MARTIN LEE ANDERSON CRIMINAL TRIAL: State Attorney Mark A. Ober

Mark A. Ober is the State Attorney for the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit of Florida. He was awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Florida in 1973. He earned his Juris Doctor degree from the South Texas College of Law and was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1977, when he began a career as an assistant state attorney. In that capacity, he worked his way through the ranks to become Felony Bureau Chief, Chief of the Major Crimes Division, Chief of the Career Criminal Division and Chief of the Homicide Division.

Mr. Ober entered private practice in 1987 and specialized in criminal defense law until his election to the office of State Attorney in November 2000, by the largest margin seen in over a decade for that office. He is recognized in the legal community as a top criminal attorney, having personally chaired over 250 criminal jury trials, including over 40 first degree murder convictions.

MARTIN LEE ANDERSON: CRIMINAL TRIAL, THE JUDGE

Honorable Michael C. Overstreet
Education: University of Florida B.S., B.A., 1974 Cum Laude
Cumberland School of Law, J.D. 1979

Civil Private Practice: 1979 - 1995
Judicial Appointment: October 1995

Currently presiding over a criminal docket consisting of 25% of all felony cases in Bay County which have included recent high profile cases involving the first degree murder trial of Robert Bailey who was charged and convicted of killing officer Kevin Kight; the Bay County Jail Hostage case wherein four defendants were charged with taking over the Bay County jail with hostages; the murder trial of Monique Turrenne who was tried convicted of murdering her husband and resisting extradition from Canada for several years; Judge Overstreet also manages 33% of civil litigation cases which include contract litigation, medical malpractice and personal injury .

MARTIN LEE ANDERSON: Guards and nurse on trial, jury selection

A 32-year-old business analyst. White male
A 59-year-old landscaping manager. White male
A 73-year-old homemaker. White female
A 56-year-old homemaker. White female
A 61-year-old retired teacher. White female
A 62-year-old librarian. White female
A 28-year-old maintenance worker. White male
A 26-year-old mortgage loan processor. White female
A 51-year-old retired Air Force member. Asian male
A 51-year-old disabled white female.

Martin Lee Anderson: Defendants at criminal trial

Henry Dickens, 60, was hired when the boot camp opened in 1995. He was an administrative drill instructor and held the rank of sergeant. He served in the U.S. Navy for 30 years and retired in 1995.

Attorney: Hoot Crawford is a private attorney specializing in criminal defense, DUI, and traffic violations. He is a member of the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the American Trial Lawyers Association, and the Criminal Law Division of the American Bar Association. http://www.hootlaw.com/







Charles Enfinger, 34, began working at the Bay County boot camp in May 2003 as a drill instructor. He was one of the first on the field to respond to Anderson's collapse. He was employee of the month at the camp in May 2004.

Attorney: Walter Smith is Deputy Public Defender for the 14th Judicial Circuit, serving Bay, Calhoun, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson and Washington Counties. He was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1980.






Patrick Garrett, 31, was hired in February 2000 as a drill instructor and held the rank of sergeant. He was employee of the month at the camp in June 2004. Garrett is the author of the DJJ incident report about the Anderson incident.

Attorney: Robert Sombathy is a board certified criminal trial attorney and member of the Florida Bar Association. He received his Juris Doctor degree from the Cumberland School of Law. http://www.islersombathy.com/attorneyproflies.htm







Raymond Hauck, 49, joined the staff in 1995 as a drill instructor and held the rank of sergeant major. He was employee of the month at the camp in May 2001.

Attorney: James White, Jr., specializes in criminal law and personal injury law. He is a member of the Bay County and American Bar Associations; The Florida Bar; Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers; National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers; Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers; Association of Trial Lawyers of America. He received his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Alabama. http://www.swglawfirm.com/







Charles Helms, 51, was hired in December 1993 and was the highest-ranking officer on the field the day of the Anderson incident. He worked as an upper-level drill instructor and held the rank of lieutenant. Helms was employee of the month at the camp in February 2003. He served in the U.S. Army from June 1975 to December 1993 and was honorably discharged.

Attorney: Waylon Graham specializes in criminal defense and criminal forfeiture and is a former prosecutor. He is a member of the Bay County Bar Association, The Florida Bar, Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, and Bay County Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. He served as an adjunct professor of business law at Gulf Coast Community College from 1987-1990. He received his Juris Doctor degree from the Cumberland School of Law.







Henry McFadden, 34, was hired as a drill instructor in 2004. He served in the U.S. Air Force from 1993-2004.

Attorney: Jonathan Dingus is a board certified criminal trial lawyer and also specializes in DUI, personal injury law, and family law. He is a member of The Florida Bar, American Bar Association, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Bay County Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, and Florida Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys. He received his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Florida. http://www.lawyers.com/jonathandingus/







Kristin Schmidt, 54, was hired as a nurse at the boot camp in 1994. She was the only medical staff person on the field the day Anderson collapsed.

Attorney: Ashley Benedik is a criminal defense attorney and former prosecutor for the State Attorney’s Office of the 14th Judicial Circuit. She is a member of the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the Panama City Rotary Club. She received her Juris Doctor degree from Louisiana State University. http://www.panamacitylaw.net/pages/ashley_profile.html








Joseph Walsh, 36, joined the camp as a drill instructor in May 2002 and held the rank of corporal. He was one of the first on the field to respond to Anderson's collapse. He earned employee of the month honors twice at the facility. He was in the U.S. Air Force from 1989-1998 and was honorably discharged.

Attorney: Robert Pell specializes in criminal law, juvenile criminal law, drug crimes, felonies, misdemeanors; and homicide. He is a member of The Florida Bar, Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, and National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. He received his Juris Doctor degree from Florida State University. http://www.lawyers.com/pell/

Taken from WMBB Channel 13 News

MARTIN LEE ANDERSON TIMELINE

TIMELINE

January 5, 2006

Martin Lee Anderson's first day at the Bay County boot camp. He collapses after an altercation with the guards and is rushed to Bay Medical Center by ambulance at about 9:45 a.m. He is later life-flighted to Sacred Heart Hosptial in Pensacola.

January 6, 2006

Anderson dies around 1:30 a.m. at Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola.

February 13, 2006

CNN and the Miami Herald file a lawsuit for the surveillance tape from the boot camp to be released.

February 15, 2006

Anderson's parents hold a news conference asking for the release of the video. The National Black Caucus of Legislators and the NAACP join their efforts.

February 16, 2006

The results of the first autopsy by Dr. Charles Siebert of the 14th Judicial Circuit are released. Siebert says Anderson died from complications of sickle cell trait, a hereditary condition. The U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division and the FBI open a federal probe into the case.

February 17, 2006

The surveillance video is released showing the approximately 30 minute confrontation between Anderson and the guards. Some medical experts begin disputing Dr. Siebert's cause of death.

February 21, 2006

The Bay County Sheriff's Office gives a 90-day notice to the Department of Juvenile Justice that they will be shutting down the boot camp. State Attorney for the 14th Judicial Circuit, Steve Meadows, steps aside and requests a special prosecutor to oversee the case. Gov. Jeb Bush appoints Mark Ober of the 13th Judicial Circuit.

March 10, 2006

Anderson's family exhumes his body to have a second autopsy performed.

March 13, 2006

Second autopsy performed.

March 14, 2006

Preliminary results from the second autopsy released. Doctors say Anderson did not die from sickle cell trait.

March 28, 2006

E-mails between Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Guy Tunnell and Bay County Sheriff Frank McKeithen surface causing another controversy in the boot camp investigation. Tunnell was Bay County's sheriff when the boot camp first opened in 1994.

March 30, 2006

The FDLE is removed from the case by Ober's office.

April 6, 2006

The Bay County boot camp shuts its doors for good.

April 20, 2006

Tunnell resigns without giving a reason, but the move comes after widely published reports of a joke he made about the Rev. Jesse Jackson and Senator Barack Obama, who were coming to Tallahassee for a protest.

May 2, 2006

Full results of the second autopsy are released. Dr. Vernard Adams, medical examiner for the 13th Circuit, disputes Siebert’s autospy results, saying that Anderson died of suffocation because the guards blocked his airways and ammonia capsules held under his nose caused his airways to be blocked further.

July 12, 2006

Anderson's family files a $40 million lawsuit against the Bay County Sheriff's Office and Department of Juvenile Justice.

Augsut 9, 2006

Medical Examiners Commission votes to put Siebert on probation after an audit reveals 42 errors, mostly clerical, in his past autopsies.

November 20, 2006

Former DJJ employee Stephen Meredith files a lawsuit against DJJ. Meredith claims he was fired because he wouldn't help cover up Anderson's death.

November 28, 2006

Ober announces charges against the seven guards and one nurse. Each is charged with one count of manslaughter of a child.

March 27, 2007

The Bay County Sheriff's Office settles the wrongful death lawsuit filed by Anderson's family for $2.425 million. The state is expected to pay a remaining $5 million to the teen's parents.

May 23, 2007

Gov. Charlie Crist signs a claims bill, giving Anderson's parents a total $5 million settlement from the state. The same day, the Medical Examiners Commission votes not to recommend Siebert for reappointment when his term ends on June 30.

June 13, 2007

Medical Examiners Commission votes to remove Dr. Siebert from office over his work in the Martin Anderson autopsy. Specifically, the commission questions whether he actually performed some of the observations / procedures noted in the report. The complaint accuses Siebert of negligence in his duties, in violation of Florida law.

June 19, 2007

State Attorney Steve Meadows appoints Siebert as interim medical examiner.

September 24, 2007

Jury selection scheduled to begin. The Bay County Clerk of Courts office summons 1,450 residents to the Marina Civic Center over a week of proceedings.

October 3, 2007

The trial for the eight defendants begins.

Additionally (added by CAICA):

October 12, 2007

All eight defendants were acquitted; Florida University students protest

From WMBB News 13's Coverage of the Martin Lee Anderson case and trial