It’s not like what you see on TV.
That was one of the first views expressed by Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney Bill Gladson as he kicked off a new six-week clinic aimed at giving Villagers an insight into the criminal justice system’s inner workings.
Gladson told the audience that the system can be “big, messy, and doesn’t always make sense.” One of the reasons he, Fifth Judicial Circuit Public Defender Mike Graves and top Sumter County Sheriff’s Office deputies organized the conference at the SeaBreeze Regional Recreation Complex was to raise awareness about the issue.
Gladson created the Citizens Prosecutor Academy to clarify what his prosecutors do in the five counties under his judiciary: Marion, Sumter, Lake, Hernando and Citrus. Graves, who was elected in the same counties as Gladson, provided a counterpoint by describing his staff’s work defending needy criminal defendants.
The sheriff’s office’s Chief Deputy Chris Haworth clarified the position of law enforcement.
The two-hour session drew about a dozen participants. Will Fellows, a villager, was amazed.
“I thought it was superbly executed,” Fellows, a resident of the Village of Pinellas, said, “I gained a lot of information I didn’t have before.”
Fellows said he was particularly interested in learning more about the public defender’s role and strategy, how the court system has progressed toward digitized data and the technologies used by the sheriff’s office to combat crime, such as its drone squad.
Gladson discussed the bail system, diversion court, how offenders get their records erased and the roles of his internal investigators and victim advocates during his segment of the speech.
Graves gave a brief history of a prosecutor’s right to counsel, which he said was not assured until 1963. He also went over the different types of crimes, stated that his office also serves individuals in unusual situations, such as those who are set to be civilly prosecuted for being a danger to themselves or others, and discussed why self-representation in a criminal case is a bad idea. And he does it all with half the workforce and half the budget of the state attorney general’s office, he said.
However, Graves also asked those in attendance to know that the sometimes complicated relationship between prosecutors, law enforcement and defense attorneys depicted in Hollywood is not a fact in the system.
All three, he said, collaborate to find a “right outcome” for everyone engaged in a criminal case, aiming for justice for the victim and fair punishment and eventual recovery for the offenders.
“We have to work together. Only if we get along will it make sense,“ said Graves. “That doesn’t mean we always agree, but it does mean we don’t disrespect one another.”
During his segment, Haworth addressed the sheriff’s office’s numerous divisions and resources, possible crimes that Villagers might face and how Sheriff Bill Farmer has been able to keep a tight lid on crime amid the state’s explosive progress over the last ten years, with the sixth lowest crime rate in the state.
Scams were the most common type of crime, according to Haworth, followed by robbery. He warned residents to be cautious of unsolicited contractors and phone scams, which are particularly difficult to track down because the offenders are often from outside the city.
In order to prevent thefts, Haworth advised residents to keep their doors and cars locked and to be aware of outsiders in their neighborhood.”I wouldn’t call you a vulnerable demographic, but you are a targeted population,” he said.
– Attributed Source, The Villages Daily Sun