Defendant is reportedly a minister and great-grandson of Henry Flagler's business associate. In St. Johns County Courthouse, someone named "Matt" has prevented website viewing of any files until a county court judge rules on a "confidentially" (sic) order. Meanwhile, FREDERIC STERRY SMITH's photo is deleted from St. Johns County Jail website.
This is now a national story. Defendant FREDERIC STERRY SMITH is a local business owner, reportedly a minister and great-grandson of Henry Flagler's business associate. Someone named "Matt" has apparently put the kibosh on our reading the file on the Internet until the county court judge rules on a "confidentially" (sic) order.
His photo has been deleted from the St. Johns County Jail log website.
Is defendant FREDERIC STERRY SMITH a law enforcement officer of some sort, past or present?
And who is "Matt" and why does Matt have plenipotentiary powers to intervene in SAPD hate crimes prosecutions on behalf of the defendant?
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Police: Florida minister writes anti-gay message on receipt, shoves it down female manager’s shirt
Published: Saturday, August 03, 2019 @ 12:04 PM
Frederic Smith, 62, is out on bond after being arrested and charged with battery, investigators said.(ActionNewJax.com)
ST. AUGUSTINE, FLA. — A Florida minister has been accused of writing an anti-gay message on a receipt at a St. Augustine restaurant, then ripping open the manager's shirt and stuffing the receipt down it during a confrontation.
Jail records show Frederic Smith, 62, is out on bond after being arrested and charged with battery after allegedly touching the woman's breast.
Smith's name was redacted from the St. Augustine police report, but Action News Jax linked it to Smith by matching the report number with the court record online.
Staff at the Milagro on 12 Latin Kitchen where the incident occurred told police he left a receipt on his table with no tip Saturday -- on it, he allegedly wrote of the server, "If he wasn't gay."
Smith’s @LinkedIn page- which is now either private or deleted- states he studied the ministry & volunteered with the Boy Scouts. In a post on the website of his charity, he refers to himself as Reverend. @ActionNewsJax twitter.com/russellanjax/s…
Action News Jax reporter Russell Colburn spoke exclusively with an employee who saw the incident.
She did not want to give her name or show her face but said she saw her manager get involved.
"He told her, like, 'Yeah I wrote it, and I will rip it up in front of your face,' and ripped it up. He just, like, opened her shirt and shoved it down her shirt. And she screamed, like, ‘This is assault!’'
Smith could not be reached for a comment Friday, but, his LinkedIn page, now deleted or made private, stated he went to seminary school and in the post of his charity's website, he refers to himself as a reverend.
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Anti-gay message on receipt at Milagro On 12 Latin Kitchen leads to confrontation, arrest
Frederic Sterry Smith, 62, of St. Augustine [SJCSO]
By Travis Gibson tgibson@staugustine.com
Posted Aug 2, 2019 at 1:52 PM
Updated Aug 2, 2019 at 1:52 PM
St. Augustine Record
The owner of a local music business was arrested Saturday after he was accused of writing a homophobic message on his waiter’s receipt and then ripping it up and stuffing it down the restaurant manager’s shirt.
According to a report from the St. Augustine Police Department, Frederic Sterry Smith, 62, of St. Augustine was charged with simple battery after a confrontation outside Milagro On 12 Latin Kitchen downtown.
The issues began Saturday evening when Smith, who co-owns Sterry Piano Company, reportedly gave his server a zero-dollar tip and wrote “if he wasn’t gay,” on the receipt, according to the report.
The server then showed the receipt to the manager who then confronted Smith outside and asked if he really wrote the words on his check. Smith told the manager he did write the message, according to the police report, and then grabbed her by the collar, pulled it open and shoved the receipt down her shirt. As he did, his hand touched her breast, the manager and a witness told police. Smith then got into a car and drove off.
Using the receipt, officers were able to find Smith about an hour later and asked him about the incident. During questioning, according to the report, Smith said “I can say whatever I want, to whoever I want!” and denied touching the manager before the officer explained why they were interviewing him. He also became verbally abusive and angry, the report stated.
Smith, who is known as “Ric” according to a 2017 story from St. Augustine Social, was arrested and charged with simple battery, a first-degree misdemeanor. His bond was set at $500 and he was released Sunday from the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office jail.
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St. Johns County Jail website shows that FREDERIC STERRY SMITH spent a night and jail and that his mugshot has been deleted:
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TRACING THEIR ROOTS AND EXTENDING THEIR REACH: STERRY PIANO’S ST. AUGUSTINE LEGACY
The legendary piano purveyors are extending their deep St. Augustine roots by passing music on to the next generation.
Frederic “Ric” Sterry Smith and his wife Anna opened Sterry Piano Company in 1983. Their original storefront was located on Malaga Street and though years have passed and the shop has relocated, the beauty of their craftsmanship and the enchantment of their music continues to captivate St. Augustine.
Their ornate and often heirloom quality pianos can be spotted in a variety of locations around town, as they have provided Steinway Grands for the St. Augustine Orchestra, the First Coast Opera, The Menendez, and the White Room.
“Our family and business have deep roots in both Florida and St. Augustine dating to the late 1800’s,” said Ric, whose great grandfather, hotelier Fred Sterry, was a vital business associate of Henry Flagler.
Ric has always held a deep fascination of his great grandfather and specifically his ties to this area. By serving as family historian, he has maintained invaluable artifacts from the past, including hundreds of articles, photographs and letters that create a detailed account of Sterry’s monumental impact on St. Augustine.
But though the historical impact of the Sterry on the Ancient City is great, the current generation has created its own legacy through not only their impeccable restoration talents but the gift of music that they pass on to their students.
“It could be said Flagler and Sterry brought tourism to Florida. Flagler needed Sterry’s abilities and contacts to fill his passenger cars and hotels. It was a perfect fit to develop real estate from Florida’s first coast to the gold coast, ultimately to Key West,” said Ric.
In addition to his ties to Flagler, Sterry held much star power in his own right, practically captivating the press. He surrounded himself with other powerful people and managed 10,000 employees at 12 hotels spanning from The Plaza in New York City to the National in Havana.
For the past 35 years, Sterry Piano has built on that legacy by enriching the lives of thousands with the gift of music.
After opening here in 1983, the company expanded to Atlanta, restoring Steinway Grands for Cooper Music and Steinway of Atlanta, all while maintaining the needs of their customers in St. Augustine.
“We’re the real deal,” said Anna. “Our customers recognize the quality of the instruments, the teachers, the longevity and the flexibility.”
In addition to her role as co-owner, Anna serves as the lead instructor, offering a variety of personalized music lessons at the Sterry teaching studio. The Smiths’ dedication to spreading the love of music, however, surpasses mere one-on-one instruction.
“We believe in giving back to the community,” said Ric. “Enriching hearts young and old with the gift of music.”
They give back in a variety of ways, including supporting events such as the St. Augustine’s Festival of Music, which has been highlighting local performers since 1985. They created the St. Augustine Youth Orchestra in 2014 and founded Play It Forward in 2012, an organization that provides musical instruments to students of Title I schools who could not otherwise afford to play.
“Anna and I have a real love for music and want to share that gift to people however we can as we continue to give back to the community,” said Ric. “Hopefully we have enriched many lives.”
Visit them online at www.sterrypiano.com. Photography by Brian Miller
MEET THE AUTHOR
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-----Original Message-----
From: Ed Slavin
To: coc; hconrad
Cc: esqbarger; sunshine ; pat.gleason ; tomcushman ; kjakab ; mary ; nadine ; bfox ; jregan ; tupchurch ; lfreeman ; nsikeskline ; rhorvath ; jvaldes ; stratton ; carlos ; wesley ; jon ; brittany ; joe ; ckelley ; sheldon.gardner ; bcc1jjohns ; bcc2jsmith ; bcc3pwaldron ; bcc4jblocker ; bcc5hdean ; pmccormack ; comugeorge ; commengland ; commkostka ; comdsamora ; comdrumrell ; pwilliamson ; kmayo ; larizzar ; shorsteinb ; waltbog
Sent: Sat, Aug 3, 2019 2:15 pm
Subject: Request No. 2019-316: Anti-Gay Battery in St. Augustine, Florida: Secrecy in State of Florida v. Frederic Sterry Smith, Case No. 19001283MMMA
From: Ed Slavin
To: coc
Cc: esqbarger
Sent: Sat, Aug 3, 2019 2:15 pm
Subject: Request No. 2019-316: Anti-Gay Battery in St. Augustine, Florida: Secrecy in State of Florida v. Frederic Sterry Smith, Case No. 19001283MMMA
Dear Mr. Conrad:
1. Please place all records on this anti-gay hate crime battery on. the Clerk's website by noon on August 5, 2019.
2. In item 13, July 31, 2019:
| "PER MATT- ALL DOCUMENTS TO BE HIDDEN FROM THE WEB UNTIL THIS OFFICE RECEIVES ORDER FROM JUDGE REF THE CONFIDENTIALLY(sic) OF THIS CASE," | |||
 | who is "Matt?": |
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Summary
History
With kindest regards, I am,
Sincerely yours,
Ed Slavin
904-377-4998
www.cleanupcityofstaugustine.blogspot.com
www.edslavin.com
Way to go Mr. Slavin. Expose the racists for what they are.
ReplyDeleteWay to go, Mr. Slavin. Expose the racists for what they are.
ReplyDelete