Gov. DeSantis Appoints Nelson to State Task Force

State Attorney Melissa Nelson has been appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis to the state Criminal Punishment Code Task Force.

Established as part of a House bill (HB 7125) and signed into law, the task force was created as an adjunct to the Department of Legal Affairs for the purpose of reviewing, evaluating, and making recommendations regarding sentencing for and ranking of noncapital felony offenses under the state Criminal Punishment Code.

The task force is composed of the attorney general or designee; Department of Corrections secretary or designee; Department of Juvenile Justice secretary or designee; two members appointed by the Florida Senate president; two members appointed by the Speaker of the Florida House; two members appointed by the Chief Justice of the Florida Supreme Court; and six members appointed by the governor.

The task force will submit its report to the governor, Florida Senate president, Speaker of the Florida House, and Chief Justice of the Florida Supreme Court by June 30, 2020. That report must include issues the group considered, as well as recommendations for legislative changes and any analysis of the impact such recommendations would make if enacted by the Florida Legislature. Nelson serves as the state attorney for Florida’s Fourth Judicial Circuit, which comprises Clay, Duval, and Nassau counties.