BREAKING NEWS: Fisherman Missing off Port Panama City
According to Capt. Ken Paramore of FWC, a shrimp boat capsized around 3 a.m. this morning off the Port of Panama City, near an area known locally as Bird Island.
BREAKING NEWS: Judge Albritton Resigns Citing Medical Reasons
Circuit court Judge Richard Albritton has announced his resignation, according to a letter he sent to Governor Charlie Crist’s office on March 9th.
Fisherman Missing off Port Panama City
Source: WMBB News Department
Judge Albritton Resigns Citing Medical Reasons
By: Mary Scott Speigner
Seniors Prepare for Elections by Hosting Candidate Forum
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Going Back To High School
By: Marc McAfee
Bay County Sheriff’s Office Searching for Sexual Offender
Source: Bay County Sheriff Office
Mail Carriers Arrested for Stealing Mail on Their Routes
Source: Bay County Sheriff Office
Food Labels Can Mislead
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Boyd Seeks to Reduce and Cap Federal Spending
Source: Congressman Allen Boyd’s Office
Bay Point Signs Agreement with Knology
Source: Knology
Pair Arrested for Growing Marijuana
Source: Bay County Sheriff Office
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Bay County, Fla:
Judge Richard Smoak is declaring a mistrial in the federal drug case against Amy Cooper. Cooper is charged with using a telephone to solicit the sale of drugs. She faces up to four years in prison.
A 14-member jury, including two alternates, was selected in the case Monday morning. Jurors heard testimony from witnesses including Cooper’s reported drug dealer and co-defendant in the case, Hector Melara, on Monday afternoon and Tuesday.
Jurors went into deliberations around 3:30 p.m. Tuesday. Around 5:30 p.m. they requested to order dinner and indicated they would be a while. Later in the evening they told Judge Smoak they could not come to a unanimous decision. In federal court they must do so in order to have a verdict.
Judge Smoak ordered the jury to take a look at the evidence again at the request of the prosecution. The jury stayed at the courthouse until 12:30 a.m. Wednesday morning and returned at 1:00 p.m. Wednesday afternoon. The mistrial was declared just before 3:30 p.m.
Cooper will now be released from jail on bond. She was ordered to turn herself in last week after violating the conditions of her release by talking to her boyfriend and co-defendant, Dr. Michael Reed. She will now be allowed to talk to Reed as long as it is not about the case. Her new trial is scheduled for December 7, 2009.
The prosecution’s evidence centered around two phone calls that were made by Cooper to Melara. During one audio recording Cooper told him to wait because she had company and didn’t want them to know. In a second conversation she told him to come on over.
Cooper’s defense doesn’t dispute that Cooper gave Melara $30,000 for a kilogram of cocaine, but they argue the charge of using a telephone to solicit drugs is unfounded based on the evidence.
The prosecution, defense and witness testimony also indicates that Cooper was unaware that Reed was purchasing large amounts of cocaine until the day in question. That’s when the government says Reed called Cooper to ask her to take care of the transaction for him because he was running late.
They also say that Cooper introduced Reed to drugs. During his sentencing he said he turned to drugs after a bad divorce and a partner embezzling money. Reed paid for Cooper’s attorney.
The mistrial follows a two-year investigation by federal authorities that resulted in a 32-count indictment with a total of eight co-defendants. Reed was sentenced Friday to a little less than five years in federal prison. Melara is scheduled to be sentenced in December. The other co-defendants in the case learned their fates on Thursday and Friday.
Ha! Another shallow head in the sand person living here in Bay County..You obviously wouldnt know the truth IF it hit you in the face. Dr. Reed is a grown man and like the majority of others here in this town could never believe he could do no wrong. Well, wake up, his first wife left him for doing drugs. Ms. Cooper may be at fault, but not for bringing the doc down. He was already spiraling. Do your homework, and dont speak until you have all your facts. Just like everyone else in this town, including ALL media outlets, “none of you can handle the truth” spoken by a great actor, Jack N. At least she can admit her faults.. what about the rest of them??
This one deserves every minute of the four years she’s facing. A good doctor’s career is destroyed, his reputation ruined and now there’s a possibility that she may “walk”? There surely wasn’t real love on her part or she would never have even thought of getting Reed involved in such a thoing as drugs. I hope she gets the maximum they can give her, that is, if Judge Smoak does the decent and honorable thing after what she has done. I feel so sorry for Reed. He has lost a lot but the community has lost much, much more.
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heres shallow thinking, she is too hot to be in jail, what she did was so small, yes tech. she did break the law, but a small offense, smack her on the wrist and let her go, she is smokin hott!! small minded enough for you??