State attorney finds ‘insufficient evidence' to prosecute former Sheriff Clovis Watson Jr.
A Florida state attorney has decided not to file criminal charges against former Alachua County's Sheriff Clovis Watson Jr. following a statewide investigation over the seizure of "privileged communications" and official misconduct.
In a letter dated Feb. 19 from State Attorney John Durrett to FDLE Inspector David Snowden, Durrett writes that Alachua County Capt. Brandon Kutner was commanded by then-Undersheriff Joel Decoursey Jr. to "monitor and intercept privileged communications." In turn, Kutner illegally recorded a conversation between Decoursey and Watson.
"A lieutenant with ACSO indicated in a sworn statement how they had personally witnessed Captain Kutner actively monitoring privileged communications," Durrett, the state attorney for Florida's Third Judicial Circuit, wrote in the letter. "The only evidence to support the charge of unlawful interception in violation of Florida Statute 934.03 is the testimony of the immunized, Captain (Brandon) Kutner."
Following Watson's official misconduct charge, Durrett wrote that he found "insufficient evidence" to prosecute Watson for ordering to destroy a different recorded conversation.
Business news: Another loss: Restaurant/entertainment venue closure follows others at Celebration Pointe
However, a sergeant mistakenly recorded a conversation with the former sheriff.
"Here, the Sergeant simply made an error in believing that the same exceptions applicable to criminal investigations applied in internal investigations," Durrett said. "This action stands in contrast to Captain Kutner who indicated he was directed to unlawfully intercept communications involving the same attorney."
Watson's actions to destroy or "ordering to destroy" a recording caused the official misconduct to be directed to the former sheriff, not the sergeant. However, no evidence was supported.
Durett added that both sides of the aisle agreed the conversation shouldn't have been recorded and the officer was later disciplined.
In February, Watson, in his official capacity as Alachua County sheriff, lost a racial discrimination lawsuit against former Sgt. Kevin Davis for favoring less-qualified Black officers for promotions and transfers. However, ACSO has filed an appeal to lower the damages in the case from $15 million to $30,000 and will have a scheduled hearing in July.
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: State attorney declines to prosecute former Alachua County sheriff
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Los Angeles Times
4 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
Self-proclaimed skinhead convicted of threatening pregnant Black woman faces at least 38 years in prison
A swastika-tattooed man was convicted Monday of berating and menacing a pregnant Black woman and threatening the life of her unborn child and now faces at least 38 years in prison after the Orange County district attorney appealed an earlier sentence he called too 'lenient.' The case began nearly seven years ago, when Tyson Theodore Mayfield, a self-proclaimed skinhead, berated and menaced a pregnant Black woman waiting for her bus on a Fullerton bench, according to prosecutors. The then-42-year-old Mission Viejo man clenched his fists and threatened the life of the woman's unborn child, according to a criminal complaint. The woman, known as Jane Doe in court documents, fled and called Fullerton police, who didn't locate the man. She soon returned to the bench and so did Mayfield, who threatened her again amid a barrage of racial slurs, according to court documents. This time, Doe tucked into a nearby restaurant and called the police, who found and apprehended Mayfield. That arrest and a guilty plea on two felony counts and one misdemeanor count initially resulted in a five-year sentence. After a series of court disputes and pressure from groups, including the Orange County district attorney's office, Mayfield will serve at least 38 years, according to prosecutors. 'I hope that no one else ever has to feel the absolute blood-chilling terror this young mother described as she had to run for her life, and the life of her baby, not because of what she did, but because of the color of her skin,' Orange County Dist. Atty. Todd Spitzer said in a statement. A call to the public defender's office was not returned. Mayfield, now 49, was charged with one felony count of making a hate crime criminal threat with the ability to commit a violent injury, one felony count of criminal threats and one misdemeanor count of petty theft in September 2018. He plead guilty in May 2019 and was originally offered a two-year sentence, according to the DA's office. Orange County Superior Court Judge Roger B. Robbins eventually upped the sentence to five years, but dropped one of Mayfield's previous two strikes, according to the DA's office. That action prevented Mayfield from facing California's much harsher three-strikes sentencing, which calls for a minimum of 25 years imprisonment. Mayfield was previously convicted for felony assault with a deadly weapon in 2005 and felony mayhem in 2008 in Orange County. He was also charged and convicted of a misdemeanor hate crime using a racial slur and punching a man in 2017. Spitzer disagreed with Robbins, arguing that the five-year sentence was too 'lenient,' and groups such as the NAACP and the Orange County Human Relations Commission rallied in support of Doe. 'He is indiscriminately picking out people on the street because he doesn't like the way they look and using violence against them,' Spitzer said of Mayfield in court in 2019. 'Is a five-year sentence going to protect society against someone so evil?' Eventually, Spitzer appealed to California's 4th District Court of Appeals later that year, claiming that Robbins abused his discretion as a judge to drop a strike. The appeals court agreed with Spitzer, noting that Robbins' action shocked them. The case was sent back to trial court and was delayed, according to Kimberly Edds, the district attorney's director of public affairs, as the defense argued that their client wasn't mentally sound. Mayfield eventually stood trial, was found guilty Monday and is due back in court Aug. 29 where faces a sentence of at least 38 years in prison. 'While Judge Robbins ignored that young woman's pleas for justice, thankfully the jury did not ignore the facts and convicted Tyson Mayfield of exactly what he did: threaten a pregnant black woman because he is a racist,' Spitzer said. 'We will never allow hate to win.'
USA Today
8 hours ago
- USA Today
'Journey to Freedom' brings students closer to Black history
A mentoring program for Black girls and young women takes participants on a 14-day tour to learn about Black history, the Underground Railroad. WASHINGTON ‒ Samaria Helton had learned about Thomas Jefferson in school, but she didn't know the former president had hundreds and hundreds of enslaved people until she recently visited his Monticello plantation in Virginia. The visit was important in her quest to know more about Black history, she said. 'This is my history,'' said Helton, a 16-year-old high school junior from Sanford, North Carolina. 'I need to learn my history.' Monticello was one of several stops on a 14-day journey north for Helton and eight other middle and high schoolers in Leadership LINKS Inc., a mentoring program for Black girls and young women. They are learning firsthand about Black history as they visit historic Black churches, former plantations, the national African American museum and other sites that tell that story. The trip, 'The Journey to Freedom," also takes participants through states where abolitionist Harriet Tubman led enslaved people, including herself, on the Underground Railroad to freedom. Organizers said the trip is particularly important now with the stripping of Black historic figures, including Tubman, from websites, the banning of books, the dismantling of education programs and attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. 'Knowledge is a core value for us,'' said Natasha Sistrunk Robinson, a co-founder of Leadership LINKS. 'We're passing on this history across generations.' 'Representation matters' Though the early part of the trip includes stops with Black history connections, it's at the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center in Maryland June 25 where the girls began tracing her path. More: Who gets to write America's history? Activists aim to protect Harriet Tubman, other sites The program aims to introduce the girls to Black female leaders, both historic and present-day, 'so they can see what they can become,'' said Robinson, a graduate of the Naval Academy. The girls had already studied abolitionist Sojourner Truth, so it made sense to focus next on Tubman, Robinson said. 'Not just the mythical figure of Harriet Tubman, but for them to know the full history of her life,' she said, noting that Tubman faced many barriers escaping to freedom. 'That didn't stop her from liberating herself, liberating her family and fighting for liberation for others.' Helton, the high school junior, appreciated the focus on Tubman 'There's a lot to learn from her, to follow her path and fight for our people like she did.'' Juneteenth kicks off trip The trip began on Juneteenth in North Carolina, where the girls celebrated with a soul food dinner and a documentary, 'Juneteenth: Faith and Freedom Documentary.'' 'It was a fun way to kick off our trip,'' said Capria Daniels, 16, a high school junior from Clinton, Maryland. Daniels said she couldn't pass up the opportunity to join the two-week trip. The girls, who range from sixth graders to seniors in high school, came from Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, Texas and Virginia. The trip is funded by grants and donations. Stops include the University of Virginia, the National Museum of African American History and Culture and Howard University, a historic Black school in Washington, D.C. There's also a visit to the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia and Tubman's home in upstate New York. The journey ends in Toronto, where many enslaved Black people fled. There are also lighter outings, including the musical 'Hamilton' on Broadway. At some stops, guest speakers discuss the importance of leadership. Daniels said the stops provide a 'better understanding of where I came from so I can teach the next generation.'' 'Most of it is sugarcoated' Beyond site visits and reading assignments, the girls have a passport book to collect stamps at each stop and jot down reflections. They are also equipped with a songbook to learn classic protest songs, such as ''Eyes on the Prize'' and contemporary gospel songs like ''Goodness of God.'' But at the heart of the trip is visiting sites with connections to Black history. 'That makes what we read about real for them in a very different way,'' Robinson said. Helton and Daniels said history lessons in school often don't tell the whole story, including the brutality of slavery. 'We learn the basics, and most of it is sugarcoated,' Helton said. During a visit to the National Museum of African American History and Culture, which has come under attack by the Trump administration, Helton said she learned more about the horrid conditions of millions of Africans packed into slave ships. 'It was sad just to know they had to go through that,'' she said. Destiny Davis, 20, a summer intern for the program, said even colleges have fallen short in teaching the truth about Black history. 'They leave out a lot of graphic information,'' said Davis, a junior at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. 'They're teaching you the history they want you to know.'' For Daniels, each stop meant learning something new. 'It definitely taught me a lot more about my history.'
Indianapolis Star
8 hours ago
- Indianapolis Star
Shooting near Santa Monica Pier leaves officer injured, suspect at large: Police
LOS ANGELES – A shooting occurred in Santa Monica on June 25, blocks away from the city's famed pier, according to the Santa Monica Police Department. The department said that in a post on X that the shooting occurred near Santa Monica Place, the capstone mall of the Third Street Promenade shopping district. The suspect, described as a Black male in his 30's wearing a dark-colored jacket and black pants, remains at large as of a 2:29 p.m. PT update. One officer was injured in the shooting, according to the police department.
