ORLANDO, Fla. — Newly appointed State Attorney Andrew Bain handed down new policies for law enforcement on “force cases” and how they are used with grand juries.

What You Need To Know

  • State Attorney Andrew Bain has handed down new policies for law enforcement in “force cases”
  • One local attorney says the new policy is nothing new for the grand jury system already in place

  • Bain was appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis to replace elected State Attorney Monique Worrell after he removed her from office

"We have implemented a more transparent process by involving a grand jury in these cases," Bain said Thursday. "In the new policy, these cases will be thoroughly reviewed and presented to the grand jury to ensure community transparency and timely outcome for both victims, law enforcement, families and the community."

But one local attorney says these procedures will not make a difference, and argued they are being put in place for political reasons.

Attorney Jacob Stuart, of the Stuart & Stuart law firm in Orlando, read the four-page procedure changes given to the media by the State Attorney’s Office Thursday morning.

“From my point of view, someone that has represented many law enforcement officers who have been accused of doing things — in the line of duty and outside the line of duty —  creating a new special grand jury system is a political ploy that takes away from what the state attorney is,” Stuart said.

The trial attorney has handled “forced cases” over the years including the State of Florida vs. Frank Sikos, where an Orlando police officer was accused of putting his hands on a man’s neck. 

He was indicted by a grand jury and later offered pre-trial diversion under now-suspended State Attorney Monique Worrell.

“And i want to remind everyone when they are thinking about his new idea, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, which is like Florida’s FBI, already has a system in place," Stuart said. "Anytime a law enforcement officer in all of Florida’s 67 counties, uses deadly force, or force that can intentionally kill someone, they already have a process in place for that.”

This lawyer says the changes concerning grand juries and the use of force is not new. 

And he only wants the system to be fair to all parties involved.

“From my perspective, whether it’s law enforcement or someone off the street or anyone in between, that you get a fair shake at things,” Stuart said.