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Sen. Crist Wants To Close Arrest Loophole For Felons

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The Associated Press

Published: September 12, 2008

FORT MYERS - A Tampa state senator said Thursday that he will write legislation to close the procedure loopholes that allowed a convicted felon with pending charges out on the streets to kill a police officer.

Republican Sen. Victor Crist was responding to a grand jury report released Thursday regarding the slaying of Fort Myers Officer Andrew Widman.

The report did not assign blame beyond the current rules that allowed 26-year-old Abel Arango to be released on bail after a drug arrest even though he was on probation for another conviction.

Arango shot Widman in the face in downtown Fort Myers July 18. Arango was killed later in a gunfight with other officers.

He was still on probation for a 1998 robbery conviction after serving prison time. Arango was arrested on drug charges in May but released on $100,000 bail.

State law does not allow a defendant to be held without bail on new charges just because he is on probation in another case.

"However, we would ask that the Legislature consider a change to current law," the grand jury report said.

The change should allow judges to order that defendants be held for a reasonable time if they are on felony probation and arrested for a new felony, the grand jury said.

Crist, who typically takes the lead on criminal justice issues in the Florida Senate, said he had not heard of the problem before but recognizes that a change is necessary.

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