By Joanna Putman
Police1
FORT PIERCE, Fla. —A Florida judge criticized Sheriff Keith Pearson’s social media posts during a hearing regarding a potential gag order on the sheriff’s future online content, WPTV reported.
The St. Lucie County sheriff has recently garnered attention by posting short-form videos after catching suspects, often featuring the cuffed suspect in the video. The videos range from 7,000 to more than 200,000 views on Facebook. Some of the video series are also posted on TikTok and on Instagram, where one video reached 134,000 likes.
The hearing was initiated by Attorney Ashley Minton, who represents Michael Dorst, who was featured in Pearson’s “Turn Yourself In Tuesday” segment, according to the report. During the segment, Pearson reads out the name of someone in the county who has a warrant, the associated charge and the suspect’s last known location before encouraging anyone familiar with the suspect to pass along information to the sheriff’s office.
“If have an outstanding warrant for your arrest and you don’t want to become Facebook-famous, come down to [the station] and turn yourself in…If you need a ride, give us a call,” Pearson said during one “Turn Yourself In Tuesday” video. “I’d be happy to send someone to pick you up.”
The video includes a clip of a cell door closing with the caption “Reserve your spot today.”
Minton argued that the posts jeopardize Dorst’s right to a fair trial, according to the report. She learned of the warrant for Dorst through social media, expressing surprise as the warrant was not public record. She contended that the video implied Dorst was evading law enforcement, which she stated was untrue.
Minton requested a gag order to prevent the sheriff from commenting on Dorst’s case on social media, according to the report.
While Circuit Judge Michael Heisey did not grant the gag order, he did not rule out the possibility of issuing one in the future, according to the report. Heisey rebuked the sheriff’s conduct, stating, “[Nowhere] do I see where I am directing Pearson to make an immature, unprofessional, downright asinine video about Mr. Dorst.”
Counsel for the sheriff’s office argued that they were fulfilling their statutory duty to serve the warrant, according to the report.
“Whether reporting arrests live from the scene of a crime, notifying the public of active warrants, or highlighting the amazing work of the dedicated men and women of the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office, this agency’s utilization of social media has proven effective,” Pearson stated.
