The Third Judicial Circuit Chapter recently held a Candidate Forum. Below is an article about the forum. Circuit Court Attorney candidates debate. With Blair retiring, job is being contested for first time in 30 years. The three candidates vying for the position of Third Judicial Circuit Court State Attorney ” the first election for that position in 30 years ” answered questions Friday as to why each believe they are the most qualified for that position. Sponsored by the circuit's Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the three Democratic candidates ” Todd Hingson, Robert Skip Jarvis Jr. and Alex Prins ” answered rounds of questions submitted by members of the chapter. The candidates are running for the office that has been held for the past 30 years by the retiring Jerry Blair . For more of this story, click on or type the URL below: http://www.lakecityreporter.com/articles/2008/07/19/news/doc48816bbd47674871610038.txt ________________________________________________________________________
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From Scott Fingerhut:Two years after riding a motorcycle without an endorsement and being involved in -- not causing -- an accident in which his passenger died, the Broward State Attorney's Office finally charged Theodore Koper, resulting in his being placed on four years' felony probation. After serving perfectly for two years, and converting to administrative probation in year three, Mr. Koper was mistakenly arrested for shoplifting in Miami-Dade with just a short while of supervision left to go. The underlying charge was successfully defended, and dismissed. On the probation violation, however, Mr. Koper, represented by other counsel, was essentially left stranded, without competent representation, and rushed by the trial court to a final hearing in just 22 days -- all during which he had been incarcerated and not assisted in the slightest to prepare his defense. Helpless, and at the mercy of the court, Mr. Koper was convicted and sentenced to 94.65 months in prison. And though the state had sought only 364 days in jail at the outset, and, later on, the assistant attorney general handling the case conceded that what had happened was utterly unfair, both stood silently by; "office policy" and a "good faith basis" prevented them from coming forward to speak what they knew to be true. This past week, with Mr. Koper having served 18 months incarcerated, the Fourth District Court of Appeal reversed his conviction and sentence, and remanded. Reason would dictate that he should be released and his liberty restored soon. ________________________________________________________________________
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