07-01-2010, 01:50 PM
MANY TIMES I RUN ACROSS OFFENDERS WITH LOCAL PICK UP WARRANTS ONLY FROM OTHER FL. COUNTIES AND THEY SKATE BY FLORIDAS CRIMINAL $$$ SYSTEM?
Local News
Was Accused Cop Killer Mistakenly Let Out Of Prison?
By
Adam Kirk - Morning News Producer
@ July 1, 2010 5:39 AM Permalink | Comments (1)
A communications breakdown at the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office may have mistakenly put a man, now accused of killing two Tampa police officers, on the street.
Dontae Morris is accused of shooting two police officers in the head, killing them, during a traffic stop early Tuesday morning.
According to a statement from Jacksonville Sheriff John Rutherford, which you can read below, the Sheriff's Office is looking into a situation that may have let Morris out of a Hillsborough County prison two months ago, instead of sending him to Jacksonville.
At the time he was released, Morris was wanted on three warrants in Jacksonville for writing worthless checks.
According to the statement from the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, "All warrants issued in Duval County do not meet the criteria for statewide extradition." "Two of the worthless check warrants indicate extradition only within Clay, St. Johns, Baker and Nassau counties, as they were for misdemeanors." "The third, which was a felony worthless check warrant, indicates statewide extradition." The phrase "statewide extradition" means that police all over the state were notified of Morris' felony warrant, including the Tampa officers Morris is accused of killing. It also means that an agency could travel anywhere in Florida to get Morris. "That should have been detected," Tampa Police Chief Jane Castor said in a news conference Wednesday.
Sheriff Rutherford's statement indicated that the Florida Department of Corrections contacted the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office in October of 2009 about the warrants, months before Morris was scheduled to be released.
His statement goes on to say that "We are working to determine if our Records and Identification clerk missed the third worthless check warrant, which indicates a statewide extradition order." Under Florida law, the felony worthless check warrant could have carried a maximum sentence of 5 years in prison, were Morris to be convicted.
But as WOKV reported, State Attorney Angela Corey indicated that the bad checks were passed to three different Publix supermarkets in Duval County while Morris was behind bars.
While it's not clear if Morris would have been convicted under those worthless check charges, it seems clear that he should have been extradited back to Duval County, instead of being released from prison in April.
The question no one has been able to answer, so far, is whether the proceedings would have kept Morris off the street, and prevented him from allegedly shooting two officers.
Below is a statement from John H. Rutherford - Sheriff, Duval County:
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of Officers Dave Curtis and Jeffrey Kocab, and the entire Tampa Police Department.
All warrants issued in Duval County do not meet the criteria for statewide extradition. There are three worthless check warrants on file for Dontae Morris. Two of the worthless check warrants indicate extradition only within Clay, St. Johns, Baker and Nassau counties, as they were for misdemeanors. The third, which was a felony worthless check warrant, indicates statewide extradition.
We are now looking into the October, 2009 communication between DOC and JSO, regarding Morris' scheduled release in April 2010. We are working to determine if our Records and Identification clerk missed the third worthless check warrant, which indicates a statewide extradition order.
John H. Rutherford Sheriff, Duval County
Local News
Was Accused Cop Killer Mistakenly Let Out Of Prison?
By
Adam Kirk - Morning News Producer
@ July 1, 2010 5:39 AM Permalink | Comments (1)
A communications breakdown at the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office may have mistakenly put a man, now accused of killing two Tampa police officers, on the street.
Dontae Morris is accused of shooting two police officers in the head, killing them, during a traffic stop early Tuesday morning.
According to a statement from Jacksonville Sheriff John Rutherford, which you can read below, the Sheriff's Office is looking into a situation that may have let Morris out of a Hillsborough County prison two months ago, instead of sending him to Jacksonville.
At the time he was released, Morris was wanted on three warrants in Jacksonville for writing worthless checks.
According to the statement from the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, "All warrants issued in Duval County do not meet the criteria for statewide extradition." "Two of the worthless check warrants indicate extradition only within Clay, St. Johns, Baker and Nassau counties, as they were for misdemeanors." "The third, which was a felony worthless check warrant, indicates statewide extradition." The phrase "statewide extradition" means that police all over the state were notified of Morris' felony warrant, including the Tampa officers Morris is accused of killing. It also means that an agency could travel anywhere in Florida to get Morris. "That should have been detected," Tampa Police Chief Jane Castor said in a news conference Wednesday.
Sheriff Rutherford's statement indicated that the Florida Department of Corrections contacted the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office in October of 2009 about the warrants, months before Morris was scheduled to be released.
His statement goes on to say that "We are working to determine if our Records and Identification clerk missed the third worthless check warrant, which indicates a statewide extradition order." Under Florida law, the felony worthless check warrant could have carried a maximum sentence of 5 years in prison, were Morris to be convicted.
But as WOKV reported, State Attorney Angela Corey indicated that the bad checks were passed to three different Publix supermarkets in Duval County while Morris was behind bars.
While it's not clear if Morris would have been convicted under those worthless check charges, it seems clear that he should have been extradited back to Duval County, instead of being released from prison in April.
The question no one has been able to answer, so far, is whether the proceedings would have kept Morris off the street, and prevented him from allegedly shooting two officers.
Below is a statement from John H. Rutherford - Sheriff, Duval County:
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of Officers Dave Curtis and Jeffrey Kocab, and the entire Tampa Police Department.
All warrants issued in Duval County do not meet the criteria for statewide extradition. There are three worthless check warrants on file for Dontae Morris. Two of the worthless check warrants indicate extradition only within Clay, St. Johns, Baker and Nassau counties, as they were for misdemeanors. The third, which was a felony worthless check warrant, indicates statewide extradition.
We are now looking into the October, 2009 communication between DOC and JSO, regarding Morris' scheduled release in April 2010. We are working to determine if our Records and Identification clerk missed the third worthless check warrant, which indicates a statewide extradition order.
John H. Rutherford Sheriff, Duval County