You’ll not see The Record question our local courts often. But a story on our front page about an ugly attack back in March and the sentencing Wednesday begs a second look.
Understand upfront, this is no knee-jerk reaction to a semi-automatic weapon being used on a victim, in light of the Parkland shootings. The instances and their outcomes were dissimilar. It’s the similarities of the attackers in Parkland and the Sea Colony neighborhood that are concerning.
Jake Andrew Dewerth was originally facing charges of burglary with an assault or battery, aggravated battery on a security officer and two counts of possession of similitude of drivers license.
The police report by the St. Augustine Beach Police Department that night included this narrative of the incident:
“The defendant entered the ... location armed with a rifle. The victim/guard was seated inside the guard shack when the defendant entered the south side door and pointed the rifle at him and screamed for him to get to his knees. The defendant then hit him in the face with the stock of the rifle. The victim tried to exit the north side door as he was hit several times with the rifle. The victim was [then] able to exit the building and video surveillance shows ... the defendant putting the rifle to the head of the victim and appears to be trying to fire the weapon. The victim is seen falling to the ground and then trying to run away and the defendant blocks the escape and continues to swing the rifle at the victim’s head before the victim is able to flee the scene and get help. ... blood pools and blood spatter were all over the security area.”
The description is ugly, but the video surveillance is sickening.
Dewerth was found by police “with blood all over his clothing” and two fake drivers licenses on his person — in addition to his own.
On Wednesday, Dewerth was sentenced to probation, resulting from a plea agreement struck between the State Attorney’s Office and Dewerth’s attorney, Patrick Canan.
We’re not certain what Dewerth’s past criminal or mental health reports might contain — or if there were any.
But it’s difficult not to imagine a history of red flags. The guard told officers he had no idea what precipitated the beating. He did not know Dewerth, whom he says came up to the guardhouse insisting the guard tell him “What did you tell the governor?”
The security guard was taken to Flagler Hospital where he was treated for a dislocated jaw, broken nose and fractured cheekbone.
Dewerth was 19, the same age as Parkland shooter Nikolas Cruz. And the similarities might end right there. But it has become clear since the Valentines Day massacre that Cruz was a troubled teen who had been ignored by the courts and coddled by a school system under a no “school-to-prison pipeline” that excused his continuing excessive and threatening behavior as a matter of policy in Broward County. And Circuit Judge Howard Maltz did mandate Dewerth’s attendance in a mental health program as part of his parole.
We have to wonder how a similar assault, committed in a poverty-prone neighborhood with a defendant of color and a public defender at his side would have fared in that same courtroom.
But either way, giving a clearly violent offender a probation pass is a double-edged sword. It’s a second chance to learn from the crime, or a second chance to get it right.


Joan Noonan
  • Joan Noonan
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How did he explain the two fake driving licenses?

Was a blood test done to determine the drugs that he had allegedly been given?
  • 11 hours ago
Edward Adelbert Slavin
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@Joan Noonan Good questions. I've requested that State's Attorney RALPH JOSEPH LARIZZA and SABPD Chief ROBERT HARDWICK release to us all of our records on the case of State of Florida v. ANDREW JAKE GEWERTH, including toxicology reports and depositions.


Edward Adelbert Slavin
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1. State’s Attorney RALPH JOSEPH LARIZZA must recuse himself so Governor can appoint a Special Prosecutor to investigate possible crimes such as fraud upon the court, obstruction of justice, or other crimes that are not resolved by this plea bargain in the case of State of Florida v. JAKE ANDREW GEWERTH.
2. I have asked for all of the documents on this case. Absent through explanations, it appears that LARIZZA must resign or be fired. LARIZZA’s plea bargain in the case of JAKE ANDREW GEWERTH is indefensible.
3. We need a Seventh Circuit State’s Attorney who is ethical, incorruptible and independent, who will make decisions based on facts, not politics, without respect to who the defense lawyer is, or whether the criminal defendant is a rich kid.
4. Enough corruption and case-fixing.
5. When LARIZZA admitted several years ago that he does NOT distribute or follow the National District Attorneys’ Assn. National Prosecution Standards, I thought that this office might behind the times and below the standard.
6. Considering the cases of JAKE ANDREW GEWERTH, JEREMY BANKS, LEONARD PATRICK TRINCA, RICHARD BURTT O’BRIEN, WILLIAM BARRY HARRISS, et al., there’s no doubt -- LARIZZA is a hick hack and an unjust steward.
7. Our State’s Attorney is inept, maladroit and a national l embarrassment. He recused himself from the JEREMY BANKS case after FIVE months, only after his two top investigators asked in 2011 for an exhumation and autopsy of Michelle O’Connell’s body.
(continued)
  • 4 minutes ago (edited recently)
Edward Adelbert Slavin
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8. Let’s have a dialogue on criminal justice reform in all four counties of the Seventh Judicial Circuit.
9. The philosopher Diogenes carried a lamp during the day, saying he was looking for an honest man.
10. It’s time for Governor Scott to file LARIZZA. Let us elect an honest man or woman as Seventh Circuit State’s Attorney, someone we can be proud of -- someone one who will not commit coverups, promote inequality, injustice and case-fixing, tolerate officer-involved domestic violence, environmental crimes, Sunshine and Open Records violations, and government corruption.« less 
Karen Peil
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You are not certain of the young man’s past, but will make assumptions? I thought journalism meant looking into everything, but then, doing that would have taken away the premise of your article. The article reporting the differences between the two would have been more accurate.
  • 12 hours ago
Samantha Johnson
  • Samantha Johnson
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This is a great article and needs to be looked into. Shoot a person of color would go to prison for non violent offenses. A person of non color would most likely get to drug court, rehab, or probation is unfair. I wonder what department looks into the judges sentencing.
  • 21 hours ago
Edward Adelbert Slavin
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@Samantha Johnson Does LARIZZA frequent St. A. Rod & Gun Club, longtime KKK venue?
  • 13 hours ago
Edward Adelbert Slavin
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1. Jim Sutton, I agree! “We have to wonder how a similar assault, committed in a poverty-prone neighborhood with a defendant of color and a public defender at his side would have fared in that same courtroom.”
2. Why won’t controversial Seventh Circuit State’s Attorney RALPH JOSEPH LARIZZA, President of the Florida Prosecuting Attorneys’ Association EVER:
A. Distribute National District Attorneys Association (NDAA) National Prosecution Standards to our prosecutors?
https://www.ndaa.org/pdf/NDAA%20NPS%203rd%20Ed.%20w%20Revised%20Commentary.pdf
B. Recruit at HBCU/ minority law schools?
3. Why did NO lawyer in four (4) counties even run against R.J. LARIZZA in 2016?
4. When was the last time that R.J. LARIZZA ever tried a case to a jury verdict?
5. Why won’t Democrats recruit, nominate and elect an ethical State’s Attorney, who pledges to abide by the NDAA National Prosecution Standards?
6. Will R.J. LARIZZA be our State’s Attorney for Life? Is he the BEST person for the job?
7. Why won’t LARIZZA & Co. ever prosecute government corruption cases or environmental crimes here?
8. Why did prosecutors DROP the misdemeanor battery case of State v. LEONARD PATRICK TRINICA--St. Augustine Beach Commissioner RICHARD O’BRIEN’s campaign manager--who allegedly shoved O’BRIEN’s opponent Rosetta Bailey TWICE on November 8, 2016 (Election Day) at SAB City Hall polling place? The same trial lawyer defended BOTH Messrs. TRINCA and DEWERTH--former prosecutor PATRICK CANAN.
9. Do inept, ill-prepared, inexperienced prosecutors in LARIZZA’s office fold, not unlike a cheap suit, in the face of a skilled legal defense?
10. IF we had an ETHICAL State’s Attorney (like Dave Aronberg,Palm Beach County), your local officials would not be so brazen in their official misconduct, would they?« less
  • 1 day ago
Sandra Marv
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THERE ARE NO SIMILARITIES WHATSOEVER IN THESE CASES!!!This is the most despicable piece of unfounded journalism...no research of the true facts in this case whatsoever. This young man was a model student in high school... and college student. Never in trouble ... He was part of the Junior ROTC and training with the Navy Sea Cadets... he was a trusted and honored member of the St Johns County Beach lifeguard team for years serving as a Captain and driver of their trucks which is not a... » more
  • 1 day ago
Edward Adelbert Slavin
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@Sandra Marv You’ve only posted twice on this website, both times about this case?
  • 1 day ago
Samantha Johnson
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@Edward Adelbert Slavin a person of color would have gotten 20 years or more.
  • 21 hours ago
Edward Adelbert Slavin
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@Samantha Johnson I agree.
  • 5 hours ago
Jack Tigman
  • Jack Tigman
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It’s my understanding that the kid was drugged? The bizarre nature of the facts of this case totally support that and per chatter, those facts were substantiated in court. It’s a huge, huge detail that explains the nature of the sentence and precisely why sentences are handed down by judges who evaluate all facts and not narrative-based newspapers who only care about the most superficial and salacious details.
  • 1 day ago
Edward Adelbert Slavin
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@Jack Tigman You've only posted four times on this website, all about this case?
  • 1 day ago
Karen Cornwell
  • Karen Cornwell
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@Jack Tigman so if this was your wife, child, parent you would joyfully attend court on the offenders behalf due to the drug usage? That's a crock! If you actually watched the video did you notice he pointed the gun at the security guards head? He's lucky the guard didn't have a gun as it would of been case closed!
  • 1 day ago
Jack Tigman
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@Edward Adelbert Slavin False statement- and you know that- which makes it a lie.
  • 1 day ago
Jack Tigman
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@Karen Cornwell Your position is contrary to the position held by victim himself in this case. Should the court listen to your hysterical theories, or the wishes of the actual victim?
  • 1 day ago (edited)
Edward Adelbert Slavin
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@Jack Tigman what? Clicked on your name.
  • 1 day ago
Edward Adelbert Slavin
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@Jack Tigman Our of court settlement money? How much?
  • 1 day ago
Edward Adelbert Slavin
  • Edward Adelbert Slavin
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@Jack Tigman Anger and pejoratives.
  • 13 hours ago