Monroe County State Attorney Dennis Ward joined Good Morning Keys on Keys Talk 96.9/102.5FM this morning to talk about what’s going on in the county.
Ward serves as state attorney for Florida’s 16th Judicial Circuit.
With an execution scheduled for November 19 in a 1991 double homicide in the Upper Keys, Ward discussed the lengthy legal process and the impact it has had on the victims’ family.
The case involved the rape and strangulation of a pregnant woman. Her baby survived for approximately 30 minutes after her death.
Ward said the defendant has continued filing motions and pursuing legal challenges, with multiple attorneys and legal organizations representing him.
“We get like three or four motions every day. One day we got like six,” Ward said.
He said the case dates back more than three decades, with the defendant eventually convicted in 1999 and sentenced to death.
Ward expressed frustration with the amount of time it takes for death penalty cases to reach their conclusion, particularly when victims’ families have spent years attending court proceedings.
“You look at their ages and even the defendant’s age. I think he’s made it to 70 already,” Ward said.
He added that the lengthy process creates substantial costs for taxpayers.
“They need to do something to expedite these things, and the cost to the taxpayers and what have you is just enormous,” he said.
Ward also discussed another upcoming execution involving the murder of his longtime friend, North Miami police officer Steven Bauer.
Bauer was working an off-duty security assignment at a bank when he was ambushed by several men and shot.
Ward, who grew up in North Miami, said he and Bauer had been close friends, attending Miami Dolphins games together and participating on softball and flag football teams.
“Just a really great guy. Left behind three kids,” Ward said.
He said one of the men involved in Bauer’s murder is scheduled for execution, while another remains on death row awaiting an execution warrant.
Ward said the two cases demonstrate the need to examine Florida’s capital punishment process and find ways to move cases forward more efficiently.
Turning to technology used by law enforcement, Ward strongly defended the use of Flock license plate reader cameras, describing them as one of the most effective tools available to police.
He said the cameras help officers identify vehicles connected to people driving without valid licenses, individuals with suspended licenses, outstanding warrants and other law enforcement alerts.
“It’s probably one of the best law enforcement tools that have ever been developed,” Ward said.
He pointed to a case involving a defendant who fled Florida rather than appear in court on the final day of his trial. Authorities eventually located the individual in Laredo, Texas, using license plate reader technology. Federal marshals subsequently apprehended him.
Ward acknowledged that concerns about potential law enforcement abuse are legitimate but said his office has pursued criminal charges against officers who improperly use the technology.
“I just don’t tolerate it because it’s such a good tool,” he said. “To have these guys come in and do things like that, it just takes away from our ability to keep the public and our community safer.”
He estimated his office has handled five or six cases involving misuse of the technology, with some defendants receiving prison or jail sentences and others being placed on probation.
Ward said he hopes lawmakers will consider establishing additional safeguards rather than eliminating the technology altogether.
“There’s got to be a discussion on this. Maybe the legislature will do something and put in some guardrails, so we can continue to keep our communities as safe as we possibly can,” he said.
Ward also raised concerns about private companies using information collected through the cameras for commercial purposes.
He questioned what he described as inconsistencies in concerns about surveillance, pointing to other widely used camera systems, including toll booths, red-light cameras and school bus cameras.
He noted that those systems also collect images and identifying information, often for revenue-generating purposes.
Methamphetamine remains a significant drug enforcement problem in the Florida Keys.
Ward’s office works closely with the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office and Key West Police Department on drug investigations, search warrants and arrests and his office previously worked with the sheriff’s office to pursue first-degree murder charges in several fentanyl-related deaths against individuals who supplied the drugs.
He believes those prosecutions helped reduce fentanyl trafficking in the area, although methamphetamine remains a serious concern.
“The meth is still out there, and the meth is, I think, it seems to be our biggest problem right now,” Ward said.
He said the agencies will continue working together to disrupt drug transactions and hold dealers accountable.
“We can listen in on jail calls and what have you, and we’ve heard it time and time again, ‘Hey, don’t come down here and sell this stuff because these guys are taking serious prison time on people,'” Ward said.
Ward also discussed the recent sentencing of former Monroe County Fire Rescue EMS and Trauma Star Division Chief Andrea Thompson.
Thompson was sentenced October 29 by Circuit Judge Mark Jones to six years of probation, 60 days in the Monroe County Jail and 200 hours of community service after a jury convicted her of 10 criminal charges, including seven felonies.
The case stemmed from a 2022 investigation into missing controlled substances from the county’s Trauma Star air ambulance program.
The investigation initially encountered obstacles but eventually moved forward after his office issued subpoenas and presented evidence to a grand jury.
The former chief flight nurse, who had been stealing drugs, agreed to cooperate with prosecutors after entering a plea.
Ward said Thompson chose to take the case to trial and was convicted on all counts.
He also questioned the conduct of other officials involved in the investigation, including former County Administrator Roman Gastesi, who was among those indicted in connection with the case.
Ward said the defense attempted to introduce a statement from Gastesi as newly discovered evidence during the sentencing proceedings. However, he questioned the circumstances surrounding the statement and said he did not believe it provided substantial support for the defense’s arguments.
The case illustrates the importance of accountability among people serving in positions of public trust.
“With that comes a sense of responsibility, a duty to perform your job,” Ward said.
He added that public officials cannot allow personal relationships to interfere with their responsibilities.
“You can look out for your friends, but you got to do everything above board,” Ward said.
The misconduct was particularly troubling because of the importance of the Trauma Star program to Monroe County residents.
“That Trauma Star program is a great program, and to tarnish it like that is unconscionable,” Ward said.
The case is expected to continue through the appellate process.
Ward also discussed the recent sentencing of a 62-year-old woman who received 20 months in Florida State Prison after pleading no contest to charges involving the exploitation and theft of an elderly woman suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.
The victim had been found wandering in a Key West parking lot and showing signs of neglect. The defendant had been responsible for her care and allegedly misrepresented herself as a nurse.
Ward said financial exploitation cases are especially difficult because victims frequently never recover the money that was stolen.
“The problem with 95% of these cases is that these people will never see the money that they’ve lost. They’ll never get it back,” Ward said.
Prosecutors sometimes seek additional jail time when restitution is unlikely, particularly when the victims are vulnerable residents.
Ward also highlighted his office’s work with law enforcement on crimes involving the area’s natural resources, including illegal harvesting of undersized or over-limit lobster.
He said cooperation between his office and local law enforcement agencies remains important in protecting the community and holding offenders accountable.
As Veterans Day approaches, Ward also reminded residents that November 10 marks the 251st birthday of the United States Marine Corps. A celebration is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the VFW Post at the Armory near mile marker 102.
The annual Monroe County Veterans Day ceremony will follow November 11 at the Murray Government Center.
Ward, a former Marine and law enforcement officer, thanked residents for recognizing those who have served.
He also encouraged residents to contact his office if they have questions or concerns, noting that he regularly makes himself available to members of the public.