Former Apopka City Administrator set to stand trial in 2017
Richard Anderson
Richard Anderson's legal fate could be decided in a Lake County Courtroom as early as March of 2017.
Assistant State Attorney Emily Curington confirmed that the date is set for the two-week trial term beginning on March 27th.
"By administrative order, we pick juries on Mondays in Lake County," Curington said. "So the jury would be selected either March 27th or April 3rd. The trial would go sometime during that week."
Curington would not say what the likelihood is that Anderson may settle the case before it comes to trial.
"To answer that would be speculation on my part," she said. "Any defendant could enter a plea to the Court at any time. He also has an absolute right to go to trial."
Anderson is the former Apopka City Administrator (until 2014), who was most recently a Lobbyist/Consultant for the City of Apopka until the City Council voted to terminate his contract on June 1st of 2016.
On April 5th, 2016 Anderson was involved in a head-on collision on SR 46 in Lake County according to the Florida Highway Patrol. A Dodge Ram pickup he owned crossed the centerline and crashed head-on into a Toyota driven by Michael Falcon. Falcon was seriously injured and airlifted to the Orlando Regional Medical Center. Falcon later filed a lawsuit against Anderson on April 19th for the collision, and the Florida Highway Patrol issued an arrest warrant for Anderson on May 31st. Anderson turned himself in to the Seminole County Jail the same day, and bonded out.
Anderson is charged with multiple counts including leaving the scene of a crash with serious bodily injury, leaving the scene of a crash with property damage, reckless driving with serious bodily injury, and reckless driving with property damage. All of the charges are third degree felonies.