The Office of State Attorney Glenn Hess announced:

On January 20, 2017,  State Attorney Investigator Dave Edmondson presented retiring Circuit Judge William Wright with a plaque in recognition of over thirty-five years of distinguished public service at a luncheon sponsored by the local law enforcement agencies.  Judge Wright began his legal career as a prosecutor in 1979.  In 1983, he was appointed Chief Assistant State Attorney over the Jackson County office.  While working for the State Attorney’s Office, Judge Wright also taught several courses to the the police and corrections cadets at the law enforcement academy at Chipola College.  He was elected Circuit Judge in 1996 and under his direction instituted the Drug Court Program in Jackson County.  After the plaque was presented several citizens took the opportunity to remind those in attendance of Judge Wright’s dedication to the community and to the justice system.

Press Release

The Office of State Attorney Glenn Hess announced that on Friday, January 20th, 2017 a Bay County Circuit Jury deliberated approximately one hour and found Ronald Eugene Anderson guilty as charged for selling crack cocaine in the front yard of a residence on Allen Avenue in Panama City.  Assistant State Attorneys Jacob Cook and Barbara Beasley presented the testimony of four witnesses to establish Anderson sold the cocaine to an undercover officer with the Panama City Police Department on May 26th, 2016.  Circuit Judge Michael Overstreet scheduled a sentencing date for February 6th.  Selling cocaine is a second degree felony punishable by up to fifteen years in prison.

Contact Chief Assistant Attorney Larry Basford at (850) 819-6985 for any questions.

Press Release

The Office of State Attorney Glenn Hess announced that on Wednesday, January 18, 2017 in Bay County, Circuit Judge Hentz McClellan sentenced Michael Bransford to seven years in prison followed by five years of probation for his role in defrauding Regions Bank out of over $21,000 last year. After serving his prison sentence, Bransford will be required to make restitution to the bank while he is on probation.  In January a Bay County Jury found Bransford Guilty as Charged of Grand Theft, a second degree felony.

Contact Chief Assistant Attorney Larry Basford at (850) 819-6985 for any questions.

Press Release

The Office of State Attorney Glenn Hess announced that on Wednesday, January 18, 2017 a Circuit Court Jury in Port St. Joe deliberated approximately thirty minutes before returning a verdict of Guilty as Charged against Ezekial Register III a/k/a as “Trey”.  The charge stemmed from an investigation conducted by the Port St. Joe Police Department in response to complaints of drug activity in neighborhoods around some of the local churches.  Assistant State Attorney Gary Pack proved that Register sold $40 worth of crack cocaine within 1000 feet of the Bethel A.M.E. Church in Port St. Joe on April 26, 2016.  Judge Fishel scheduled a sentencing date in February for Register who faces a maximum of thirty years in prison.

Contact Chief Assistant Attorney Larry Basford at (850) 819-6985 for any questions.

Press Release

The Office of State Attorney Glenn Hess announces that a Bay County jury deliberated just under 30 minutes on January 3, 2017, before finding 42 year old Michael Joseph Bransford Guilty as Charged of Grand Theft Over $20,000.

Assistant State Attorney Brittany Forester called three witnesses to testify that Bransford withdrew nearly $21,000 from a Bay County Regions Bank before bank officials discovered the check was fraudulent. Although originally claiming that the check was an IRA Rollover from a previous employer, Bransford later told bank personnel that he had been scammed by Nigerians.  At trial, the Defendant told a third version and testified he had been “catfished” by a girlfriend.  The case was investigated by Investigator Paul Vecker with the Bay County Sheriff’s Office.  Circuit Judge Hentz McClellan scheduled a sentencing hearing for January 19, 2017.  The Defendant faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.

If you have any questions, contact Chief Assistant State Attorney Larry Basford at (850)819-6985.

Press Release

The Office of State Attorney Glenn Hess announced that on Thursday, December 15, 2016 in Jackson County, Judge Shonna Young Gay sentenced Curtis James Jackson to 25 years in the Florida Department of Corrections.

Jackson was previously found guilty as charged of Aggravated Battery with a Firearm by a Jackson County jury on December 1, 2016.  Assistant State Attorney Laura Wahlquist charged Jackson under Florida’s 10-20-Life law.  During trial, evidence was presented that while at the Dreamland Bar on December 20, 2015, Curtis Jackson was in actual possession of a firearm and did discharge that firearm causing great bodily harm to the victim.  In accordance with those facts and Florida’s 10-20-Life law, Judge Gay imposed the minimum mandatory sentence of 25 years in the Department of Corrections during Thursday’s sentencing.

Contact Chief Assistant Attorney Larry Basford at (850) 819-6985 for any questions.

Press Release

The Office of State Attorney Glenn Hess announced that a Circuit Court Jury in Calhoun County took only fifteen minutes on Tuesday 12/13/16, to decide that 23 year old, Mark Dunivan was a Sexually Violent Predator under the State’s Jimmy Ryce Act. This Florida law allows civil commitment of the most serious sex offenders after they have completed their prison sentence. During the two day trial, Special Assistant Assistant State Attorney Zach Taylor presented evidence that Dunivan had a history of sex offenses upon children in Jackson and Calhoun Counties and that he was diagnosed with a pedophilic disorder that made him likely to engage in future sexually violent offenses. After the jury’s verdict, Circuit Judge Shonna Gay ordered Dunivan to be transported to the Florida Civil Commitment Center in Arcadia, Florida where he will remain indefinitely.

Please contact Chief Assistant Attorney Larry Basford at (850) 819-6985 for any questions.

Press Release

The office of State Attorney Glenn Hess announced that 53 year old, Gary Lee Woodring was convicted of Grand Theft Auto on Wednesday 12/7/16.

Assistant State Attorney Christine Smallwood called three witnesses to testify that Woodring took the 2005 Ford SUV without the permission of the owner on July 21, 2016.  Later that night patrolman Joseph Alderman with the PCPD stopped Woodring for speeding and driving recklessly.  Woodring was arrested for DUI and Driving with a Suspended License.  A  subsequent investigation by Investigator Robbie Claytor of the BCSO led to the arrest of Woodring for stealing the SUV.

Woodring testified in his own defense and attempted to convince the jury he had merely borrowed the vehicle.  However, after deliberating for approximately 40 minutes the Circuit Court Jury returned a Guilty as Charged verdict.  Circuit Judge James Fensom immediately sentenced Woodring to 48 months in prison.

Please contact Chief Assistant Attorney Larry Basford at (850) 819-6985 for any questions.

Press Release

The Office of State Attorney Glenn Hess announced that a Bay County Jury deliberated just over 30 minutes this afternoon(12/6/16) before returning a verdict of Guilty as Charged against 30 year old, Michael Justin Mcneil,  for three counts of Lewd and Lascivious Battery and two counts of Lewd and Lascivious Molestation.

Assistant State Attorney Christa Diviney called eight witnesses to the stand to prove McNeil committed the crimes upon the victim when she was twelve and thirteen years old.  The crimes began in October of 2014, just one month after McNeil had been released from serving a prison sentence.  The case was investigated by the Bay County Sheriff’s Office with the help of the Children’s Advocacy Center and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

Circuit Judge James Fensom ordered a presentence investigation and scheduled sentencing for December 22, 2016.  Prosecutor Diviney has filed notice with the court that the State of Florida will request McNeil be sentenced as a Prison Releasee Reoffender.  The defendant could be sentenced to a maximum of life in prison for committing these five crimes.

If you have any questions, contact Chief Assistant State Attorney, Larry Basford at  (850) 819-6985.

Press Release

The Office of State Attorney Glenn Hess announced that on Thursday, December 1, 2016, a jury in Marianna, Florida, found 52-year old Curtis James Jackson guilty as charged of Aggravated Battery with a Firearm.

Assistant State Attorney Laura Wahlquist presented the testimony of five witnesses to prove that Jackson shot the victim the night of December 20, 2015, at the Dreamland Bar located on Flat Road. The victim sustained an injury to his arm and was treated at Jackson Hospital and hospitalized for two days.  Wahlquist said the successful prosecution was the result of the investigative efforts of the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and residents of the community who cooperated with law enforcement to help identify Jackson as the shooter.

Circuit Judge Shonna Gay scheduled a sentencing hearing for December 15, 2016. Since the jury found Jackson committed this crime with a firearm, he faces a minimum mandatory sentence under the 10-20-Life law.

Contact Chief Assistant Attorney Larry Basford at (850) 819-6985 with any questions or concerns.