Araujo pleads guilty to Seiden murder
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Araujo pleads guilty to Seiden murder

On the eve of their upcoming first degree murder trial for the bludgeoning death five years ago in an Eastpoint motel of a South Florida woman with whom they were traveling through Franklin County, one of the two defendants pleaded guilty Tuesday afternoon to second degree murder. Accompanied in the Apalachicola courtroom by her attorney,…

Florida drops concealed weapons permitting
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Florida drops concealed weapons permitting

Both members of Franklin County’s legislative delegation supported the legislation, signed Monday by Gov. Ron DeSantis, that will allow Floridians to carry guns without concealed-weapons licenses.  State Sen. Corey Simon (R-Tallahassee) was among the 27 yeas, to 13 Democratic nays, that gave final approval to House Bill 543, about a week after State Rep. Jason…

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…