Youssef Megahed is, very simply, a guest in this country. That is a privilege we grant at our discretion. That he was found not guilty in his trial does not qualify him for special favor. ...more

June 14, 2009

Diana O'Neill was acquitted last week of abusing four developmentally disabled students, but there is one question that remains: Will she teach again? ...more

February 18, 2009

The Florida Highway Patrol has been ordered to reinstate Capt. Gregory Lamont, a 26-year veteran fired in 2007 after motorists accused him of striking their car during a 2006 traffic stop. ...more

July 8, 2008

The Florida Highway Patrol has been ordered to reinstate Capt. Gregory Lamont, a 26-year veteran fired in 2007 after motorists accused him of striking their car during a 2006 traffic stop. ...more

July 7, 2008

Mary Ann and George Patisso Sr. closed a tragic chapter in their lives when they left Polk County today after a jury awarded them $60.1 million Tuesday for the wrongful death of their son. It is a judgment they are unlikely to collect. The man who murdered their son in December 1997 is on death row. ...more

July 2, 2008

Seven police officers were hit with disciplinary charges Tuesday in the 50-shot slaying of an unarmed groom-to-be on his wedding day - a case that has sparked protests and raised questions about police firepower. ...more

May 21, 2008

WAUCHULA — Although it was only for a fairly uneventful hearing, Jean Claude Meus made his first appearance in three years Monday afternoon at the Hardee County Courthouse. Attorneys from both parties filed motions, which were granted by Judge Jeff McKibben, to allow the lawyer time to collect witness depositions before a tentatively scheduled evidentiary hearing. In 2003, Meus was convicted of the death of Nona Moore, 40, and her 8-year-old daughter Lindsey. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison. ...more

January 30, 2008

SEBRING — A "body-less" murder trial is uncommon, but it's not unheard of, according to Assistant State Attorney Steve Houchin. Because authorities were unable to locate the body of the alleged newborn that Silvia Zanchez supposedly threw into the trash last November, prosecutors now have to prove through circumstantial evidence that Zanchez actually delivered the baby, if her case goes to a criminal trial. A Highlands County grand Jjury indicted Zanchez, 24, of 109 Sarasota St., Lake Placid, Wednesday, on charges of first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse. "We're going to have to prove circumstantially that she gave birth to a live human being," said Houchin, who also said that he's never prosecuted a "body-less" trial. ...more

January 11, 2008

WAUCHULA — A hearing has been set for Jean Claude Meus that could lead to a evidentiary hearing and potentially a new criminal trial. ...more

January 8, 2008

Billionaire investor Warren Buffett long has been revered in the business world, but his importance at a trial involving the world's largest insurer is hotly contested. ...more

January 5, 2008