Sheriff Pushes ‘Ladarius Clardy Act’ With Tougher Penalties For Drive-By Shootings

January 6, 2024

Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons is calling for the Legislature to pass a bill providing tougher penalties for drive-by shootings.

House Bill 807 and Senate Bill 1050, dubbed the Ladarius Clardy Act, have been filed in an attempt to prevent and reduce drive-by shootings in Florida.

Simmons has also recommended naming the legislation after Ladarius (LD) Clardy. In July of 2021, LD Clardy was shot and killed in a drive-by shooting, though he was not the intended target.

Simmons approached the local legislative delegation with the idea and Repr. Michelle Salzman was able to get a sponsor for the potential legislation. Currently, House Bill 807 and Senate Bill 1050 are working their way through the Legislature. These similar bills, if passed, would create the Ladarius Clardy Act and provide for appropriate penalties.

Comments

13 Responses to “Sheriff Pushes ‘Ladarius Clardy Act’ With Tougher Penalties For Drive-By Shootings”

  1. Me on January 9th, 2024 2:56 pm

    I appreciate this, however, the punishment never fits the crimes around here as it is. Stiffer penalties, sure, if actually convicted of it and not plea down to a lesser charge. There is no accountability around these parts.

  2. Steve on January 8th, 2024 11:04 pm

    considering the human factor in all these incidents of drive by shootings this looks like a perfect plan

  3. Kane on January 8th, 2024 1:55 pm

    You are technically correct (the best kind of correct) David I misspoke Rick Scott signed Senate bill 228 into law in 2016 which overturned Not repealed the 10 20 life law. As far as I can tell however it is not on the books in any form.

  4. David Huie Green on January 7th, 2024 5:52 pm

    REGARDING:
    “Rick Scott repealed that law in 2016 because it was sending people to prison for 20 years for charges such as “discharging a firearm in public” when defending their property or self.”

    The governor lacks power to make law or eliminate existing laws. He or she can request changes. A modified 10-20-Life is still on the books.

    David for better people

  5. TB on January 7th, 2024 10:48 am

    Sheriff, I appreciate you bringing the weakness and laziness of our court system to light, we’re tired of 10 time felons killing people and getting slaps on the wrist.
    Cut and dried 1st degree premeditated murder in front of witnesses and lazy court system letting them “Plea deal” to a lesser sentence.
    I say we need to reactivate the death penalty and clear out “Death row” then we’ll start having more room in the prisons.
    People, we need to reform our judicial system.

  6. SD on January 6th, 2024 5:05 pm

    The law texting and driving needs to be heavily enforced Innocent people are dying because of texting and driving people have no respect for the law People are texting and driving regular smoking their dope regular The passing car’s reaps of marijuana driving while smoking is against the law people these are laws that need to be enforced this is my personal opinion Laws that are already in effect need to be enforced

  7. Kane on January 6th, 2024 2:55 pm

    Hey Eric M!! Rick Scott repealed that law in 2016 because it was sending people to prison for 20 years for charges such as “discharging a firearm in public” when defending their property or self. Such as the Jacksonville Fl woman that was sentenced under the 10 20 life law in 2012 for firing a warning shot to ward off her abusive husband.

    Furthermore, that law as was originally intended to help protect convivence store clerks. Back in the 80s and 90s it was incredibly dangerous to be a clerk especially a female clerk here in Florida. There were multiple rapes, robberies, kidnappings, murders, shootings targeting convivence store clerks all across our great state.

    Clerks were an easy target because they were often either isolated on lonely roads or were targeted because night shift employees often worked alone especially in the 80s. The government then decided they needed to do something about it and so enacted the 10 20 life law in 1999 and it was a Mandatory sentence.

    The trouble with the law itself is that it was coopted as zero tolerance law and applied to all crimes involving guns not just violent crimes allowing disparity into the sentencing phase.

  8. Eric M on January 6th, 2024 1:17 pm

    How about we enforce laws already on thr books? We have the 10-20-life law, if only the weak prosecutors and judges would actually do their jobs.

    Minimum sentences for certain felonies:

    10 years: Producing a firearm
    20 years: Firing the gun
    25 years to life: Shooting someone

    Start enforcing laws and throwing these scum bags in prison.

  9. Alan on January 6th, 2024 12:08 pm

    @Niknak50 @good intent … Exactly what I was going to say. If laws prevented crime, including the death penalty, there wouldn’t be any.

  10. good intent on January 6th, 2024 11:01 am

    Good intent but that’s all it is. Laws are great and we need to have them, but creating a new law on the premise of preventing or reducing something is just spinning wheels.

    These are criminals we are talking about. No law or group of laws is going to prevent this kind of thing. Just like no gun law is going to prevent criminals from obtaining a weapon and using it in a crime because they don’t care about laws.

    What needs to be addressed is: “Why are these people choosing to be criminals in the first place”

  11. Niknak50 on January 6th, 2024 10:04 am

    I assure you the element that commits drive by shootings is not concerned how “tough” a law is. Neither will it prevent a single shooting. The law never enters their mind, which is WHY they do what they do. “He’s not a dog because he barks, he barks because he IS a dog”

  12. Henry on January 6th, 2024 9:56 am

    Good work sheriff.

  13. JTV on January 6th, 2024 8:04 am

    Good luck with that Sheriff. Lazy prosecutors and weak judges have the laws they need to go as far as the death penalty. They choose to take plea bargains for lesser charges and punishment.

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