Jack Shupe – Challenger

Appeals court denies Damien Gilliams’ request to remove judge from case

INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — The Fourth District Court of Appeal last Friday denied Damien Gilliams' request to have Circuit Court Judge Michael Linn removed from his criminal case, court records show. Gilliams, a former Sebastian City Councilmember convicted on charges of violation of the Sunshine Law and perjury, filed a motion on June 14 requesting Linn be removed from his case. Gilliams said he feared he did not receive a fair trial because of prejudice or bias from Linn, noting that Linn's wife previously worked at the state attorney's office. Gilliams and another former councilmember, Pamela Rapp Parris, were both convicted last month on charges stemming from an April 22, 2020 meeting described by prosecutors as illegal. Prosecutors said the ...

Low beach attendance for January; no water rescues

VERO BEACH — While chilly temperatures caused a drop in beach attendance last month, lifeguards are happy to report that there were no water rescues that occurred in January. "It's a great thing," Vero Beach Lifeguard Association officials said in a statement. "We hope people are paying attention to lifeguards and condition signs before they go into the water." The Vero Beach Lifeguard Association recently released its monthly report for the beaches at Jaycee Park, Humiston Park and South Beach Park. Lifeguards said about 54,105 beachgoers flocked to the shore in January. The highest beach-attendance record of 65,700 was set in 2019 for Vero Beach, lifeguards said. The record low for beach attendance was set in 2016 with 36,000 people, ...

Murder trial of Michael Jones begins after five years

VERO BEACH — After more than five years since the June 2014 death of Diana Duve, and after three weeks of jury selection, the first-degree murder trial of accused killer Michael David Jones started Monday in Judge Dan Vaughn's courtroom. At the end of the day, prosecutors had called numerous witnesses to give testimony about Duve's disappearance, her on-and-off relationship with Jones, and the events leading up to the discovery of her body in the trunk of her Nissan Altima in a Melbourne parking lot. A key witness in the case will be Vero Beach police Cpl. Brad Kmetz, the lead detective on the missing person's case, which turned into a murder investigation. Chief Assistant State Attorney Tom Bakkedahl said ...