Our mission is to uphold the public’s trust in the pursuit of justice and the enforcement of the law. The Office of the State Attorney works to protect the public from those who endanger, threaten, and degrade the security of the community and to protect the personal rights of those we serve...more
A football injury propelled Andrew Eppling into the field of law, and he hasn’t looked back as he joins our team of prosecutors at the State Attorney’s Office.
State Attorney Larry Basford welcomes Prosecutor Andrew EpplingCounty Judge Will Dyer, right, swears in Andrew Eppling
A native of both Florida and Georgia, Eppling initially planned on joining the military before going into law. His trajectory changed in high school, however, when a back injury sustained while playing football shifted his focus toward the legal field.
Determined to serve his community in a new way, Eppling obtained his law degree and began his search across the southeast. When he interviewed with State Attorney Larry Basford and his team, Eppling knew he’d found the right fit.
“When I got on the call with Mr. Basford and his team, I was talking about what I thought a prosecutor could do and my vision of justice,” Eppling said. “I listened to what they wanted to do and how they approach the law, and it really lined up with how I feel. I knew that this is where I wanted to be. I have felt great peace about it ever since.”
Eppling’s path to the State Attorney’s Office included experience as a law clerk in two different prosecutors’ offices, where he gained firsthand insight into the criminal justice system. Clerking exposed him to real-world exposure to inmates, police officers, judges, and attorneys. Through that, Eppling developed an understanding of the system’s many layers and the importance of remembering that everyone is human and deserves to be treated fairly.
“These experiences taught me that for our system to work, all its components must strive to operate as effectively as possible,” Eppling explained. “I also learned that the human element cannot be forgotten. The criminal justice system is dealing with people’s lives and freedoms. We must pursue excellence not just in our technical work but in the human aspect as well.”
Eppling earned his law degree from Liberty University School of Law.
For more information, contact Mike Cazalas at mike.cazalas@sa14.fl.gov, or call 850–381–7454.
Port St. Joe, FL — It was not a long drive, but Jarred Patterson has returned to his home of Gulf County to serve as the Chief Prosecutor, State Attorney Larry Basford announced.
New Gulf County Chief Prosecutor Andrew Eppling, left, is welcomed by State Attorney Larry Basford.
Born and raised in Port St. Joe, Patterson returns to 14th Judicial Circuit with the experience gained serving about 16 years as a prosecutor in Franklin County, part of the 2nd Judicial Circuit. For 12 of those years he served as the Chief Prosecutor for Franklin County.
“It is really good to be back home,” Patterson said. “I have this opportunity to work in the community where I live, where my children go to school, and help keep it a safer place for everyone. I’m a lifelong resident here, as were my parents and grandparents.”
This new role marks Patterson’s return to the 14th Judicial Circuit, where he began his career.
Having grown up in Port St. Joe and now raising his own family here, Patterson is committed to fostering justice and safety in the community. He said his deep-rooted ties to the area give him a unique perspective on the values and needs of residents.
Bay County’s newest prosecutor is a born-and-raised east coast Floridian with a desire to provide compassion and justice – and enjoy the family atmosphere and variety of outdoor activities the area provides.
Jada Watkins, 24, was born and raised in Melbourne She is familiar with Florida’s beaches along the Atlantic coast.
State Attorney Larry Basford welcomes new Assistant State Attorney Jada Watkins.
But a Spring Break trip here when she was an undergraduate at Florida State University stuck with her. After graduating from the Barry University School of Law and passing the Florida Bar, she decided her next move would keep her in Florida and near the beaches – with a bonus.
“I was somewhat familiar with the Panhandle and its beautiful beaches, and I knew I wanted to work ‘back up north’ because I loved my time in Tallahassee,” she said. “This is just a perfect environment for me because it has the beaches, and as an avid hiker and outdoor enthusiast the trails here are wonderful.”
Watkins said those attributes were a bonus to what she discovered during her application and interview process: “This office was the one gracious enough to have me come out and meet everyone before I even accepted the job. That was one of the main reasons I accepted the job, the hospitality I was shown and how welcome everyone was when I came here.
“I felt like I was already part of the family before I even joined it.”
Watkins’ goal is to make a positive impact on the community and learn.
“I want to embrace this job understanding that everyone deserves individual attention, every case is different,” she said. “I wanted to be somewhere where I felt included and where I could learn and would get guidance and support. And this is where I felt I could get that.”
A man arrested after a traffic stop led to Bay County Sheriff’s Office deputies finding about 5 ounces of methamphetamine hidden with a magnet in the engine compartment was found guilty of trafficking Thursday, State Attorney Larry Basford announced.
Conrad Raymond Forrence, 36, of Panama City Beach, was found guilty as charged of Trafficking in Methamphetamine (more than 28 grams). Circuit Court Judge Brandon Young set sentencing for Nov. 12.
Upper left to right: Bay County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Doug Smith noticed smudges around the air handler. That led to the discovery of a black package attached to the firewall with a magnet. Inside the bag were 5 packages, each containing about 1 ounce of methamphetamine.Conrad Florence
Prosecutor J.P. Ferreira is seeking to have the defendant sentenced as a Habitual Felony Offender. Forrence faces a minimum-mandatory 7 years sentence but could get up to life in prison under Florida’s HFO statute.
Ferreira called 6 witnesses and presented evidence that the defendant drove to Pensacola on July 11, 2023, to pick up the methamphetamine and bring it back to Bay County. The evidence showed the defendant expected ¼ ounce of the drug as payment.
Bay County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigations Division pulled over the defendant for speeding and other traffic violations that night. Inv. Doug Cummings’ K-9 “Fila” conducted a free air sniff around the vehicle and alerted for the presence of narcotics.
During a search of the car, Lt. Doug Smith noticed smudges on the cover near the “air handler” under the hood. Investigators focused their search and found a black bag attached to the firewall with a strong magnet. In that bag they found 5 packages, each holding about 1 ounce of methamphetamine.
Basford thanked the Bay County Sheriff’s Office for producing another case where a large amount of drugs were seized before they hit the street. He also commended Lt. Smith for noticing the smudges that led to finding the drugs.
A 34-year-old former state prison correctional officer was found guilty Wednesday of smuggling more than 200 grams of methamphetamine into the facility, State Attorney Larry Basford announced.
Methamphetamine found on the defendant when she reported for work at the state prison, upper left. Defendant, bottom left. Defendant’s work ID and more contraband, bottom right.
Priscilla Frances Hall, of Springfield, was found guilty as charged of Trafficking in Methamphetamine (more than 200 grams but less than 400 grams). Circuit Court Judge Timothy Register set sentencing for Nov. 12. Under Florida drug trafficking statutes, Hall faces a minimum-mandatory sentence of 15 years and could receive up to 30.
Prosecutor Jeff Moore called six witnesses and presented evidence proving the defendant was in possession of the drugs when she reported for work at the Bay Correctional Facility, a privately operated state prison.
The evidence showed Bay County Sheriff’s Office investigators were called to the facility March 22, 2023, after the defendant reported for her morning shift.
During a routine contraband check by her supervisors, she was asked to let down her hair, which was up in a bun. Supervisors found two bundles consistent with smuggling narcotics. Ultimately the defendant was found to be carrying four packages of what later tested positive as methamphetamine. Together the drugs weighed about 222 grams.
In a statement the defendant gave at the time that was played for jurors, she said an inmate had asked her to smuggle in the packages and she agreed.
Basford thanked Bay Correctional Facility officials for their diligence in discovering the drugs before they made it to the inmates, and the Bay County Sheriff’s Office for its investigation.
A 10-year sentence was given Tuesday to a woman found guilty of trafficking in 7 grams of fentanyl found in her bra, State Attorney Larry Basford announced.
Prosecutor Josh James, left, and defendant Priscilla Rolle, upper right.
Priscilla Lawanda Rolle, 44, of Panama City, was found guilty earlier this month of Trafficking in Fentanyl (more than 4 grams but less than 14). Prosecutor Josh James presented evidence and witnesses proving the defendant had 2 baggies of fentanyl hidden in her bra when she was stopped by Bay County Sheriff’s Office Investigators on Aug. 11, 2023.
Circuit Court Judge Dustin Stephenson issued the sentence, which included a minimum-mandatory 7 years under Florida’s enhanced drug trafficking statutes. Trafficking in that amount of fentanyl is a First-Degree Felony.
The evidence showed the defendant was driving on 15th Street when she was stopped by Bay County Sheriff’s Office investigators for a traffic violation.
Inv. Doug Cummings’ K-9 “Fila” conducted a free air sniff around the vehicle and alerted for the presence of narcotics near the driver’s door. Panama City police dispatched a female officer to assist with the search.
Bay County Prosecutor Frank Sullivan is now 1 of 20 Florida attorneys certified as a Criminal Trial Law Advocate, the National Board of Trial Advocacy announced.
Sullivan, who has successfully prosecuted cases ranging from attempted murder and aggravated child abuse to drug trafficking and sexual battery, is now one of 20 attorneys in the state to achieve Board Certification as a Criminal Trial Law Advocate by the NBTA.
Prosecutor Frank Sullivan in a drug trafficking case (upper left), with Gulf Coast Children’s Advocacy Center director Lori Stanford, during an attempted murder trial (bottom left), and during a sexual battery of a child trial (bottom right).
The NBTA noted that only 3% of American lawyers are board certified and that there is an “elaborate” process for selection.
Sullivan joined the 14th Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office in November 2016 and has been involved in more than 75 trials. He is a graduate of the Pennsylvania State University Dickinson School of Law.
The NBTA was formed “out of a strong conviction that both the law profession and its clients would benefit from an organization designed specifically to create an objective set of standards illustrating an attorney’s experience and expertise in the practice of trial law.”
Sullivan is also involved in community efforts like Bundle of Hope Adoption and Family Services and was honored earlier this year by the Gulf Coast Children’s Advocacy Center for his efforts in and out of court successfully prosecuting those who harm our children.
A jury deliberated for less than an hour Friday before recommending Robert Bailey be put to death for the 2005 murder of Panama City Beach Police Sgt. Kevin Kight, State Attorney Larry Basford announced.
The 9-3 vote for the death penalty came after 5 days of testimony and evidence. Bailey was found guilty of First-Degree Murder in 2007. That jury recommended death by an 11-1 vote. The case was sent back for a new penalty phase following a 2016 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that affected death penalty cases across the state that did not have a unanimous vote. Florida law now requires at least an 8-4 vote.
State Attorney Larry Basford makes a point to jurors during his closing argument.Bay County Chief Prosecutor Mark Graham, right, questions a witness.
Basford and Bay County Chief Prosecutor Mark Graham presented more than 2 dozen witnesses this week to convince jurors that Bailey deserved the death penalty for killing Kight during a 2005 traffic stop. Kight was shot twice in the chest by Bailey, who had violated his parole and told a passenger in his vehicle he was going to “pop a cop” rather than go back to prison.
Basford said he was pleased with the jury’s verdict and grateful they were willing to sacrifice two weeks of their time – 1 week for jury selection and 1 week for the trial.
“The family is obviously happy with this verdict,” Basford said as Kight’s widow, Christina, stood nearby. “They waited a long time, 7,152 days since this crime occurred. We believe the verdict reflects that our residents respect and appreciate that our law enforcement officers put their lives on the line each day to keep our communities safe.”
The victim, Panama City Beach Police Sgt. Kevin Kight, was murdered in 2005.The jury recommended the death penalty for defendant Robert Bailey.
The 12-person jury was seated not to determine Bailey’s guilt – that was established at his 2007 trial. Instead, its job was to make a recommendation on whether Bailey should remain in prison without the possibility of parole or be put to death.
Since these were not the original jurors from the 2007 case, much of the evidence they heard had to be presented again – 17 years later. Some of that evidence included witnesses who have since passed away. Their testimony from the first trial was read to jurors.
“The age of the case worked against us at times, some of the witnesses are no longer alive for instance,” Graham said. “But Sgt. Kight was one of our own, the evidence from the original case and Panama City Beach Police Department investigation was strong, and everyone pulled together to make this possible.”
Testimony showed the defendant had fled Wisconsin 5 months after his release from prison when he violated his parole. He was headed to Panama City Beach with friends for a “last hurrah.”
After he was stopped for a traffic violation by Kight, the defendant told a passenger he was not going back to prison. He retrieved his pistol from under his seat and put it under his leg, saying he was going to “pop a cop.” He also had time during the 10-minute traffic stop to call his girlfriend and tell her to get down here because he was going to need a ride.
Medical Examiner Dr. Jay Radtke explains “stippling” abrasions caused by a close-range shot.
When Kight approached the vehicle, pulling his handcuffs from his belt, the defendant fired 3 times with 2 bullets hitting Kight in the chest. Both shots were fatal, Medical Examiner Dr. Jay Radtke testified.
The defendant sped off, abandoned his vehicle a short distance away and found his friends in a bar where he participated in Karaoke with them before leaving. He was arrested the next morning.
Basford argued to jurors that the defendant knew exactly what he was doing that night. And it was not the result of mental issues caused by a bad childhood or chronic alcohol and marijuana abuse, Basford said. It was the result of Bailey’s decision that “his freedom was more important to him than Sgt. Kight’s life.”
Circuit Court Judge Shannon Gay set a hearing date for Nov. 12, and at that time a sentencing date will be set.
Basford thanked all the agencies and citizens involved in preparing a 19-year-old case.
“We have law abiding citizens in this community and they respect their law enforcement officers because they keep us all safe,” he said. “If you do not have respect for the life of a law enforcement officer, then who do you have respect for?
“The death penalty for someone killing a law enforcement officer is appropriate for this man.”
MARIANNA – An Alford woman accused of causing the death of her stepchild just days after the child’s third birthday has been sentenced to 15 years in prison, State Attorney Larry Basford announced.
Katelyn Taylor Sutton, 30, pled no contest to Aggravated Manslaughter of a Child and Aggravated Child Abuse on Sept. 19. Circuit Court Judge Ana Maria Garcia adjudicated the defendant guilty on Oct. 8 and sentenced her her to 15 years in prison. That will be followed by 10 years on probation.
Katelyn Taylor Sutton, left, was sentenced to prison.
Jackson County Chief Prosecutor Shalla Jefcoat was prepared to call witnesses, including the lead investigators from the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, and present evidence that the defendant caused the death of her stepdaughter through abuse/neglect.
The evidence would’ve shown that Jackson County Sheriff’s Office deputies were called to the defendant’s home on April 5, 2022, in reference to an unresponsive child.
The child was taken to the hospital, but did not survive.
The defendant’s version of events about how she found the child not breathing and her attempts at CPR did not match the child’s injuries or the timeline in which witnesses would’ve testified they occurred.
Basford thanked the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office for its thorough investigation which led to the resolution of the case and the defendant being held accountable for her actions.
A woman arrested last year with a trafficking amount of fentanyl in her possession was found guilty as charged Tuesday, according to State Attorney Larry Basford.
Priscilla Lawanda Rolle, 44, of Panama City, was found guilty Tuesday of Trafficking in Fentanyl (more than 4 grams but less than 14). Circuit Court Judge Dustin Stephenson ordered the defendant held without bond until her sentencing for Oct. 29. She faces a minimum-mandatory 7 years in prison under Florida’s Trafficking Statutes, and up to 30 years for the first-degree felony.
Prosecutor Josh James speaks to jurors during his closing argument as Circuit Court Judge Dustin Stephenson observes.Defendant Priscilla RolleProsecutor Josh James makes a point to jurors Tuesday during the 1-day trial.
Prosecutor Josh James called witnesses and presented evidence that the defendant was in possession of the fentanyl on Aug. 11, 2023.
The evidence showed the defendant was driving on 15th Street when she was stopped by Bay County Sheriff’s Office investigators for a traffic violation.
Inv. Doug Cummings’ K-9 “Fila” conducted a free air sniff around the vehicle and alerted for the presence of narcotics near the driver’s door. Panama City police dispatched a female officer to assist with the search. The officer testified she found two baggies of suspected narcotics in the defendant’s bra. Each baggie held about 3.5 grams of suspected fentanyl.
The jury deliberated for about 25 minutes.
Basford thanked the Bay County Sheriff’s Office for its work, and Cummings for another successful deployment of “Fila.”
