Tag Archive for: Miami

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Miami Veteran Turned Notorious Molly Dealer Gets ‘Second’ Second Chance. Judge Cites PTSD

Normally in life, people get a second chance after screwing up only once. Jorge Ramon Hernandez got a “ ‘second’ second chance,” as a federal judge told him on Thursday, when she cut him a sweet break on his prison sentence. Twice…
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Court Denies US Motion to Dismiss Air Force Veteran’s Suit Claiming False Imprisonment

Doan served in the Air Force from September 1993 through the following February. He claimed in his suit that he was involuntarily detained at the Miami Veterans Affairs Healthcare System (VAMC) after a Compensation & Pension evaluation in…
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Nikolas Cruz’s Birth Mom Had a Violent, Criminal Past. Could It Help Keep Him Off Death Row? – The Miami Herald

Nikolas Cruz had two mothers: his birth mom, who gave him life, an almond-shaped head and auburn hair — and his adoptive mom, who gave him all the advantages of an upscale, suburban upbringing. His birth mother, Brenda Woodard, was sometimes…
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Miami Center to Treat Mentally Ill Crime Suspects – The Crime Report

Miami soon will open the nation’s first “forensic diversion” center for mentally ill people who otherwise would be destined for the criminal justice system, says Judge Steven Leifman, who has long advocated for defendants with mental problems.…
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Registration Open: Defender Summer School, August 6-7

Registration is now open for the 2018 Defender Summer School, hosted by Robert Wesley, Public Defender for the Ninth Judicial Circuit. Speakers Prof. Denis Keyes, Professor of Education, College of Charleston Dr. I. Bruce Frumkin,…
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Airport Mass Shooter Esteban Santiago ‘Wasn’t really thinking About it’ When He Killed Five – The Orlando Sentinel

Federal prosecutors and public defenders for veteran Esteban Santiago have agreed to a plea deal in which Santiago would receive five life sentences plus 120 years. Read more.     Image courtesy of the Broward County Sheriff's…
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How a Teacher’s ‘Junk Science’ Landed a Dad in Jail on Charge of Raping his Autistic Son – The Miami Herald

In this piece, The Miami Herald chronicles that wrongful arrest of Jose Cordero in Miami. Accusations of sexual abuse arose from "hand over hand" communication, which is considered junk science by many. Read more.
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After Parkland, Admissions to Mental Health Treatment Centers in Florida Spike – The Miami Herald

Mental health treatment centers in Florida have seen a drastic uptick in the number of admissions since Nikolas Cruz killed 17 people in a school shooting in Parkland. Read more.
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Before Son’s Gruesome Crime, She Turned to State’s Mental Health System. It Didn’t Help – The Miami Herald

This exposé from The Miami Herald tells the story of Della Wright's struggle with her son's substance abuse problems and severe schizophrenia. Read more.   Photo by Nevin Ruttanaboonta on Unsplash.
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How Mental-Health Training for Police Can Save Lives—and Taxpayer Dollars – The Atlantic

This article from The Atlantic discusses how mental health training for law enforcement has saved not only lives, but also taxpayer money. In particular, the author describes the mental health reform enacted in Miami-Dade County and the City…