Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

A.G. GancarskiAugust 23, 2016

In Duval County, it has taken just 66 minutes in the sentencing phase to decide to impose the death penalty on a murderer. And often, it has been done without a unanimous jury. That stat illustrates why one group believes Duval is among the worst of the worst when it comes to death penalty sentences, […]

A.G. GancarskiJune 30, 2016

More national publicity for the Jacksonville area and State Attorney Angela Corey materialized this week, courtesy of the Harvard Law School. Its Fair Punishment Project, which “highlight[s] the gross injustices resulting from prosecutorial misconduct,” lists America’s “deadliest prosecutors.” And Corey’s top prosecutor, Bernie de la Rionda, is listed as one of “three to watch” on the study’s […]

A.G. GancarskiMarch 24, 2016

The Shelby Farah murder trial has become an increasingly heated conflict between Public Defender Matt Shirk and State Attorney Angela Corey. A major issue is the decision of Bernie de la Rionda in the State Attorney’s Office to show the surveillance video of the telephone store clerk’s slaying to her brother, Caleb. Shelby Farah’s mother Darlene Farah was vehemently […]

A.G. GancarskiMarch 20, 2016

Celllphone store clerk Shelby Farah‘s 2013 slaying shocked Jacksonville to its core. And a sharp debate continues between the State Attorney’s Office and the Public Defender’s Office on whether the trial of James Xavier Rhodes should be a death penalty case. Farah’s mother, Darlene Farah, and State Attorney’s Office prosecutor Bernie de la Rionda disagree that the death […]

Julie DelegalSeptember 30, 2015

A new voice has emerged in the debate about capital punishment, and, in one respect, it echoes a very old one. Marc Hyden is a former field director for the National Rifle Association — sealing forever his street cred as a deep-dyed conservative. His new gig is coordinating a group that rose from the ground up, […]

Julie DelegalSeptember 22, 2015

My heart doesn’t bleed for murderers. My father was a homicide detective whose life was cut short, in part, by the stress and strain of putting bad guys in prison. He helped send his share to death row, too. It was a grisly job, being a janitor to humanity. Dad supported the use of capital […]

Julie DelegalSeptember 21, 2015

My heart doesn’t bleed for murderers. My father was a homicide detective whose life was cut short, in part, by the stress and strain of putting bad guys in prison. He helped send his share to death row, too. It was a grisly job, being a janitor to humanity. Dad supported the use of capital […]

A.G. GancarskiSeptember 19, 2015

I first encountered Bernie De La Rionda almost a decade ago, not in a strictly journalistic capacity. He was the prosecutor in a trial, which lasted the better part of a week, which involved the murder of the girlfriend of one of my best friends. The man who killed her, a 17 year old named Kimothy Simmons, […]

Tag: Bernie de la Rionda

Harvard Law: Duval County among nation’s leaders in death penalty sentences

Harvard Law study: Angela Corey assistant among America’s deadliest prosecutors

Jax Public Defender accuses State Attorney’s Office of violating confidentiality in Shelby Farah trial

Shelby Farah murder trial resumes Monday in Jacksonville

Julie Delegal: A new, conservative voice opposes capital punishment

Julie G. Delegal: Cruel and unusual punishment for one murder victim’s family

Julie G. Delegal: The third rail in death penalty debate: The victim's family

Bernie de la Rionda, despite the critics, defends the death penalty