Page 9 - Florida Sentinel 9-23-22

Feature
Wrongful Death Trial For Andrew Joseph Continues
State Atty. Andrew Warren Headed To Trial
Suspended Hillsborough County State Atty. An- drew Warren was in Tal- lahassee on Monday in Federal Court in an effort to regain his job back. U. S. District Judge Robert Hinkle listened to his attor- neys and attorneys for Gov. Ron DeSantis and decided he wanted this case to go to trial. He gave the attorneys several weeks to prepare their cases. For now, War- ren will remain suspended.
Warren, who has been elected twice by the resi-
ANDREW WARREN ...Hillsborough County sus- pended State Attorney
dents of Hillsborough County, was suspended by Gov. DeSantis on August 4, 2022. He has been re- placed by Judge Susan Lopez, who had worked in the office with Warren, be- fore being appointed to the judgeship.
During Monday’s 2-hour hearing, Judge Hinkle de- nied the reinstatement re- quest from Atty. Warren, deciding instead to have a trial. The judge will make the final decision after the trial.
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
On Monday, Sept. 12th, the wrongful death trial filed by the parents of Andrew Joseph, III, began. Judge Mary Scriven presided.
In this week’s events, Judge Scriven issued an arrest warrant for Jordan Porrino. She is a witness in the case and was with Joseph at the Florida State Fairgrounds the night he died. However, she said the U. S. Marshal’s Office should serve the warrant because the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office was a defen- dant in the lawsuit.
State Fairgrounds, but were not charged with a crime.
The tragedy led his par- ents, Andrew and Deanna Joseph to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the Hillsborough County Sher- iff’s Office, the Florida State Fairgrounds, and Corporal Mark Clark, who ejected Andrew from the fair- grounds.
The federal lawsuit is taking place 8 years after the tragedy. The trial began Monday, September 12th and is slated to conclude on Sep- tember 22nd. It is taking place at the Sam Gibbons Federal Courthouse in Tampa.
Andrew’s parents have called for the end to quali- fied immunity, a legal im- munity that can protect government officials and law enforcement officers from civil lawsuits.
Some changes have taken place since the tragedy. The parents have formed the An- drew Joseph Foundation.
Teenagers are now given the opportunity to call their parents before being re- moved from the fairgrounds. The fairgrounds have added more lights, security cam- eras, and observation tow- ers.
The trial continues.
Hillsborough
Sheriff’s Office
Frank Losat, who is repre- senting Sheriff Chad Chronister at the trial, was in court when Judge Scriven made the state- ment.
He testified that he told an unidentified deputy to serve the warrant. Several deputies arrived and ar- rested Ms. Porrino be- cause the defense could not contact her. However, the warrant was lifted before she was arrested. Ms. Porrino was released before she was booked at the jail.
Judge Scriven told Ms. Porrino that she did not have to appear and that the deposition she gave could be read into the record. The judge scolded Major Losat. She said that the Sheriff’s Office had abused the bench warrant when the department sent out several units to pick up Porrino.
On February 7, 2014, 14- year-old Andrew Joseph, III, was killed attempting to cross Interstate 4. The teenager, along with 98 other students had been ejected from the Florida
County
Major
ANDREW JOSEPH, III
... killed crossing I-4 after being ejected from Florida State Fair
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