s life goal leads to law career
/in SAO10 Blog /by Kaitlyn PearsonOne of Aaron Henry’s life goals is to help others. And he felt the way he could help people best was by becoming a lawyer. “I always knew that was what I wanted to do,” Henry said, adding that he took a longer route by going in to the Air Force after High School. Henry, […]
JURY VERDICT: Lakeland man guilty of attempted murder, facing mandatory life
/in SAO10 Blog /by Kaitlyn PearsonDerek Maude glanced over his shoulder and looked his shooter in the eyes. “I saw his eyes lined up with the gun sight,” Maude said as he testified from his wheelchair. “I was sure a shot was coming soon … Next thing I know, my head is ringing. I looked down and told myself to […]
PLEA AGREEMENT: Mulberry man sentenced to 18 years in prison for possession of child pornography
/in SAO10 Blog /by Kaitlyn PearsonCalvin Barnes pled guilty to 50 counts of enhanced possession of child pornography Tuesday and was sentenced to 18 years in prison, followed by 15 years of sex offender probation. Barnes, 46, was viewing, downloading, and distributing explicit photos and videos on Twitter. His activity was flagged by Twitter, and the company sent a cyber […]
SENTENCING UPDATE: Lake Wales man who shot McDonald’s ceiling sentenced to 20 years
/in SAO10 Blog /by Kaitlyn PearsonWillie Watson III stepped into McDonald’s, raised a gun over his head, and fired a single shot into the ceiling. Watson, 45, walked past the registers and toward the drive-through window and yelled, “Give that —– up!” He paced back and forth before walking toward the exit, where he yelled at two elderly people and […]
JURY VERDICT: Man guilty of aggravated battery after striking man with stolen semi
/in SAO10 Blog /by Kaitlyn PearsonNoah Worthington was angry when he found out he’d been fired from his job as a truck driver. Another employee was sent to retrieve the truck from Worthington. But instead of gathering his belongings and handing over the keys, Worthington struck the employee and drove away in the stolen semi. A jury convicted Worthington on […]
JURY VERDICT: Lakeland man who killed construction worker guilty of vehicular homicide
/in SAO10 Blog /by Kaitlyn PearsonNearly four years later, Martin Kelly still struggles to talk about the night Shelby Shull was killed by an intoxicated driver. Kelly was contracted to finish construction work on South Florida Avenue in Lakeland, and Shull was there to make sure he stayed safe as the work was completed in the early hours of the […]