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Lafave's Hearing Postponed
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Published: December 19, 2007
TAMPA - Reporters and television cameras packed the courthouse Tuesday as Debra Lafave walked through the building, her attorney and parents at her side.
Minutes later, the show was over - her hearing postponed until Jan. 10.
Lafave's attorney, John Fitzgibbons, told the judge Tuesday that he was prepared to fight allegations that his 27-year-old client violated house arrest by speaking privately with a 17-year-old girl. The two worked together at a Sun City Center restaurant.
Lafave, who pleaded guilty in 2005 to charges that she had sex with a 14-year-old boy, is not allowed to be alone with anyone younger than 18.
Assistant State Attorney Rita Peters told Circuit Judge J. Rogers Padgett that the 17-year-old was not in court Tuesday. The new hearing date was set so she could be present and could testify.
After the hearing, Assistant State Attorney Pam Bondi said prosecutors expected Fitzgibbons to ask the judge to dismiss the charges. Two probation officers were present to argue that the charges should not be dropped. When Fitzgibbons instead asked for a hearing, they realized they needed the 17-year-old.
Outside the courtroom, Fitzgibbons said he looks forward to presenting his case.
"We are going to vigorously, and I mean vigorously, contest these unfounded allegations against Debbie," he said.
Lafave, a former English teacher at Greco Middle School, was arrested June 21, 2004, after a 14-year-old student's mother called police to report that Lafave was having sex with her son.
By November 2005, the mother said she did not want her son to testify in court. She agreed to a plea deal in which Lafave would be sentenced to three years of house arrest and seven years of probation.
A provision of the deal allowed Lafave to commute the third year of house arrest to probation if she completed the first year with no violations. Her attorney was about to file papers asking for Lafave's release from house arrest when she was jailed Dec. 4.
A probation officer says Lafave had private, non-work-related conversations with the 17-year-old girl at Danny Boy's Restaurant. Court records show that Lafave and the teen discussed "family problems, friends, high school, personal life, boyfriend issues and sexual issues."
On Saturday, the teenage girl released a statement through her attorneys that criticizes the Florida Department of Corrections.
The attorneys describe the conversations between the 17-year-old and Lafave as "customary, age appropriate in nature, nonoffensive and typical" of work-related and personal talk between co-workers.
Reporter Thomas W. Krause can be reached at (813) 259-7698 or tkrause@tampatrib.com.
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Reader Comments
Posted by ( maniackilla2007 ) on December 19, 2007 at 6:35 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Say what bobo? Lets go ahead and change your name to BOZO.... Way to show that 6th grade education.
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Posted by ( lumi_nara ) on December 19, 2007 at 7:30 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
I agree with you Bobo. She's serving her time, leave her be!
Maniac, quit living up to your name... PO's are jerks, and they will do anything they can do to get you caught again. A family member of mine was on house arrest, and was able to go to and from work, but that was it. If he didn't answer his cell phone, boom, they'd call the cops. It was so stupid. They are jerks on power trips man!
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Posted by ( BlackHorseman ) on December 19, 2007 at 7:32 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Hey Maniac what part of Bobo's comment is wrong? The 17 year old waitress she works with even lambasted the Dept. of Corrections - LaFave will be persecuted for the rest of her life as long as she is living in a community with stone throwers like yourself. I'd say Bobo's sixth grade education is about 3 levels above yours.
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Posted by ( RobKay ) on December 19, 2007 at 9:06 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Geez, more criminals posting than posters??? Isn't anyone curious as to why the prosecutor did not have his witness in court for the hearing so it had to be postponed for a month? It does not sound like he is very capable so he most likely will loose anyway. (Hey bozo, luminara, blk horse, think they'll have a terminal for you to use when you get to prison? You obviously don't seem to think obeying laws you disagree with is very important - so I'd guess thats the direction you're headed.
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