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.
JURY VERDICT: Kissimmee man found guilty of attempted manslaughter
/in SAO10 Blog /by Kaitlyn PearsonWillie Charles Jones, 19, of Kissimmee, was convicted of attempted manslaughter by act and discharging a firearm from a vehicle. Jones was convicted Sept. 29 for an incident that occurred in July 2015 where he got angry at a driver, followed him home and fired two shots at him. In her closing statement, Assistant State […]
JURY VERDICT: Man convicted of murder for second time
/in SAO10 Blog /by Kaitlyn PearsonJurors found 24-year-old Benjamin Smiley guilty Thursday of killing a Lakeland man, making it the second time he’s been convicted of murder in less than a year. After deliberating for about six hours, the jury found Smiley guilty of first-degree murder, robbery with a firearm, tampering with evidence, aggravated assault and burglary of a dwelling. […]
SENTENCING UPDATE: Carroll sentenced to 20 years
/in SAO10 Blog /by Kaitlyn PearsonGary Carroll was sentenced to 20 years in prison Friday for striking and killing a bicyclist and leaving the scene. Carroll, 48, of Lakeland, struck and killed the 32-year-old victim, left the scene of the crash and removed the physical evidence from his vehicle. He was found guilty by a jury on Aug. 22 and […]
JURY VERDICT: Man guilty of hiring hitman to kill his wife
/in SAO10 Blog /by Kaitlyn PearsonVincent Madhavath intended to kill his wife the night of Sept. 17, 2014. Madhavath, 45, of Winter Haven, hired a hitman – who was an undercover Florida Department of Law Enforcement agent – and planned to have him enter their home after midnight for a staged armed robbery where his wife would be shot in […]
State Attorney Hill, Assistant State Attorneys honored by MADD
/in SAO10 Blog /by Kaitlyn PearsonWINTER HAVEN – State Attorney Jerry Hill and two of our prosecutors were honored Thursday, Sept. 22, at the MADD Polk County Law Enforcement and Prosecutors Recognition Dinner. Felony Attorneys Melissa Gravitt and Stephanie Durrance were awarded for their work prosecuting DUI cases, and Mr. Hill was given a special award for his dedication to […]
JURY VERDICT: Man guilty of heroin trafficking
/in SAO10 Blog /by Kaitlyn PearsonA trail of heroin crumbs led deputies to the closet where Gleen Efrain Zayas-Acosta was hiding. Deputies found 35-year-old Zayas-Acosta behind hanging clothes near a hamper where he’d hidden about a kilo of heroin. A prosecutor with the State Attorney’s Office laid out all the evidence before the jury in closing statements Thursday, re-enacting the […]