Photos for Headline Surfer / Jeremiah Fuller, a 16 year-old juvenile was ordered held without bail by a juvenile judge Thursday on several felony charges related to car break-ins and possessing a stolen handgun allegedly taken in one of the motor vehicle break-ins. But that didn't stop Sheriff Mike Chitwood from taking to social media the very samr day and ripping Volusia County's juvenile judges on what ifs, a move seen by attorneys the internet news site spoke with as the sheriff attacking the judiciary clarly for his own political gain. As Headline Surfer's public safety analyst Jim Gillum explains below, Chitwood's not fooling anyone, adding in part, he's "just posturing to make 'waves' for more press -- free election coverage."HOLLY HILL, Fla. -- A 16-year-old suspect in a string of car breaks ran from Volusia County sheriff’s deputies, but was apprehended and arrested Wednesday night in Holly Hill while still carrying a gun stolen from one of the vehicles.
But the major focus of a Sheriff's Office press release on the news of this incident was Sheriff Mike Chitwood singling out juvenile judges for criticism.
Instead of crediting his deputies for making the successful arrest, Sheriff Mike Chitwood on Thursday used the apprehension of the teen, Jeremiah Fuller -- booked on multiple counts of armed burglary, burglary and grand theft of a firearm -- to instead attack the integrity of the 7th judicial circuit judges assigned to juvenile court in Volusia County.
And in yet another example of Chitwood using his office to promote his political agenda for re-election, his senior PIO, Andrew Gant, issued a press release on the arrest of the teen that had Chitwood calling on "juvenile judges in Volusia County to do more to prevent prolific juvenile offenders from reoffending without significant consequences."
“Our juvenile judges need to stop being friends to these thugs, and start handing down some real consequences for their actions,” Sheriff Chitwood was quoted as saying in the press release. “As long as juveniles get off easy for their crimes, we’ll continue to see them pillaging our community over and over. Maybe it will take someone getting killed in a gunpoint robbery before our juvenile court system takes action.”
Retired Pasco County Sheriff Jim Gillum, who lives in DeLand and was was among four candidates vying with Chitwood for the elected post in 2016, said Chitwood isn't fooling anyone here, adding his criticism of the judges is a continuation of the first-term sheriff's grandstanding for his own political gain in 2020.
"Chitwood's just posturing to make 'waves' for more press -- free election coverage," said Gillum, an expert analyst for Headline Surfer, "knowing full well that the judges have to follow statutes in how they deal with accused juvenile offenders who come before them."
Retired Pasco County Sheriff Jim Gillum, who lives in DeLand and was was among four candidates vying with Chitwood for the elected post in 2016, said Chitwood isn't fooling anyone here, adding his criticism of the judges is a continuation of the first-term sheriff's grandstanding for his own political gain in 2020.
"Chitwood's just posturing to make 'waves' for more press -- free election coverage," said Gillum, an expert analyst on public safety and related political issues, "knowing full well that the judges have to follow statutes in how they deal with accused juvenile offenders who come before them."
Several attorneys Headline Surfer reached out to and who agreed to comment on condition of anonymity, said there's no evidence to back Chitwood's claim that the judges are chummy with this troubled teen or any other juvenile before them adding his comments are reckless.
"These juvenile judges deal in factual allegations and follow the law," said one defense attorney, adding, "not the political rhetoric and the rants of a politician looking to get re-elected by fanning the flames of fear and baseless speculation." And this one attorney in particular believes Chitwood's use of the term "thugs" in describing the situation, is nothing less than a racially charged code for the N-word. The youth arrested Wednesday is African-American.
Headline Surfer also reached out to Ludmilla Lelis, spokeswoman for Chief Judge Raul Zambrano for the names of the circuit judges in Volusia County assigned to juvenile court and for his response to Chitwood's attack on the juvenile judges without naming them.
The judges who have juvenile division assignments are Circuit Judges Kathleen McNeilly, Mary Jolley, and Linda Gaustad, Lelis said.
"The Court is unable to comment on a pending case," Lelis said in response to Chitwood's criticism related to the arrest of the 16-year-old referenced by Chitwood.
Chitwood did not respond to Headline Surfer's contention that his criticism of the judges was nothing more than promotion of his bid for re-election as cited by attorneys and others. Chitwood in a phone interview with the Daytona Beach News-Journal acknowledged that a judge ordered Fuller held without bond on Thursday, but added he expects the teen to be released at a future hearing.
“It seems like we have a bunch of judges that are bleeding hearts who think by showing these kids some compassion they are somehow going to turn their life around,” Chitwood said, according to the daily newspaper. “That’s not how it works in the real world. In the real world, there’s a carrot and there’s a stick.”
Chitwood added, "If you want to be the kid’s friend, adopt him, be his foster parent, let him hang around your kid and let him hang around your neighborhood -- when he walks out the door at 3 a.m. and breaks into 15 cars and steals firearms.”
Fuller (DOB 2/19/03) was arrested 10 p.m. Wednesday after he left the Blue Tide Apartments at 311 Riverside Drive in Holly Hill. Fuller bolted from members of a VCSO Crime Suppression Team as they approached, and he ran into the road and in front of a moving patrol vehicle.
Fuller was hit by a patrol vehicle, but had only minor injuries and refused any medical treatment, according to the press release. He was carrying a Glock handgun reported stolen from an unlocked pickup truck in Deltona on June 13, according to the press release.
Fuller was charged with two counts of armed burglary, two counts of grand theft firearm, four counts of burglary of a conveyance, carrying a concealed firearm and possession with intent to sell a synthetic narcotic.
Fuller was already on probation for three counts of burglary, committed his first crime at the age of 13 and has been arrested eight times on felony charges since then, the press release pointed out. He was ordered held without bail in the county's juvenile detention center.