Fla., Supreme Court OKs Statewide Grand Jury To Look Into COVID Vaccine-Related Crimes Or Wrongdoing

Florida Phoenix

December 22, 2022

The Florida Supreme Court on Thursday ordered a statewide grand jury to investigate crimes and wrongdoing related to COVID-19 vaccines, including pharmaceutical manufacturers and their executive officers.

The decision came after Gov. Ron DeSantis himself received a single shot of the COVID vaccine — Johnson & Johnson — in April of 2021, according to the Florida Phoenix.

But nearly two years later, the Republican governor held a recent roundtable discussion featuring a panel of researchers, scientists and physicians who were skeptical about COVID shots. DeSantis filed the 20-page petition last week, and the conservative high court approved the statewide grand jury on Thursday.

The order stated that “a statewide grand jury shall be promptly impaneled for a term of twelve calendar months, to run from the date of impanelment, with jurisdiction throughout the State of Florida, to investigate crime, return indictments, make presentments…”

Justices who concurred on the petition are Chief Justice Carlos G. Muñiz, Charles T. Canady, Ricky Polston, John D. Couriel, and Jamie R. Grosshans.

Justice Jorge Labarga voted against the statewide grand jury, while Justice Renatha Francis, a new member of the state’s highest court, “did not participate,” according to the order.

Ronald Ficarrotta , chief judge for the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit, will be the “presiding judge over the statewide grand jury,” according to the order. That circuit is in Hillsborough County, the west central part of Florida.

In addition, “The statewide grand jury shall be drawn from the certified jury lists submitted by the chief judges of the Fifth, Sixth, Tenth, Twelfth, and Thirteenth Judicial Circuits.”

The Fifth Judicial Circuit of Florida covers Citrus, Hernando, Lake, Marion, and Sumter counties, which include the west coast of Florida and the central part of the state.

The Sixth Judicial Circuit of Florida covers Pasco and Pinellas counties, both near the west central coast of the state. And the Tenth Judicial Circuit of Florida spans Hardee, Highlands and Polk counties. Those counties are near Central Florida.

The Twelfth Judicial Circuit serves DeSoto, Manatee and Sarasota counties. Both DeSoto and Manatee are located near central portions of the state. Sarasota is in the southwest part of the state.

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