The State Attorney Sidebar

V O L U M E

SPECIAL
POINTS OF
INTEREST:
A message
from the
State Attorney
Recent SAO
trial victories
Featured
SAO employee

2 ,

I S S U E

1 4

N O V E M B E R

2 0 1 4

A Message From the State Attorney

At this time of year we
all take a few moments to
reflect on our blessings.
I am so thankful for my
family as well as my work
family, who tirelessly
seek justice for all our
victims in the Fourth Judicial Circuit.
Please remember that
we all have so much to

be thankful for every single day and not just one

day out of the year! My
hope and prayer is your
Thanksgiving is full of
wonderful moments with
your friends and loved
ones.
God bless!
~ Angela

Pulled From The Headlines

The road to justice can
sometimes be a slow and
long process. Its been
nearly three years since
Clay County Detective David White was murdered
while investigating a drug
case in Middleburg.
Justice has finally been
served in this case. Assistant State Attorneys Steve
Nelson and Sean Daly recently convicted Ryan
Christopher Wilder, 33, for
his involvement in the murder of White, a 35-year-old
husband and father.
Wilder was found guilty
of one count of Felony
Murder in the First Degree, one count of Felony Murder in the Second Degree and one
count of Trafficking in
Methamphetamines.
In February 2012,
White was shot and

killed during an active meth

lab investigation at a home
on Alligator Boulevard in
Clay County. The home
was under surveillance by
detectives when White and
three other Clay County
Sheriffs officers went to
the front door of the home.
Moments later, one of the
occupants of the home,
Ted Tilley, began firing at
the detectives, killing
White. The other officers
returned fire, killing Tilley.
Wilder was making meth

during the time of the

shooting. Even though Wilder was not the shooter, he
was involved in another
felonious act (making meth)
during this incident, which
under state law, holds him
responsible for the murder
of Detective White and the
death of Tilley.
Wilder was sentenced to
two consecutive life terms
for Detective Whites murder and Tilleys death. He
also received 30 years, with
a three year minimum mandatory, for the drug trafficking conviction. Codefendants Chasity Prescott, Jennifer Adler, and
Jerry Daniels are still
awaiting trial in the case.

VOLUME 2, ISSUE 14

PAGE 2

Justice Promised, Justice Delivered

Roland S. Mainor was sentenced to 50 years, with a 40

year min./man., for Murder in
the Second Degree. ~ASA
Dan Skinner

bery, Att. Armed Robbery,

and PFCF. ~ASAs Mark
Hulsey and Coreylyn Crawford

Andy R. Fontaine was

sentenced to 12 years in
prison, followed by eight
years probation, for DUI
Manslaughter and DUI with
Serious Bodily Injury. ~ASA
Lee Smith

Roshad S. Foster was found

Ryan C. Wilder was conguilty of two counts of Sexual
victed of Felony Murder in
Battery and one count of
the First Degree, Felony MurTrespass in a Structure. ~ASA Aaron J. Findell was convicted of Burglary with Asder in the Second Degree,
Alan Mizrahi
sault or Battery. ~ASAs
and Trafficking in Metham Antoine D. Simms was senLindsay Michael and Khary
phetamines. ~ASAs Steve
tenced to 45 years, with a 33
Gaynor
Nelson and Sean Daly
year min./man., for Att. Mur

Herman A. Jacks was

Demarcus S. Johnson was
der in the Second Degree,
convicted of Lewd or Lassentenced to life, with a 60
Shooting or Throwing Deadly
civious Molestation. ~ASAs
year min./man., for Murder in
Missiles, and PFCF. ~ASAs
Theresa Simak and Stacie
the Second Degree, AttemptGarrett Hill and Matt Polimeni
French
ed Murder in the First De Isreal K. Williams was congree, and Agg. Battery.
victed of Murder in the Sec- Christopher D. Watts
~ASAs Mark Caliel and Rich
was found guilty of Armed
ond Degree, Shooting or
Mantei
Robbery, Armed Burglary,
Throwing Deadly Missiles, and
and Sexual Battery. ~ASAs
Timothy J. Cole was conPFCF. ~ASAs Peter OverAlan Mizrahi and Coreylyn
victed and sentenced to life
street and Chyna Makarowski
Crawford
plus 13 years for Armed Rob

Hearings and Cheerings

Recently, 11-year-old Justin Aucoin paid a special visit to the SAO to meet State Attorney Corey
and the rest of the Michael Dunn trial team. Justin is a young boy with Cerebral Palsy who, after
watching gavel to gavel coverage of the George Zimmerman and Michael
Dunn trials, wanted to meet the prosecutors behind both cases.
Justins mother and grandmother, who drove up from Miami for the meeting, said that they made sure to record every moment of the trials for Justin to
watch. During the meeting, Justin wowed everyone with his questions and extensive knowledge about each trial. He knew specific details of each case,
such as what motions were filed and which attorney questioned each witness.
Hes just a remarkable young man, said Assistant State Attorney John Guy.
At the end of the meeting, Justin received a special badge, making him an
Honorary State Attorney. Justins mom said that after watching the trials and
meeting with the trial team, Justin hopes to one day become a prosecutor.

PAGE 3

Special Acknowledgement Opportunity

RudyPolachhasbeenpart
oftheSAOsince2012.
InMarch2012,Rudywas
hiredasanOPSClerkinour
ClayCountyoffice.In2013,

RudyPolach

Those images
can be
forwarded or
posted on
social media in
a matter of
minutes for
everyone to see
and once that
information is
out there, it
cannot be
destroyed.

hebecameafulltimeProse
cutionSupportSpecialist.
Rudyisresponsibleforcoor
dinatingandhandlingmatters
withDiversionandVeterans
CourtforClayCounty.

Weareveryproudtosay
thatRudyalsoservedour
countryfor30yearswiththe
U.S.Navyandretiredasa
LieutenantCommander.

Victims Voice
Todays youth are connected to each other more than
ever before through the use of
texting and social media. Texting, Tweeting, and posting on
Facebook have now become
the preferred methods of communication and can all be
done via cell phone. With the
click of a button, technology
allows us to send pictures and
messages instantly, allowing
us to share information with
more people in a short amount
of time. However, because
information is spread so easily, it is imperative that you talk
with your children about what
information is and is not appropriate.
One particular trend that has
developed has gained a lot of
attention due to the negative
consequences of the activity
sexting. Sexting or the
sending of sexually explicit
messages or photographs via
cell phone, are both sent and
received by a number of
teens.

Often times, teens will voluntarily send pictures to their

boyfriend or girlfriend because they feel like they can
trust them. Other times, teens
say they have sexted because they felt pressured into
doing so. Nonetheless, once
a picture has been sent, the
sender no longer has control
over who sees it or where the
image will go. Even pictures
sent through apps like Snapchat, where the picture
disappears after several
seconds, can still be retrieved. Those images can be
forwarded or posted on social
media in a matter of minutes
for everyone to see and once
that information is out there, it
cannot be destroyed.
By sexting, kids risk facing
possible social consequences, such as embarrassment
or harassment from their
peers, possible school expulsion, loss of future education
or employment opportunities,
and even psychological ef-

fects. They can also face potential legal consequences.

Believe it or not, there is actually a Florida law designed to
punish minors caught sending,
creating, or possessing sexually explicit images of minors.
First time offenders will receive
a civil citation and are often
required to complete educational classes and community
service. A second offense is
considered a first degree misdemeanor and a third offense
will result in a third degree felony.
The truth is that the only way
to prevent facing these consequences is simply to not get
involved in this type of activity.
Have an open conversation
with your kids about the seriousness of sexting and the
potential consequences for all
those involved.
You can find more tips about
sexting and social media safety in the Safety Zone section
on page four of this newsletter.

Off The Record

Earlier this month,
ASAs Theresa Simak,
Anna Hixon, Brooke
Padgett, and Ashley
Young volunteered to
participate in a mock trial,
hosted by UNFs Womens Center. This event,
titled Dating, Devotion

and Death, focused on the

seriousness of dating violence and the potential for
lethality.
Each of the ASAs
played different roles during the mock trial case,
which was about a domestic murder. Even the audience participated, making

the event interactive.

The main purpose of
the mock trial was to
give the audience a realistic view into how the
criminal justice system
handles reports of violence and murder.

PAGE 4

SafetyZone
Safety psfromtheSAOInves gators
Learn first-hand about the different social media networks. Having your own profile on sites like Facebook and Twitter allows you to monitor your childs online activity more closely.

Let your kids know that you are watching. Be upfront with your child and let them know you are keeping tabs on what they are texting and posting online.

When talking to your children about social media and texting, make sure you emphasize that everything sent over the internet or cell phone can be shared. Even when pictures are sent through apps like
Snapchat, where the picture disappears, they can always be retrieved.

It is never too early to talk to your kids about sexting. Sexting, or the sending of sexually explicit
images/messages, is more common than you may imagine.

When talking to your kids, use examples that are age appropriate. For younger kids who do not yet
know about sex, inform them that they should never receive pictures of peoplekids or adultswithout
their clothes on, kissing or touching each other. For teens and older children, you can be more specific
about what sexting is. Make sure they understand that sending pictures of a sexual nature is considered
pornography and in many jurisdictions, it is considered a criminal activity.

Behind The Scenes

Congratulations are in order
is always busy pulling files, filing
for two SAO employees
away mail, trading our recycling
James Edwards and Patsy
bins, picking up boxes that need
Meeks! These two individuals
to go back to Off-Site Storage,
are our Employees of the Third as well as assist in other duties
Quarter. James and Patsy are when asked, said Robert
an example of employees who
Demers, his supervisor.
are willing to go the extra mile in
Patsy Meeks is no stranger to
order to help out their cothe SAO. Patsy joined the SAO
workers and to make the SAO
as a Secretary back in July 1989
run efficiently and effectively.
and then left the office a year
James Edwards started at the later. She returned to the SAO in
SAO in July 2012. He was
assigned as a Clerk in File
Control. James job involves
walking the SAOs 14 floors to
make sure files and mail are
delivered to the right staff
member. Those who work
closely with James say he
always has a willing attitude
PatsyMeeks
and is a team player. James JamesEdwards

www.sao4th.com

2005 as a Secretary in Teen

Court. In 2007, she was transferred to the Special Prosecution Unit. Four years later,
Patsy joined the Business Office. She is known as the one
who books all of the SAOs
travel with grace.
Patsy always goes above
and beyond assisting our attorneys and paralegals with their
ever changing travel requests.
Even when there are last minute changes, Patsy maintains
her professionalism and composure, said Summer Sonson,
the SAOs Fiscal Director.
Those are just a few of the
reasons why James and Patsy
are the SAOs Employees of
the Third Quarter!