A Message from the State Attorney |
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Dear Friend,
As your State Attorney, I have had the opportunity to speak to people throughout the various neighborhoods of our great community. No matter what section of the county we live in, we all have similar hopes and concerns. We want to be able to live, work, play, and raise our families in safe neighborhoods.
My office and I are committed to public service and to you and your safety. We always aim to balance our core values of enforcing the law while acting with fairness, integrity, and justice in our search for the truth.
The honor of serving the people also comes with a great responsibility. That is why I have always been proud of the women and men that work at the State Attorney’s Office. Each individual is critical to fulfilling our primary mission, which is to protect and defend the community, while upholding and enforcing the law.
Our victim witness counselors, paralegals, secretaries, and Child Support Program (CSP) analysts are essential and critical to fulfilling our vision and mission. They work directly with our prosecutors, victims, witnesses, next-of-kin and parents. Their efforts impact the lives of individuals, families, and our entire community.
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We are always looking for passionate and service-oriented individuals to join our office which I know to be the Best Team in America. Last month, we held our first SAO Recruitment and Job Fair. Qualified candidates were able go through the entire interview process in one day. Of the 67 candidates that participated, 56 were offered conditional offers of employment!
The event was so successful that we are very excited to announce we will be hosting our 2nd SAO Recruitment and Job Fair on Friday March 10, 2023, from 9am-2pm. During this event, we will again be conducting interviews and making same-day conditional offers in an effort to fill vacancies from clerical to victim advocate positions.
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The event was so successful that we are very excited to announce that we will be hosting our 2nd SAO Recruitment and Job Fair on Friday March 10, 2023, from 9am-2pm. During this event, we will again be conducting interviews and making same-day conditional offers in an effort to fill vacancies from clerical to victim advocate positions.
The event will be held at the Child Support Building site though we are recruiting for vacant positions at all our other buildings. For more information on available positions, please click here.
I ask you to please share the flyer for this event with your family and friends and on your social media accounts.
We thank you in advance for helping make our upcoming SAO Recruitment and Job Fair another successful one!
Thank you and God Bless,
Sincerely,
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SAO Celebrates Black History Month |
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Black History Month Luncheon |
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State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle and our entire SAO team honor the merits and accomplishments of our African American community during Black History Month.
Each year, our office celebrates this important month with events highlighting significant milestones in black history, displaying portraits of our own community’s prominent African American attorneys and judges, and enjoying authentic African American ceremonies and diverse cuisines as we pay tribute to the generations of African Americans who have struggled with adversity to achieve full citizenship in American society.
Founded by our very own Chief Assistant Don L. Horn along with SAO Alumna Natasha West, the SAO Black History Month Celebration has become one of the most anticipated events of the year.
Our annual BHM Month Luncheon was a success, bringing together members from all our SAO buildings. The catered menu consisted of traditional Soul Food and desserts baked by our very own SAO Alumna Ms. Lily Stockton. The delicious meal was accompanied by a moving program with powerful poetry readings from 7th grader Paris Neufville (My History by Daniela Gonyoe) and 2nd & 4th graders respectively, Amia Neufville & Saraiya Neufville, (Brown Girl, Brown Girl by Lesle Honore). Spoken word artist Rebecca Butterfly Vaughns performed “Thin Lines”, and a parade of Afrocentric attire brought the crowd together as they cheered and applauded for their favorite outfits.
State Attorney Fernandez Rundle delivered the closing remarks and presented Chief Assistant Horn with a plaque in honor of his dedication and commitment to amplifying the contributions and history of African Americans in our legal system through his work on our BHM Committee.
The afternoon concluded with a special rendition of “Unforgettable” by Chief Assistant Horn singing with ASA Rachael Singer accompanied by ASA Melanie Stewart on the keyboard.
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H.T. Smith,
Guest Speaker at BHM Grand Finale
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For our SAO Black History Month Grand Finale, we were honored to welcome one of the most prominent and committed advocates in our community, our SAO friend and colleague, H.T. Smith, who graced us as our Guest Speaker.
For decades, Mr. Smith has championed civil rights in our courts and led proactive campaigns for equal justice in our community. He shared stories of how difficult it was for African Americans to participate in the criminal justice system in positions as law enforcement and lawyers. It was important to hear his firsthand experience of practicing law in a segregated courthouse and system. Though he and others faced blatant discrimination, his drive, dedication, and legal ability, has created a lasting legacy.
We were honored to hear from Mr. Smith, a truly proven, valued, and highly respected member of our legal community and our entire Miami-Dade community.
We would like to recognize the work of the members of the BHM Committee that made this year’s celebration a success: Don L. Horn, Yaneth Baez, Stacy Cleveland, Pam Bull, Anya James, Harry C. Fisher, Mario Gonzalez, Sandra Lawrence, Tricia Maria Walton, Ashleen Senexant, Gina Douillon, Kenneth Johnson, Kesia Moreno, La’Tiara Calloway, Michaela Ferlow, Natasha Mathurin, Sandra Miller-Batiste, Sharrveta Rahming, Lauren Gutierrez, Rachael Singer, Anthony Moser, Melanie Stewart, Marie Jo Toussaint, George Washington, and Kenneth Johnson.
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"Miami-Style Smart Justice"
Featured At
National Crime Fighters Conference
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State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle was honored to participate in the National Crime Fighters Conference sponsored by The Partnership for Policing Innovation and Reform’s Policing Lab, and hosted by the City of Miami Police Department, sharing her “Miami-Style Smart Justice” presentation.
“Public safety is the most important priority for as we strive to prevent and deter crime,” said State Attorney Fernandez Rundle. “We work with and prosecute people as individuals, staying abreast of the research, including the emerging literature on neuroscience, and employing evidence-based practices. We systematically assess and address offenders’ criminogenic needs, rather than just their actions, and maximize limited public resources available; and we do so simultaneously. Protecting the community and serving victims are key priorities.”
The two day national conference brought together police leaders, academics, and analysts from over thirty jurisdictions through collaboration with the Bureau of Justice Assistance’s National Public Safety Partnership to highlight innovative policing strategies and provide an opportunity for all in law enforcement to network and share best practices.
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SAO Human Trafficking Outreach |
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National Council of Jewish Women,
"To Stop Online Predators"
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State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle was honored to be the featured Speaker at a Forum hosted by the National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) at Temple Judea focusing on ways to protect ourselves and our children against online predators.
The State Attorney was joined by Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, SAO Cybercrimes Unit Division Chief Stewart Hedrick, and members of our Human Trafficking Unit and Task Force, for an informative and important discussion on Human Trafficking and Sextortion. The event audience included NCJW members, families and community residents who were provided with tips on what parents, grandparents and others can do to safeguard their lives and the lives of their families and community when online, particularly on social media, and on what NCJW can do to help our community in our efforts to combat Human Trafficking.
The NCJW is a grassroots organization of volunteers and advocates who turn progressive ideals into action. Inspired by Jewish values, NCJW strives for social justice by improving the quality of life for women, children, and families and by safeguarding individual rights and freedom.
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Miami-Dade County Commission for Women and
Domestic Violence Oversight Board
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State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle and members of her Human Trafficking Unit and Task Force were delighted to host the members of the Miami-Dade County Commission for Women and the Miami-Dade County Domestic Violence Oversight Board for a tour of our Human Trafficking Building.
The five-story building is believed to be the first of its kind; dedicated to human trafficking investigations and services and housing our Task Force and partners.
The building was designed with the goal of creating a single doorway to focus efforts and resources in one location and to facilitate information sharing.
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Students Join Efforts to
Combat Human Trafficking
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Human Trafficking Unit Victim Specialist Tanya-Jean Gennusa conducted a presentation at Doral Academy Preparatory School on our office's robust efforts to combat Human Trafficking.
The tour was organized by the Student Chairman of the Social Reform School at Doral Academy, Anthony Dominguez, an aspiring attorney who hopes to intern with us at the SAO next year, and Advanced Placement English teacher Jeffrey Dearing.
Seventy students signed up for the after school program to learn about Human Trafficking and heard from members of our Human Trafficking Task Force and special guest speaker, Gloria Martinez, Director of The Tree Of Life Parenting Center.
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Women of Tomorrow Visit SAO |
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State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle proudly hosted various groups of students from a number of schools who participate in Women of Tomorrow. The tours were coordinated by the Executive Director of Women of Tomorrow (WOT), Anita Mattner.
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The first group to tour our office and the Courts was from Young Women's Preparatory Academy (YWPA). They visited former prosecutor and current Circuit Court Judge Lody Jean's courtroom and witnessed an Arraignment calendar, during which they were able to see Prosecutors and Defense Attorneys at work. They received a presentation from the Department of Corrections before returning to the SAO to meet with State Attorney Fernandez Rundle.
YWPA is a grade 6-12 magnet school for girls located in Little Havana and is a part of Miami-Dade County Public Schools. It was the first public school established in South Florida that was only for girls.
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We were also delighted to host a group of young ladies from Miami Killian Senior High School for a similar tour.
The ladies visited Circuit Court Judge Marisa Tinkler-Mendez’ courtroom and were then treated with a presentation by State Attorney Fernandez Rundle and Human Trafficking Unit Director Brenda Mezick, who provided the group with valuable insight and awareness information on Human Trafficking.
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We also hosted another group of young ladies from Felix Varela Senior High School. They visited Judge Ellen Sue Venzer’s courtroom and watched a diverse calendar call and the students saw up close and personal situations and their consequences. At the end of the calendar session, Judge Venzer spoke to the students on the importance of ensuring that everyone receive a fair and just legal process, concentrating on serving justice.
Afterwards, the students visited the SAO with Misdemeanor Domestic Crimes Division Chief Yaneth Baez. Ms. Baez shared information on the different aspects of a crime classified as “Domestic” and her presentation honed in on hard work, overcoming life obstacles, and her passion and energy as a public servant. She connected with the students while sharing her personal life challenges that she overcame, always working hard and moving forward.
WOT was established 25 years ago, created by State Attorney Fernandez Rundle, Television Journalist and Author Jennifer Valoppi and former Telemundo Network President Don Browne.
WOT Pairs extremely accomplished professional women with small groups of at-risk teenage girls in public high schools for monthly mentoring sessions. The program is a three to four year mentoring program with mentors who are highly accomplished professional women and include judges, doctors, lawyers, airplane pilots, newscasters, executives, and entrepreneurs.
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State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle
Hosts General Consul of Ireland
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State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle was honored to host the Consul General of Ireland in Miami Sarah Kavanagh and Counsellor for Justice and Home Affairs Simon Nix from Washington, DC, for a meeting with members of our Leadership Team to discuss our efforts to combat human trafficking and opioids in our community.
The State Attorney was very pleased to have their support and we look forward to working with them on important issues of great community concern.
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Community Outreach in Action |
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Community Outreach Representative Janeen Jones participated in an event hosted by the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice's Office of Prevention Services C.O.R.E. held at the Senior Family Center in Miami Gardens.
The event, at which Assistant Secretary of Prevention Services Alice B. Sims attended, aims to build and enhance strong positive relationships among families, communities, and providers by strengthening support systems that are beneficial and valuable to our youth and families.
For more information about our programs or to request our participation in a community event, please call 305-547-0724 or send an email to Communityoutreach@miamisao.com
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Another truly successful Sealing & Expungement Program event at Miami Vineland Church with our community partners!
Our SAO Community Outreach team was honored to have our Interim Miami-Dade Clerk of Court Luis Montaldo, one of our former prosecutors and esteemed colleague, and members of his staff join us as we assisted 68 individuals, 43 of whom were eligible to seal or expunge their criminal case. That's 63%!
The State Attorney’s “Second Chance” Sealing and Expungement Program helps individuals arrested in Miami-Dade County for certain low-level offenses obtain court orders sealing and/or expunging their records. This enhances these individuals’ career, educational, and housing opportunities.
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Community Outreach Representative Angie Fernandez conducted a S.T.A.R.T. Program presentation to over 65 9th to 12th grade students at Ronald W. Reagan Doral Senior High School.
State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle established a robust Community Outreach Division with Outreach Representatives who avail themselves to community groups, service agencies and schools to share valuable information about Child Internet Safety, ID Theft and Fraud, Second Chance Program, Human Trafficking, Elder Abuse, and other educational presentations created for crime prevention and safety.
For more information about our programs or to schedule a presentation, please call 305-547-0724 or send an email to Communityoutreach@miamisao.com
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Kioceaia Stenson,
Assistant Chief,
Career Criminal/ Robbery
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This month we highlight a distinguished
member of our SAO family.
We present our SAO Profile in Passion -
Kioceaia Stenson.
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