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Former Zolfo Springs Police Chief's Trial Postponed

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By Dan  Fearson | Highlands Today

Published: October 16, 2007

WAUCHULA — A trial for former Zolfo Springs Police Chief David Scheid will be pushed back at least another month because of medical issues with defense attorney Gil Colon Jr.

Jury selection was scheduled to begin on Monday morning at the Hardee County Courthouse for Scheid, who is facing charges of official misconduct, grand theft, tampering with a witness, fabricating physical evidence and petty theft.

However, Colon failed to appear at the courthouse, and an associate with Colon's firm said that the attorney suffered a medical injury to his back while in-line skating this weekend.

A jury pool of approximately 80 people was dismissed following the announcement, and a Nov. 20 status conference was set for the case, which will probably lead to another trial date.

"I would like to get this case to trial as quickly as I can," said Assistant State Attorney Steve Houchin.

Houchin, in previous court proceedings, said that evidence will show the dishonesty of Scheid on the job.

Two Zolfo Springs Police Officers told the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) in 2005 that Scheid gave them credit for two training courses they did not take, Houchin said.

Houchin said Scheid used a password to enter the FDLE Web site to register that officers Joe Arce and Michael Brandon Lambert had completed weapons of mass destruction and incident command system training.

When Scheid told the officers that he had taken care of the training requirement, the officers notified the FDLE, according to Houchin.

Scheid also allegedly sold handguns collected from a burglary crime scene.

Scheid was found not guilty in May to a charge of official misconduct, and a jury failed to reach a decision on a second misconduct count, resulting in a mistrial.

Monday's scheduled trial was supposed to be a retrial for the second misconduct count Scheid was facing. Colon had all the charges against Scheid broken into separate counts for trials.

Scheid remains free from jail on bond.

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