Tampa Bay Times by Kristen M. Clark March 30, 2017 The examples of tragedy in Rep. Cynthia Stafford’s district are almost too many for the Miami Democrat to list, but she offered a few to the Florida House on Thursday: • “A 10-year-old retrieving his basketball in his front yard, shot and killed.” • “An […]
Florida House wants to conceal murder witnesses’ identities
NBC 2 by Ana Ceballos, Associated Press March 29, 2017 The Florida House is poised to approve a bill that would conceal the identities of those who have witnessed a murder from public records. House members prepared the bill for a final vote on Wednesday after the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Cynthia Stafford, said it would […]
To thwart fear of retaliation, Legislature looks to shield murder witnesses
by the Tampa Bay Times’ Kristen M. Clark February 8, 2017 Someone — a child, a mother, a brother — is killed. Witnesses are too afraid to speak up. A murderer goes free. In many of Florida’s vulnerable neighborhoods, talking to police could be a life-or-death decision for those who witness violent crime. Their reluctance […]