Carrabelle man gets seven years for child pornography
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Carrabelle man gets seven years for child pornography

A 59-year-old Carrabelle man, who once worked as a correctional officer at Franklin Correctional Institution, has been sentenced to seven years in federal prison for receiving material constituting child pornography.  A Monday announcement from Jason R. Coody, United States attorney for the Northern District of Florida, said that on March 23, Chief Judge Mark Walker…

Alleged drug dealer run off the road 
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Alleged drug dealer run off the road 

An alleged dealer in methamphetamine was run off the road in Franklin County Wednesday afternoon, following a brief chase by deputies that featured a collision with law enforcement vehicles. After broadcasting live on Facebook at the scene of the accident, Sheriff A.J. Smith offered an account Thursday morning of what had happened with the arrest…

Eyebrows raised by possible dog poisonings
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Eyebrows raised by possible dog poisonings

In a criminal case, they call it “reasonable doubt” and you have to get beyond it. In civil matters, it’s called “a preponderance of the evidence”  and you have to have a whole mess of it. Neither is the same as 100 percent, iron-clad, take-it-to-the-bank certainly, but it makes you wonder. It’s pretty safe to…

Jury acquits man on charges of sexual battery on children
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Jury acquits man on charges of sexual battery on children

A 24-year-old Panama City man, on trial last week for sexual battery offenses against two youth that could have put him behind bars for life, has been acquitted of all charges. The four-man, two woman took just under two hours Friday morning to find Brandon Austin James not guilty of two counts of sexual battery…

Robby Hogan named Carrabelle police chief
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Robby Hogan named Carrabelle police chief

Carrabelle Deputy Chief Robby Hogan was sworn in this afternoon as the city’s new police chief, following a unanimous vote by the city commission. Following a motion by Mayor Brenda La Paz, and seconded by Tony Millender, the commission voted 4-0 to approve Hogan’s hire. Sebrina Brown, who was absent from the special meeting, had…

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Seiden murder defendant wants case dismissed

As the trial next month nears for the two co-defendants accused of bludgeoning to death a South Florida woman five years ago in an Eastpoint motel, one of them has filed a motion to have the entire case dismissed against her. West Palm Beach attorney Scott Richardson on Dec. 22 filed a motion before Circuit…

Convicted murderer given life sentence
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Convicted murderer given life sentence

Asher Martin was sentenced to life in prison Friday for second-degree murder and principal to arson in the 2020 stabbing death of Christopher Whaley, whose body was left in a burning van after he was killed, State Attorney Larry Basford announced. Circuit Court Judge Dustin Stephenson agreed with Prosecutor Devin Collier’s assessment that while the…

Man guilty of trafficking in more than 200 grams of Methamphetamine

Man guilty of trafficking in more than 200 grams of Methamphetamine

A traffic stop three years ago turned into a 5-minute guilty verdict Thursday for a man charged with Trafficking in more than 200 grams of Methamphetamine, State Attorney Larry Basford announced. A jury deliberated for only 5 minutes before returning the guilty verdict against Reggie Gathers, 40, who now faces a minimum-mandatory 15 years in…

Man found guilty of sexual battery of a child, sentenced to life in prison
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Man found guilty of sexual battery of a child, sentenced to life in prison

A Bay County man accused of sexually battering a child was found guilty at trial Tuesday and sentenced to life in prison, State Attorney Larry Basford announced. Ashden Pippins, 25, was found guilty as charged of the capital offense of sexual battery on a child under the age of 12. The 6-person jury took less…