{"id":2504076,"date":"2025-10-28T19:58:02","date_gmt":"2025-10-28T23:58:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/broad-use-of-insanity-defense-draws-ire-of-floridas-top-prosecutor\/"},"modified":"2025-10-28T19:59:11","modified_gmt":"2025-10-28T23:59:11","slug":"broad-use-of-insanity-defense-draws-ire-of-floridas-top-prosecutor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/broad-use-of-insanity-defense-draws-ire-of-floridas-top-prosecutor\/","title":{"rendered":"Broad use of insanity defense draws ire of Florida&#8217;s top prosecutor"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fbroad-use-of-insanity-defense-draws-ire-of-floridas-top-prosecutor%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2504076&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Florida&#8217;s Attorney General, James Uthmeier, has expressed concern over the broad use of the insanity defense following a case involving Ronald Exantus, a Kentucky parolee who killed a 6-year-old child and later moved to Marion County, Florida, near an elementary school. Exantus was found not guilty by reason of insanity for the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/4-juveniles-arrested-in-stabbing-death-of-15-year-old-in-la\/\" title=\"4 juveniles arrested in stabbing death of 15-year-old in La.\">murder charge<\/a> but was convicted on lesser <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/21-year-old-man-charged-with-murder-of-texas-pastor\/\" title=\"21-year-old man charged with murder of Texas pastor\">assault charges<\/a> and sentenced to 20 years, serving only seven before parole. Upon his release,he failed to register as a convicted felon in Florida.Uthmeier called for the state to consider tightening laws around the insanity defense, arguing that it is indeed frequently enough abused and enables offenders to evade full accountability, thus <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >possibly compromising public safety<\/a> and the work of prosecutors. Exantus was extradited back to Kentucky on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/alexei-navalny-says-there-is-a-crown-sliding-from-putins-ears-in-first-court-appearance-since-imprisonment\/\" title=\"Alexei Navalny Says \u2018There Is A Crown Sliding\u2019 From Putin\u2019s Ears In First Court Appearance Since Imprisonment\">parole violation charges<\/a>.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Broad use of insanity defense draws ire of Florida&rsquo;s top prosecutor<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2386291\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>(The Center Square) &ndash; <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/florida\/\">Florida&rsquo;s<\/a> attorney general on Tuesday called for the state to consider placing limits on the use of the insanity defense after a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/kentucky\/\">Kentucky<\/a> parolee who killed a 6-year-old was found living near a school in Marion County.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The facts of this case are tragic,&rdquo; <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/attorneys-general\/\">Attorney General<\/a> James Uthmeier said at a news conference. &ldquo;A 6-year-old was brutally stabbed in his sleep and killed. What&rsquo;s even more tragic is that this guy was released after only seven years behind bars.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/crime\/3867134\/california-police-mistakenly-release-murder-suspect\/\">California police mistakenly release murder suspect awaiting extradition<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/crime\/3866900\/air-force-base-deeply-saddened-three-killed-double-murder-suicide\/\">Air Force base &#8216;deeply saddened&#8217; after three killed in &#8216;double murder-suicide&#8217;<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3864929\/trump-administration-quietly-purges-ice-leaders-in-five-cities-sources\/\">Trump administration quietly purges ICE leaders in five cities: Sources<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Ronald Exantus, 42, was found not guilty by reason of insanity on the murder charge and was convicted instead of assault charges, receiving a lesser sentence, Uthmeier said.<\/p>\n<p>Florida authorities learned that Exantus had moved from Kentucky to Marion County after his release from prison, but had not registered as a convicted felon with the local Sheriff&rsquo;s Office.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The home he was residing in was immediately adjacent to Sunrise Elementary School and just a few blocks away from Horizon Academy,&rdquo; the attorney general said in a release.<\/p>\n<p>He was charged with a parole violation and extradited back to Kentucky on Tuesday, Uthmeier said.<\/p>\n<p>A few states have narrowed insanity defenses, Uthmeier said.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I hope that the leaders of Florida will look at adding Florida to that list of states,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I believe the insanity defense is often abused and allows people to evade accountability and get out early. It impedes the work of prosecutors who stick their necks out and go face-to-face with dangerous criminals every day in the courtroom.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Exantus was charged in 2015 with the stabbing death of Logan Tipton, 6, in Versailles, Ky., Uthmeier said.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3866533\/kai-trump-golf-association-debut-in-florida-mid-november\/\">KAI TRUMP MAKING HER OFFICIAL GOLF ASSOCIATION DEBUT IN FLORIDA MID-NOVEMBER<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A jury found him not guilty by reason of insanity and convicted him of two counts of second-degree assault and one count of fourth-degree assault. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison and paroled after seven years, the attorney general said.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;There is no excuse for stabbing a 6-year-old child repeatedly and ending his life,&rdquo; Uthmeier said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Florida AG urges limits on insanity defense after parolee found near school<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2869,"featured_media":2504077,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/AP25119801040196.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[66051,66050,66049],"class_list":["post-2504076","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-criminal-law","tag-florida-prosecutor","tag-insanity-defense"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/AP25119801040196.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2504076","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2869"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2504076"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2504076\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2504080,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2504076\/revisions\/2504080"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2504077"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2504076"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2504076"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2504076"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}