criminal justice

A change to the Victims of Wrongful Incarceration Act is now in effect. The updated Florida law seeks to make it easier for more exonerees to receive compensation for their wrongful incarceration.

Two former Jefferson Correctional officers are now facing charges of official misconduct and unlawful compensation, following their arrests last month. An investigation found they smuggled in contraband and had inappropriate relations with inmates.

Attorney General Pam Bondi kicked off this year’s Human Trafficking Summit Monday in Orlando.

Advocates for a deaf inmate currently serving a life sentence for murder say they believe he’s innocent and are optimistic he’ll be released in the next several years. But, the victim’s family is hoping for a much different outcome.

Governor Rick Scott is proposing a 10 percent pay raise for Florida’s juvenile detention and juvenile probation officers.

A new Florida law requiring autism awareness training for law enforcement officers takes effect Sunday.

Wednesday was the latest parole hearing for a deaf man currently serving a life sentence for a 1981 murder he says he did not commit. The parole board agreed to keep his presumptive parole release date the same.

Local sheriff’s offices are warning area residents about different phone scams, running rampant in some Florida Panhandle counties.

Florida Governor Rick Scott has set a date for the execution of Michael Lambrix.

The memorial service as well as the funeral for former Senator Greg Evers is planned for next week. The North Florida Republican was recently killed in a single car wreck when his pickup truck crashed through a guardrail near his Baker home. Now, some of his colleagues and friends are taking the time to remember Evers and the legislative legacy he left behind.

The memorial service for former Florida Senator Greg Evers will take place Monday and the funeral service will occur Tuesday.

A local chapter of the NAACP is warning officials about Ku Klux Klan recruitment efforts and how that could impact the Bay County area. It comes in the aftermath of the Charlottesville protest violence and the ongoing debate over the removal of Confederate statues across the U.S.

Some Florida lawmakers are remembering former state Senator Greg Evers as “one-of-a-kind.” The North Florida Republican passed away earlier this week.

Two Florida lawmakers are hoping to get more pro-bono attorneys to help kids with special needs for the 2018 legislative session.

It’s been more than a year and a half since Florida conducted an execution, but lethal injections are likely to resume Thursday evening.

Florida’s correctional facilities are no longer under lockdown and prisoner visitation has now been restored.

It’s been a tough week for the Florida Highway Patrol. Talk of speeding ticket quotas led to the resignation of a Troop Commander. But, the law enforcement agency is now trying to put that behind them, and move forward.

The Florida Department of Corrections has cancelled visitations at most of its facilities and prisoners are under lockdown, at least through the weekend.

Three former Florida correctional officers linked to the Ku Klux Klan have been convicted of first degree murder for planning to murder a black inmate in North Central Florida.

Governor Rick Scott is weighing in on last week’s death of a young boy left in a hot day care van for almost half a day, and possible changes to Florida law.

A pilot project to improve Florida’s juvenile justice system is now running statewide.

The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles says they are not running a ticket quota system. The statement comes after an officer told his troopers they’re not issuing enough speeding citations.

The Bay County Sheriff’s office is offering a class for area residents about common scams and how to avoid them.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida is urging Escambia County to lower or eliminate monetary bail for some defendants.  The ACLU believes the county should rely on pretrial release programs instead.