TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—As millions of Florida children begin a new school year, Attorney General Ashley Moody is reaching out directly to students and parents with tips and resources. The weeklong #BackToSchoolOAG campaign will provide information about internet safety, the dangers of drug use, risks associated with vaping and more.

Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “This week, millions of children and teens in Florida will head back to school, and with a new academic year comes new risks and challenges that parents may not be thinking about. Online games and apps can create a venue for human traffickers to stalk children, drugs pose a major health threat, and the alarming increase in teen vaping cannot be ignored.

“Through #BackToSchoolOAG, I hope we can reach parents and students as the academic year begins to encourage a continuous, open dialogue about some of the extremely important challenges facing Florida students today.” Continue reading →

Defining the Rule of Charge

At a recent White House briefing Acting USCIS Director Ken Cuccinelli announced  the definition of the Rule of Charge to mean, people coming to this country may not get food stamps and use public housing. They must depend on their own resources sponsors or family but not from the United States Government.

Ocoee, Fla. – Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced a plan to significantly expand Florida’s electric vehicle infrastructure by increasing the number of charging stations along major thoroughfares throughout the state.

“As electric cars become more prevalent on our roads and highways, the development of these charging stations is essential to the success of our ever-evolving transportation system,” said Governor DeSantis. “The addition of these stations will encourage Floridians to buy more electric vehicles, improve air quality, assist during disaster evacuations and ensure that Florida is prepared as electric vehicle technology continues to advance.”

The plan will be funded in part by the 2018 multi-state Volkswagen Settlement, of which Florida was allotted $166 million to improve air quality. While Florida is home to some of the best air quality in the nation, this funding will allow for significant investment to reduce diesel emissions and expand the infrastructure for electric vehicles. Florida’s beneficiary mitigation plan for how the State intends to spend the full $166 million is now available for public comment. Continue reading →

Attorney General Ashley Moody’s Office of Statewide Prosecution announced a 40-year prison sentence for a defendant found guilty of a gun store burglary. James Moore previously entered an open plea to burglary of a structure while using a vehicle as an instrument and 35 counts of grand theft of a firearm. Moore is one of a larger group based in Orlando, using stolen vehicles to facilitate several types of smash-and-dash burglaries. The 20-member group stole from department and retail stores to steal guns, jewelry, electronics, sporting goods and more. Thursday, Judge Frances Perrone sentenced Moore to 40 years in prison.

Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “These criminals deliberately wrecked a Tampa store to steal firearms. Not only did they steal property, they also stole a sense of security from the surrounding neighborhood. I applaud the great work of my Office of Statewide Prosecution securing this strong prison sentence and continuing to seek prison time for the remaining defendants.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Summer is the most popular time of year to move, and Attorney General Ashley Moody is issuing a Consumer Alert to help Floridians avoid scams during this busy moving season. A common moving scam involves companies agreeing to a price for service, loading a consumer’s personal belongings and then demanding more money before delivering the property. Sometimes this tactic involves charging additional fees supposedly based on the weight or volume of property moved or other factors not previously disclosed.

Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “Moving can be a stressful experience. Scammers know this and exploit an already tense situation to coerce consumers into paying increased costs or fees just to get through the process or to have their possessions safely returned. Before moving, do your research and take steps to ensure you do not fall victim to disreputable household movers.” Continue reading →

Our fact-gathering mission to find out what is behind a dramatic increase in teen vaping in Florida continued. According to the Florida Department of Health, e-cigarette use among high school students increased 78 percent from 2017 to 2018.

We want to know why, and more importantly how to reverse this disturbing trend. This mission brought me to two Florida cities—Oviedo and Sarasota—this week, where I met with education leaders, law enforcement officers and concerned parents.

According to a FDOH study, more than 28 percent of students in Sarasota County and Seminole County use e-cigarettes—slightly higher than the state average. Shockingly, people I spoke to believe the rate is much higher.

This is extremely concerning because, according to the Centers for Disease Control, juvenile nicotine exposure can harm brain development in ways that may affect the health and mental health of youth.

To stop this trend and protect our kids, we need to find out how minors are getting their hands on these products. It’s illegal under Florida law to sell these products to anyone under 18, yet vaping among minors is out of control. Continue reading →

Office of Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody

Supporting law enforcement is very important to me and I have made it one of my office’s top priorities. I always enjoy working with deputies and officers and learning about recent cases or just parts of their everyday life. I want our law enforcement partners to know that our state fully supports them, so that is why I initiated the Back the Blue Campaign shortly after taking office.

Back the Blue highlights extraordinary and brave acts of law enforcement officers, persons or organizations that forge positive relationships between law enforcement and the communities they serve.

Just this week, I issued Back the Blue Awards to Jacksonville Sheriff Police Officers who risked their own lives to save another. Officer Kathleen James and Officer Chelsea McCullom responded to a vehicle crash on Interstate 10 that quickly erupted into fire. The officers heard screams coming from the vehicle, and without hesitation, went into action to rescue a female driver. They had to break a passenger window and physically force a jammed-door open to get to the woman. The officers then dragged the woman 10 feet away before the vehicle exploded and used their own bodies to shield the woman from flying shrapnel. Continue reading →

Tallahassee, Fla. — Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced the appointments of Michael Morley, John Stinneford, Melissa Nelson, the Honorable Michael Andrews, Bradenton Police Chief Melanie Bevan and Pasco County Sheriff Christopher Nocco to the Criminal Punishment Code Task Force.

Michael Morley

Morley, of Windemere, is an assistant professor at the Florida State University College of Law. He previously taught at the Barry University School of Law, served as Special Assistant to the General Counsel of the U.S. Army and clerked for Judge Gerald B. Tjoflat. Morely earned his bachelor’s degree from Princeton University and his juris doctorate from Yale Law School. 

John Stinneford

Stinneford, of Ponte Vedra Beach, is a professor at the University of Florida’s Levin College of Law. He previously taught at the Georgetown University Law Center and the University of Dayton School of Law. Stinneford earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia, his master’s degree from Harvard University and his juris doctorate from Harvard Law School.  Continue reading →

Photo credit: Governor DeSantis Press Office

First Lady Announces the Formation of a Drug Abuse Prevention Panel to be Chaired by Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma 

Sanford, Fla. — Today, First Lady Casey DeSantis held a listening session on mental health and substance abuse at the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office in Sanford. This was her second listening session of the day following a stop at Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Sun Coast in Venice. Today’s listening sessions were part of the First Lady’s Hope for Healing Florida campaign, a multi-agency initiative that strives to combine the resources and efforts of the public and private sectors to better serve Floridians struggling with mental health and substance abuse.

First Lady DeSantis also announced the formation of a drug abuse prevention panel with Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma to serve as chair. The focus of the panel will be to discuss and determine best practices and innovative solutions to combat drug abuse throughout the state, specifically as it pertains to Florida’s youth.  Continue reading →