Polk Correctional Facility on charges of fleeing and eluding a law enforcement officer - a third-degree felony - and reckless driving. Later that afternoon Dylan Lemma turned himself in at the John E. According to court records, Morales’ attorney said she would not be providing a statement to the Sheriff’s Office. Hours later it was determined that the Mustang belonged to Dylan Lemma the other car was being driven by his girlfriend, Alysha Morales, 18. The deputy did not chase after him because vehicle pursuits are not permitted for traffic violations. The deputy watched as the car made a “fishtail” movement and the teenager momentarily lost control, according to an arrest report. The deputy made a U-turn and turned on his emergency lights and sirens but Dylan Lemma continued speeding away. “Based on personal and professional experience … I observed both vehicles to be racing,” an arrest report said. The deputy saw a Nissan sedan and a new Ford Mustang, later revealed to belong to the sheriff’s son, Dylan Lemma. on Wednesday, a deputy heard the sound of two speeding cars near the intersection of East Lake Drive and Celestial Way. “The statute makes these records exempt from mandatory disclosure requirements, not confidential thus, an agency is not prohibited from disclosing the information in all circumstances,” the manual states.Īround 8 a.m. However, the Sunshine Manual notes that, while the exemption means agencies are not obligated to release such photos, they still have the option to do so. She said the photo was actually withheld under a different exemption, which protects “… the names, home addresses, telephone numbers, photographs, dates of birth, and places of employment of the spouses and children” of active or former law enforcement personnel. “It also appears to conflict with statements that this is going to be treated like any other case, because… in any other case the mugshot would be released.”Īfter this story was published online, Mendoza contacted the Orlando Sentinel to say that she erred in citing the insurance-related exemption. “We believe that there’s no reason why the Sheriff’s Office should be exempting a mugshot in this particular case, especially since they’ve already released personal information,” Block said. Block added that he finds it “perplexing” that the Sheriff’s Office cited the statute but released Dylan Lemma’s name, which Block said is “personal identifying information.” This does not serve the public interest of accountability.”īobby Block, the executive director of the First Amendment Foundation, said the Sheriff’s Office is citing an exemption that, in his team’s interpretation, does not apply. We are seeing an increase in the denial of access to public records whenever a law enforcement is involved in misconduct. Law enforcement officers are not entitled to secrecy when they violate the law. “The exemption prevents the release of a medical record, not a mugshot. “The Sheriff’s Office is wrong,” Barfield said in an email. In the release, she cited a Florida Statute that says, “Personal identifying information of a dependent child of a current or former officer or employee of an agency, which dependent child is insured by an agency group insurance plan, is exempt.” Mendoza confirmed that was the exemption the agency was citing in response to a follow-up email. However, Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Karla Mendoza in a press release, which included the sheriff’s statement, said Dylan Lemma’s mugshot would not be released. In a statement released hours after his son’s arrest, the sheriff said, “I firmly believe that my family should be held to the same standard as anyone else in the community, and while I love my son and family dearly, they too are not above the law.” The Seminole County Sheriff’s Office has withheld the mugshot of Sheriff Dennis Lemma’s 19-year-old son - who turned himself in on Wednesday after allegedly fleeing from a traffic stop - initially citing an exemption intended to protect medical information, which an SCSO spokesperson later said was a mistake.
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