State Attorney Larizza faces challenger for 4th term -- Donald Dempsey Jr,. (SAR)

The chickens are finally coming home to roost.  Finally, opposition to the re-election campaign of maladroit three-term 7th Circuit State's Attorney RALPH JOSEPH LARIZZA (left).  In the photo, LARIZZA is shown canoodling or colluding with co-author of the coverup of the September 2, 2010 murder of Michelle O'Connell in the home of Sheriff's Deputy Jeremy Banks -- retiring St. Johns County Sheriff DAVD SHOAR (right), who legally changed his name from "HOAR" in 1994.

Protest for Justice for Michelle O'Connell, February 28, 2015


FlaglerLive photo of selection panel for inept 23rd District Medical Examiner Predrag Bulic, co-author of the  dubiouusMichelle O'Connell coverup "upside down gun"/"guns recoil forward" theories.

FlaglerLive

Giving Roosevelt quote plaque to Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody






Thanks to Deland attorney Donald Dempsey Jr. for filing to run against entrenched corrupt State's Attorney RALPH JOSEPH LARIZZA.  From St. Augustine Record/Daytona Beach News Journal:


State Attorney Larizza faces challenger for 4th term



State Attorney R.J. Larizza speaks to media in 2017.

By Frank Fernandez

Posted at 5:37 PM
Updated at 5:45 PM

Veteran Circuit Judge Michael Orfinger also facing challenge and three people vie for public defender’s seat.

State Attorney R.J. Larizza will face a challenger in his bid for a fourth term in office from DeLand attorney Donald Dempsey Jr, who filed to run against the incumbent for the job as the 7th Circuit’s top prosecutor.

Dempsey’s challenge to Larizza was perhaps the biggest news as qualifying closed at noon on Friday for a number of offices in the 7th Circuit, which covers Volusia, Flagler, St. Johns and Putnam counties.

Larizza, a probation officer before he went to law school, took office after defeating longtime State Attorney John Tanner in 2008 and then won reelection in 2012 by defeating Stasia Warren, who returned to the bench after the defeat. Larizza was unopposed in 2016.

In an email to The News-Journal on Friday, Larizza wrote: “I’m proud of our office and all the people in it. This 9election) is an opportunity to highlight our accomplishments.”

Dempsey said in a phone interview that he worked as a prosecutor for three years for Tanner and another former state attorney, Steve Alexander, from 1990 to 1993. He then worked for the Landis Graham French law firm in DeLand before opening his own practice. For the last 27 years, Dempsey said he has practiced primarily criminal defense with some family law.

He said running for state attorney is a calling for him. Dempsey added that criminal justice reform is one of his big issues.

“We jail more people than any other country per capita,” Dempsey said. “Either we are the worst people on the face of the Earth or maybe the system is a little heavy handed.”

Dempsey is married to Volusia County Judge Angela A. Dempsey, who hears civil cases at the Volusia County Courthouse in DeLand.

Larizza is far ahead in the money race with $70,073 collected so far, according to state records. Dempsey said he has not begun collecting campaign donations yet, but added he is not worried about his ability to do so.


And while the circuit may or may not get a new state attorney, it will get a new public defender since longtime Public Defender James Purdy is retiring.