The severely-disabled 12-yr-old (mis-ID'd by Yr Editor yesterday as Justin Estinfil) will get his blankets, and lots of other things, not because of a change of heart by the state Agency for Persons with Disabilities, but by private donations from people who read the Miami Herald story
yesterday. One change of heart, though, was by the Att'y Gen'l's office, which has defended APD's decision in court; AG Charlie Crist himself said the first he'd personally heard of the case (he's been busy this year, you know) was yesterday, and he immediately reversed his office's position, calling it "unconscionable." APD says it's glad Kevin will get his blankets but is sticking to its position that it can only disburse money for "medically necessary" items. Now here's the rub: Some people believe, as their philosophy of gov't, that an agency called "Agency for Persons with Disabilities" should exist primarily to help people; others have as their philosophy of gov't that even the APD is just a neutral, accountant-type regulator, with primary responsibility only to carry out certain laws to the letter. The former governmental type would take a look at the request for blankets, and take a look at the cost ($360/year), and take a look at Kevin Estinfil, and say, "Let's think of a way that we get Kevin his blankets but without going outside the law." (Maybe we could ask a different doctor to sign, say?) But the latter governmental type says, "Uh, I don't see a doctor's signature on this form certifying medical necessity. Take a hike. Next in line." Which philosophy describes Jeb Bush? Lawton Chiles? Charlie Crist? [Miami Herald]
"I Want to Be an Inspirational Speaker for Troubled Teens" That was the livin'-large request by Warren Messner, 17, the least culpable of the four teens who mindlessly beat a Daytona Beach homeless man to death in May 2005 because they were "bored." ("Did you feel bad when you were doing it?" police asked him. "Not really, no," said Warren.) He got 22 yrs but asked a judge on Monday to give him a break because he's learned his lesson and now wants to set out to help others. The judge decided that the state's youth will just have to do without Warren's inspirational advice. [Orlando Sentinel]
Cop-on-Cop Love Triangle in Nassau County A Fernandina Beach cop and a county corrections officer were both suspended (and probably will be fired) after the cop broke in on his wife's seduction attempt of the corrections officer and Taser'ed him. [Florida Times-Union]
What Passes as a Weapon of Mass Destruction in Alachua County In May, sheriff's deputies charged Thomas Magyari, 41, with trying to vandalize a new "adult super center" on U.S. 301 in the town of Waldo (previously known throughout the state only as a primo speed trap) via a "weapon of mass destruction," which is cop-speak for chemicals of
unknown toxicity/volatility. Charges were finally filed on Tuesday, and it turns out that the WMD was a mixture of "swamp water, yeast, laundry soap, and rotten eggs" that was allowed to ferment a while and that Magyari had probably intended to use only to cause mold to grow so that the sex shop would have to close. [Gainesville Sun]
Floridians With Worse Sex Lives Than You Just another Internet underage-sex sting caught Anthony Zuchegno, 35, who happens to be administrative dean at Olympia High School in Orlando and who thought he was strutting his bare stuff on a webcam to a 15-yr-old girl. It was to a member of the Clewiston Law Enforcement Against Child Harm Task Force. Clewiston? Clewiston is a town of 6,400 on the south shore of Lake Okeechobee. Why does Clewiston have a Law Enforcement Against Child Harm Task Force? [Orlando Sentinel]
More Things To Worry About Today A burglar ransacked an SUV outside a funeral home in Lake Worth, and was likely surprised when he unzipped two bags to discover bodies (which state mortuary regulators say is not necessarily illegal, but might be) [Palm Beach Post] . . . . . Patti Spikes, 35, was arrested in Port St. Lucie for driving three teenagers around town allegedly to steal inflatable Santas from people's lawns [WPTV (West Palm Beach)] . . . . . Charges are pending against a 15-yr-old who wasn't being chased or anything but was just driving along in his stolen car and accidentally collided with a Florida Highway Patrol car in Fort Lauderdale, sending him and his passenger to the hospital [Miami Herald] . . . . . Rev. Eric Young (screen name: Eric the Awful) is challenging his child-porn arrest, alleging that his computer was searched unlawfully by his boss at Fort Caroline United Methodist Church (Jacksonville), even though the church owns the computer and owns his office [Florida Times-Union].
This article appears in Dec 6-12, 2006.