Fallen "American Idol" star Jessica Sierra stood in a courtroom Thursday morning, trying in vain to cover the worried look on her face with her long brown hair. ...more

December 7, 2007

TAMPA - Fallen "American Idol" star Jessica Sierra stood in the courtroom this morning, her long brown hair covering the worried look on her face. Her attorney, John Fitzgibbons, told Circuit Judge Daniel Perry that he wasn't ready to directly address the charges against Sierra but would enter a plea of not guilty on her behalf to charges of disorderly intoxication and misdemeanor resisting an officer without violence. ...more

December 6, 2007

A former analyst for a St. Petersburg check authorizing company has agreed to plead guilty to stealing more than 8.4 million consumer records that were sold to direct marketers. ...more

November 16, 2007

TAMPA - A former analyst for a St. Petersburg check authorizing company has agreed to plead guilty to stealing more than 8.4 million consumer records that were sold to direct marketers. ...more

November 15, 2007

SEBRING — A St. Petersburg woman was sentenced Monday afternoon to three and a half years in prison for attempting to pass counterfeit checks at area businesses last fall. Jessica Elena Garcia, 22, who entered a guilty plea last May to charges of grand theft, possession of counterfeit payment instruments and forgery, received the three-year sentence after prosecutors told Judge Peter Estrada that she was willing to cooperate with them if her co-defendant's case would've gone to trial. Michael Anthony Rosales, of Zolfo Springs, and Garcia were arrested last November after Sebring Police Cpl. Vivian Buck questioned them. Rosales allegedly supplied Garcia with a counterfeit check for $465 to cash at L & M Food Store, located at 1411 Roseland Ave. Garcia was previously in prison on grand theft and burglary charges in Hardee County, and had only been free for 28 days before her arrest with Rosales. Because of parole violations following her Sebring arrest, Garcia received a 44-month prison sentence in Hardee, which Estrada used to sentence her consecutively for the bogus check charges. Because of Garcia's willingness to cooperate with state attorneys, Rosales entered a guilty plea last week at the Highlands County Courthouse and received a 10-year prison sentence from Estrada. ...more

October 30, 2007

An appeals court has upheld the 30-year probation violation sentence for convicted child killer Lionel Tate, setting the stage for a trial on robbery charges that could add life in prison. ...more

October 26, 2007

Lawyer John Fitzgibbons notified a judge Wednesday morning that he officially is representing a University of South Florida student accused of helping terrorists. ...more

October 25, 2007

TAMPA - Lawyer John Fitzgibbons notified a judge this morning that he officially is representing a University of South Florida student accused of helping terrorists. ...more

October 24, 2007

SEBRING — Michael Anthony Rosales, of Zolfo Springs, was sentenced Monday morning to 10 years in prison for charges of fraud, grand theft and forgery for possessing bogus checks and trying to cash them at local businesses last fall. ...more

October 23, 2007

A man accused of raping his daughter and posting videos of the abuse online was arraigned Friday after returning to the United States from Hong Kong. ...more

October 20, 2007