Page 30 - Brian Kramer News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

After last summer’s protests over the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer, one might expect that long-stalled criminal justice reforms now have a greater chance at passage. Despite bipartisan backing for such measures, the Florida Legislature has made few meaningful reforms in recent years as compared to other states. With Florida now facing a huge budget gap due to the COVID-19 pandemic, approving these measures would save money spent on prisons and reduce recidivism and its costs. But state leaders seem even less likely to pass these reforms in the upcoming session tha...

A mix of familiar and new faces were sworn into office last Tuesday afternoon to take over a number of elected county positions.   In front of a judge and crowd of masked onlookers at the front of the Alachua County courthouse, the newly elected officials took the oath of office to lead one of the following departments: Supervisor of Elections, Tax Collector, State Attorney, Property Appraiser,  Public Defender, Clerk of Court and Sheriff’s Office.  While a few seats were won by longstanding elected officials, a few were won by new people.   Former Assistant State Attorney Brian Krame...

If you own property in Pine Knoll Shores (PKS), the town may soon have an abundant supply of wood chips available for you to load and haul. Rather than completing its regular power line trimming, the Carteret Craven Electric Cooperative (CCEC) will engage in line clearing. CCEC will be removing lots of trees from the power line right of way in town. They will also engage in extensive trimming in the adjacent wood lots, including trimming on private property. We are comforted by the Town Manager, Brian Kramer, that trees will not be removed from private property, just trimmed. Note, I did noti...

Eighth Circuit State Attorney Bill Cervone did not want a fuss made over his retirement after 20 years in office and another 20 or so as a prosecutor. But he and longtime chief assistant Jeanne Singer got a surprise send-off Friday morning in true COVID-19 fashion. A police car drive-by, with lights and sirens, paraded past Cervone and Singer as they sat on the tailgate of a pickup truck behind the office in downtown Gainesville. Staffers and friends from the legal community joined in. “It was unexpected. We struggled with not being able to do anything because of COVID, so this is very mean...

The first time Robert Rush tried a murder case was in Bradford County back in the '90s. Rush appeared for the defense, and sitting across the aisle was Bill Cervone. Cervone was an up-and-comer among 8th Judicial Circuit prosecutors. Rush knew his opponent “had a reputation for being thorough and meticulous. I had to be totally prepared because I knew he would be totally prepared.” So who won? “There were co-defendants in the case and the jury split the difference,” Rush, now one of Gainesville’s most prominent defense attorneys, recalls. “One was convicted and one was acquitted.�...