There's certainly no dearth of harsh prosecutors in America, but Angela Corey goes above and beyond even the very worst. As state attorney for Florida's Fourth Judicial Circuit, which includes Nassau, Clay, and Duval counties, Corey has been one of the nation's most vindictive prosecutors. Corey made headlines in 2013 when she failed to convict George Zimmerman of the murder of Trayvon Martin. The irony is that Zimmerman's acquittal may be the only time her office managed to keep someone out of jail.
Corey has been especially horrible when it comes to juveniles accused of criminal behavior. A new article on Corey in The Nation tells the story of Cristian Fernandez, a 12-year-old boy who was accused of killing his 2-year-old brother.
Cristian had lived a pretty rough life—his mother was only 12 years old when he was born, the product of a rape. In fact, mother and son were actually both in foster care at one point. Cristian had been molested by one of his mom's ex-boyfriends, and another ex-boyfriend had shot himself in the head in front of him.
Evidence indicates that Cristian's culpability is dubious at best—his story was inconsistent, and his mother also ultimately pled to involuntary manslaughter. Yet Corey decided it was appropriate to throw him in adult prison.
At the direction of Angela Corey…[the prosecutor] charged Cristian with first-degree murder as an adult, which at the time meant that Cristian would not only be kept in an adult jail pending the outcome of his case, but that he would face a mandatory sentence of life without parole before he’d even lost his baby fat. According to prosecutors, Cristian had intentionally murdered David by smashing his head against a bookcase. Many other people were not so sure.
Kids in adult prisons are often put in solitary confinement to keep them safe. Cristian was no exception, and was kept alone almost every minute of the day he spent in adult prison. His mother also gave up her parental rights. He was 12 years old, in solitary, and suddenly an orphan, too.
Cristian isn't the only one. The Nation reports that 77 kids have been charged as adults at Corey's discretion this fiscal year alone, 65 of whom were black. And her jurisdiction "sends 75 percent of the young people charged as adults to prison or jail—the highest rate in the state. (By contrast, Miami-Dade County weighs in at around 12 percent.)"
Unsurprisingly, Corey also loves the death penalty. Duval county, which includes Jacksonville, has only 5 percent of the state's population but 25 percent of its death sentences.
The Republican primary is August 30, and Corey faces two main opponents. Recent polls showed Melissa Nelson, a former prosecutor, is leading by a significant margin. From Florida Politics:
Nelson is almost lapping Corey, leading her 53 to 27 percent among likely Republican voters. Wes White is trailing far behind at 11 percent, while 9 percent of voters say they are unsure who to vote for.
Propelling Nelson’s huge lead is a strong sense of “Corey fatigue.” Asked whether Corey deserves to be re-elected or if its time for someone new, 64 percent of 4th Circuit voters say its time to make a change.
All three candidates debated each other last night.
We'll be posting more on Corey in the next two weeks leading up to the election. In the meantime, check out The Nation’s report to learn plenty more about Corey's prosecutorial practices.