Speaker's Bureau

The community often has questions about issues and hot topics related to the criminal justice system. The State Attorney's Office is here to help provide answers through our Speaker's Bureau.

Forums, community meetings, school events, civic groups, neighborhood functions, and more — if your group would like to learn more about the work our office does in a particular area of importance, please email Cindy Cribbs at CCribbs@coj.net.

The office can speak to these topics and others with your group:

Violent Crime

Learn more about what the problem really looks like, and what our office is doing to stop it.

Sextortion

The Department of Homeland Security defines it as "when a predator demands money or gift cards in exchange for keeping the victim’s sexual content private". Coercion, manipulation, and urgency are all a part of the sextortion scheme and overseas criminals are targeting American youth, particularly teenage boys.

In 2024, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received more than 100 reports of sextortion per day. Dozens of teen suicides across the country have been the result of sextortion.

State Attorney Melissa Nelson, a mother of three, found the statistics alarming and created a Sextortion Initiative, scheduled to formally launch in 2026, as a collaborative effort to further prevent harm to our children.

The Opioid Crisis

The numbers are staggering. Fentanyl has become the leading cause of overdoses and overdose deaths. Much like the rest of Florida, fatal overdoses from drugs such as fentanyl, cocaine, and heroin continue to plague Jacksonville, impacting every segment of our community. In recent years, the focus from law enforcement has helped push a decline in overdoses.

Learn about the causes of the problem, what first responders and law enforcement are up against, what the office is doing to help diminish the crisis, and how you can help.

Juvenile Justice

What does the future hold for our youth? The State Attorney's Office has implemented new strategies on how to work with and impact young offenders in a way that keeps the community safe. Learn more about these efforts and ideas.

Conviction Integrity

In 2018, in recognition of our continuing post-conviction ethical obligations, the State Attorney’s Office established the Conviction Integrity Review Division (CIR). The CIR reviews and investigates plausible post-conviction claims of actual innocence by those whose prosecutions originated from the Fourth Judicial Circuit.

To request a speaker from our office, please email Cindy Cribbs at CCribbs@coj.net.