Melissa Ross
It’s nearly a year to go till Election Day, but State Attorney Angela Corey is messaging hard and pushing back against criticism that she’s been too punitive a prosecutor, especially when it comes to juvenile offenders.
Corey presented on the concept of “smart justice” at Monday’s Justice Summit in Sarasota. The three-day event was organized by the Florida Smart Justice Alliance, a business-backed group working to change the state’s approach to crime and punishment.
Speaking to WJCT, Corey says her office has actually expanded the smart justice concept first pioneered in the 1970s by the late Ed Austin, with diversion programs for juveniles and adults.
Her presentation at the conference cited 11 diversion programs during the Austin era, such as pretrial intervention and youth offender programs, with 15 today under her administration, diverting mainly first-time, nonviolent offenders.
“We have cut juvenile cases in half,” Corey said. “I’ve spent $1.2 million of my own budget on this.”
The Smart Justice Alliance is part of a growing national movement questioning tough-on-crime laws. Corey has faced years of criticism for the handling of high-profile cases ranging from George Zimmerman‘s acquittal, to the prosecution of 13-year-old Cristian Fernandez, to outrage over Marissa Alexander, the Jacksonville mother who was sentenced to 20 years (then later released) for firing what she claimed was a “warning shot” at an abusive husband.
Corey calls the criticism misplaced. She has an opponent for the re-elect, Wes White, who can be expected to hit on these themes in the coming months. White has struggled to match Corey in terms of both fundraising and endorsements.
