No new trial date scheduled, plea negotiation conference set for April 12th
It's been almost a year since Richard Anderson's Dodge Ram pickup crashed into a Toyota driven by Michael Falcon and still, the legal outcome is unknown.
Anderson, the former City Administrator for Apopka, was scheduled to stand trial between March 27th and April 9th. However, his trial date was continued by Lake County Circuit Court Judge Lawrence J. Semento in the Fifth Judicial Circuit Court for Lake County due to an overflow of cases.
Richard Anderson
"The judge's trial calendar for the two-week trial term beginning March 27th was full," said Assistant State Attorney Emily Curington who is prosecuting Anderson's case. "Neither the State nor the defense filed a motion for continuance."
No new trial date has been set, but Anderson does have a monthly plea negotiation conference scheduled for April 12th at 1:30PM in Judge Semento's chambers.
Anderson 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 center line 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, 2016 for the collision, and the Florida Highway Patrol issued an arrest warrant for Anderson on May 31st, 2016. Anderson turned himself into 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.