After two suspects with extensive criminal histories were apprehended for robbing an Amazon delivery driver at gunpoint last month, Florida State Attorney Monique Worrell and Rep. Rachel Plakon are advocating changes in the criminal justice system, according to Fox 35 Orlando.
Arkimase Divinard, 23, and Joel Aime, 24, both convicted felons, were apprehended by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office on Jan. 13 after dashcam footage showed them threatening truck driver Louis Rodriguez with a gun before robbing the truck of at least 10 items. Rodriguez admitted to Fox 35 that he was terrified and prayed for his life. Thank goodness he wasn’t hurt physically.
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Following their identification, Orange County Sheriff John Mina stated that the two guys had a combined 85 criminal charges and 11 convictions, which Worrell and Plakon both deemed alarming.
According to Fox 35, Worrell remarked, “You say 87 arrests and just 11 convictions, but that doesn’t account for the fact that we don’t convict youngsters.”
Plakon, a state criminal justice committee member, added to Worrell’s concerns by stating that she planned to visit Tallahassee shortly to “find out what went wrong in this case.”
Plakon added, “We have a terrific legal system, but now and then, you uncover a loophole.” Worrell responded, “Exists a gap in the law? I would refer to it as a crack, and it is a crack that these people are slipping through at the expense of our neighborhood.”
Divinard and Aime, according to Worrell, are both mentally ill and have an extensive criminal history extending back to their early years. Divinard reportedly served six years of his juvenile life in an adult jail, was released, committed another crime, and then went back to an adult prison.
Worrell said, adding that she would like to see a change in how minors are sentenced, “These were individuals who, from a very young age, suffered from mental illness and weren’t effectively addressed.”
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“A child will only be held in custody for a maximum of 18 to 36 months. That is insufficient for rehabilitation goals when we witness an increase in the violent crimes committed by our youngsters.”
The state attorney added that she wants to see public safety issues addressed while addressing mental health issues.
Worrell proposed supplying the essential tools, so persons dealing with mental illness do not commit crimes again, thereby protecting the neighborhood from possible crimes.
She said, “it may mean that,” when a Fox 35 reporter questioned if that meant a secure facility.
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