Office of State Attorney, 14th Judicial Circuit

Office of State Attorney, 14th Judicial Circuit The SAO prosecutes criminal cases for Bay, Jackson, Washington, Gulf, Holmes, and Calhoun counties Joe, FL 32457
Hours: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY
We welcome your comments on our social media pages. However, the Office of State Attorney for the 14th Judicial Circuit reserves the right to remove comments that are offensive. The State Attorney’s Office has the right, with or without notice, to block access to its social media pages to any user who consistently violates the policy guidelines. USE OF OFFICE OF STATE ATTORNEY

14TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT SOCIAL MEDIA SITES

The SAO reserves the right to edit or remove content based on the criteria listed below.
• Comments not topically related to the initial posting.
• Comments that may be considered libel, made toward any person or organization.
• Comments that contain links to third-party sites or advertisements.
• Comments that are obscene, vulgar, sexually explicit, threatening in nature, or that advocate criminal behavior.
• Content that promotes, fosters, or perpetuates discrimination on the basis of race, creed, color, age, religion, gender, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, national origin, physical or mental disability or sexual orientation
• Sexual content or links to sexual content
• Solicitations of commerce
• Information that may tend to compromise the safety or security of the public, public systems, or the State Attorney's Office in any manner
• Campaign information from a candidate for elected office or information related to a candidate's personal campaign

LOCATIONS

Bay County Office:
Phone: (850) 872-4473
Fax: (850) 872-4461
421 Magnolia Avenue
Panama City, FL 32401
PO Box 1040 - 32402
Email: [email protected]
Diversion Program: [email protected]
Hours: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Calhoun County Office:
Phone: (850) 674-4589
Fax: (850) 674-5028
PO Box 503
Blountstown, FL 32424
Hours: 7:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Gulf County Office:
Phone: (850) 229-6131
Fax: (850) 229-1074
PO Box 922
Port St. Holmes County Office:
Phone: (850) 547-2262
Fax: (850) 547-5890
PO Box 787
Bonifay, FL 32425
Hours: 7:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Jackson County Office:
Phone: (850) 482-9555
Fax: (850) 482-1383
PO Box 956
Marianna, FL 32447
Hours: 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Washington County Office:
Phone: (850) 638-6151
Fax: (850) 638-6039
PO Box 590
Chipley, FL 32428
Hours: 7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

We are looking to add a Legal Assistant to our staff who cares as much as we do about making a difference and assisting ...
08/20/2026

We are looking to add a Legal Assistant to our staff who cares as much as we do about making a difference and assisting the people we serve.
The people in these positions are critical to the success of our prosecutorial staff, but do not need to have a background in legal work.
Part of what draws us to our work here is the satisfaction found in serving the community, and we are looking for a like-minded person. The generous benefits offered by the State of Florida, from its health insurance plans to retirement plan options, are also worth noting.
Take this linkhttps://sa14.fl.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/SA14-Employment-Application-form.pdf directly to our Job Application, complete it, and return it to [email protected], or apply online at this link:
https://jobs.myflorida.com/job/PANAMA-CITY-STATE-ATTORNEY'S-OFFICE%2C-14TH-CIRCUIT-LEGAL-ASSISTANT-I-21013621-FL-32401/1416832200/
We look forward to welcoming a new team member.

08/19/2026

Our talented batch of 2026 Summer Interns were guilty of showing what they learned before they went back to school with a full-blown mock trial at the Bay County Courthouse.

Juliette Alday and Carson Ramsey took on the roles of prosecutors in a DUI “Refusal” (where the defendant refused field/breath testing) modeled after an actual case. Nattamon Chintanadilok and Jay Hayes represented the defendant – played by Eddie Bell from the State Attorney’s Office.

Retired County Judge and current Chief ASA of our Gulf County Office Shane Vann presided, Prosecutor Rachel Gause was the bailiff, and Legal Assistant Christina McClain was foreperson of the jury that included courthouse staff and friends. Misdemeanor Chief Prosecutor Ben Bollinger counseled both sides.

The “Daniele Thomas’ Intern Mock Trial” was the brainchild of Prosecutor Daniele Thomas, who was prepping for a case “when the lightbulb went off.”

“They really enjoyed being able to participate to see how the information they are gathering is used as a trial unfolds,” Thomas said. “It was a great way to do som**hing as a group while learning hands-on.

The mock trial was conducted under the same rules and procedures as a real trial – there were no “timeouts” for the interns to ask questions once the trial started.

“It’s real-life practice,” Thomas said. “It’s a mock trial, but we took it very seriously.”

The defendant/Bell was ultimately found guilty as charged after 15 minutes of deliberation.

08/14/2026

Martae Coleman was determined on Sept. 29, 2024, that he was going to chase down and punish the carload of young adults he felt had insulted him in a parking lot.
The shots he fired into their car when he caught them – and the shot that pierced a young man’s hip – resulted in an 85-year prison sentence Friday for the 29-year-old who was found guilty of 4 counts of Attempted Second-Degree Murder last month.
RELEASE: https://sa14.fl.gov/2026/08/14/85-year-sentence-for-man-guilty-of-chasing-firing-into-car/
“We are held to a higher standard in everything we do,” said the mother of the victim who was shot in the hip. “You must think about your actions before you make dumb decisions. He chased my son for 5 miles and in 5 miles he didn’t think about what he was doing was wrong. We could’ve lost our son.”
Prosecutor Jeffrey Moore prosecuted the case that involved three agencies – the Bay County Sheriff's Office, Panama City Police Department, and Panama City Beach Police Department.

Zyion Christopher Robinson came here on armed with a semi-automatic pistol. He will not be leaving soon after receivin...
08/14/2026

Zyion Christopher Robinson came here on armed with a semi-automatic pistol. He will not be leaving soon after receiving a 36-month prison sentence for Attempted Manslaughter with a Firearm Friday.
Robinson faced up to 15 years after being found guilty July 30, Prosecutor Jeffrey Moore asked for 10 years and the Panama City Beach Police Department and Bay County Sheriffs Office each asked for stiff sentences.
RELEASE: https://sa14.fl.gov/2026/08/14/man-convicted-of-firing-7-shots-at-spring-break-crowd-gets-36-month-sentence/
“These are adult actions,” Prosecutor Jeffrey Moore said at sentencing. “They deserve an adult sentence.”
Circuit Court Judge Timothy Register said he took into consideration the chaos and danger of that night but also considered the defendant’s age and lack of criminal history and gave him a 3-year sentence.
Thank you to the Panama City Beach Police Department and Bay County Sheriff's Office for their efforts that night.

08/07/2026

As our children prepare to return to school this month, one of the not-so-visible layers of protection will be school administrators and personnel trained under the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act.

Our own Assistant State Attorney Zachary Taylor was an instructor in the state-required training for new Guardians recently. He spoke to them about the legal component of the required training discussing liability, use of force and the details of the statute.

“This is a state initiative that gives school administrators and teachers the ability to possess fi****ms as a last line of defense against school violence,” Taylor said. “It is a scenario that we hope is never needed.

The Bay County School Guardian Program is an active security initiative managed together by the Bay County Sheriff's Office and Bay District Schools and its Bay District Schools Safety, Security / Police. The identities of the Guardians are anonymous, known only to select administration officials.

There is a 144-hour training program that includes 80 hours of fi****ms instruction and 16 hours of precision pistol instruction, as well as de-escalation and defensive tactics.

“They don't ‘tell’ who is actually armed,” Taylor said. “It could be the PE coach, or the English teacher, or a custodian. These are really good men and women and this is a great program.”

08/06/2026

Drug traffickers are rolling the dice when they bring large quantities of drugs into our community, and another one lost big today after being found guilty of Trafficking in Methamphetamine (more than 200 grams).
Christina Heath, of Conyers, Ga., had nearly 1,000 grams of m**h in her vehicle when she was stopped for speeding March 2, 2025, on State 79 by the Bay County Sheriff's Office. A K-9 “alerted” to the presence of drugs in the car and the defendant, after being read her rights, told members of the Special Investigations Division there was a kilo of m**h in the car.
RELEASE: https://sa14.fl.gov/2026/08/06/ga-woman-sentenced-to-20-years-after-guilty-verdict-for-drug-trafficking/
Heath faced a minimum-mandatory 15 years in prison and Circuit Court Judge Brantley Clark gave her 20.
“This defendant was bringing a significant amount of that poison into our community, and by her own testimony this was not the first time,” Sullivan said. “Her attempt to claim she was acting under duress because she feared some mysterious ‘cartel’ was rightfully rejected by the jury. Now she faces the consequences of her actions.”

People are accountable for their actions, and when it involves a public official or someone in an official position of a...
08/05/2026

People are accountable for their actions, and when it involves a public official or someone in an official position of authority it is even more important.
Brandon Brown Newsom, a suspended Holmes County Commissioner, abused his position as a certified law enforcement officer while benefitting from work at his bail bond business – a violation of Florida Statutes.
Tuesday, after Washington County Chief Prosecutor Megan Ford presented her case, the defendant was found guilty of 2 felony charges and sentenced to probation.
“The people of Holmes County have the right to expect that those entrusted with public positions will comply with the same laws they are charged with enforcing,” Ford said. “This case reaffirms that the law applies equally to everyone, regardless of position or title.”
RELEASE: https://sa14.fl.gov/2026/08/05/newsom-guilty-on-2-felony-charges-related-to-bail-bonds-business/

08/03/2026

A man driving impaired with twice the legal BAC who ran into and killed an elderly woman on the Beach is headed to prison for 12 years.
A jury was set to be selected today to try Curtis Morgan Stoddard, 57, for DUI-Manslaughter and Vehicular Homicide. But the Defendant took a plea at the last minute that gave him a 12-year sentence, which is only 3 years less than the maximum faced if convicted at trial.
Under Florida law defendants can be charged with both DUI-Manslaughter and Vehicular Homicide, but if found guilty of both can only be sentenced under one of them. That made the maximum possible sentence 15 years.
Driving under the influence does more than cause death, it destroys families, futures and lives. Now more than ever our law enforcement partners are enforcing the laws on impaired driving and we will continue to seek appropriate punishments.
Thank you Florida Highway Patrol for the thorough work on this case.

Another out-of-town visitor who came to Panama City Beach for Spring Break and along the way used a gun to commit a crim...
07/31/2026

Another out-of-town visitor who came to Panama City Beach for Spring Break and along the way used a gun to commit a crime was found guilty of several charges Thursday.
Zyion Christopher Robinson, 19, who was “bested” in a fight that followed a disturbance on the sandy beach April 11, 2025, fired 7 shots at a crowd before running. He was found guilty of Attempted Manslaughter (with a Firearm), Discharging a Firearm in Public, and Improper Display of a Firearm.
A jury deliberated only 17 minutes. Because jurors found a firearm was used, the defendant faces up to 15 years in prison on that charge at his August sentencing.
RELEASE: https://sa14.fl.gov/2026/07/31/teen-guilty-of-firing-7-shots-at-spring-break-crowd/
Our office and our partner law enforcement agencies want the message to be clear: we want and welcome the tourists who come here to enjoy our beautiful area. But those who commit crimes here will continue to be arrested and prosecuted to keep our community safe.
Panama City Beach Police Department

07/29/2026

Martae Coleman's anger and need to seek revenge after a parking lot dispute led to him being found guilty of 4 counts of Attempted Second-Degree Murder Wednesday.

Coleman also was found guilty of Shooting into an Occupied Vehicle after Prosecutor Jeff Moore presented his case.

The defendant and a friend were leaving a bar Sept. 29, 2024, when there was a verbal dispute with a younger group of men. It ended and everyone left.

The victims thought it was over, but the defendant followed them out to Panama City Beach, pulled alongside their vehicle and opened fire. The driver of the other car was struck once in the hip.

Actions have consequences, and for the defendant it could be up to Life in prison under Florida's 10-20-Life law.

Thank you to the Bay County Sheriff's Office and Panama City Police Department for their collaboration that had the suspect in custody within hours and helped lead to today's verdict.
RELEASE: https://sa14.fl.gov/2026/07/29/man-guilty-of-opening-fire-on-vehicle-shooting-1-occupant/

Address

421 Magnolia Avenue
Panama City, FL
32401

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

Telephone

+18508724473

Website

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