HB 6511 2022
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb6511-00
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
A bill to be entitled 1
An act for the relief of Ricardo Medrano -Arzate and 2
Eva Chavez-Medrano, as personal representatives of 3
Hilda Medrano, by the Okeechobee County Sheriff's 4
Office; providing for an appropriation of funds to pay 5
Ricardo Medrano-Arzate and Eva Chavez -Medrano for the 6
damages awarded in connection with the death of their 7
daughter as a result of the negligence of the 8
Okeechobee County Sheriff's Office; providing a 9
limitation on the payment of compensation and attorney 10
fees; providing an effective date. 11
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WHEREAS, shortly after 2 a.m. on December 1, 2013, Hilda 13
Medrano was riding in the passenger side of her cousin's 14
vehicle, traveling eastbound on State Road 70 in down town 15
Okeechobee, and 16
WHEREAS, at the same time, Okeechobee County Sheriff's 17
Deputy Joseph Gracie was driving westbound on State Road 70 at a 18
speed in excess of 95 miles per hour while responding, as 19
backup, to a minor disturbance in the western part of 20
Okeechobee, and 21
WHEREAS, the speed limit on that portion of State Road 70 22
is 35 miles per hour, and 23
WHEREAS, Deputy Gracie recklessly sped without activating 24
his emergency lights or sirens to warn other motorists in the 25
HB 6511 2022
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb6511-00
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
area of his presence or that he was driving at such a high rate 26
of speed, and 27
WHEREAS, Deputy Gracie's police cruiser struck the vehicle 28
in which Hilda Medrano was a passenger on the passenger side 29
door at a speed of 87 miles per hour, killing Hilda Medrano and 30
her cousin and severely injur ing a second passenger in that 31
vehicle, and 32
WHEREAS, an Okeechobee County Sheriff's Office internal 33
affairs department investigation found that Deputy Gracie's 34
actions were unbecoming of an officer and in violation of four 35
standing operating procedures of the Okeechobee County Sheriff's 36
Office, and 37
WHEREAS, at the time of her death, Hilda Medrano was a 21 -38
year-old college student with dreams of becoming an X -ray 39
technician, and 40
WHEREAS, Hilda Medrano's parents, Ricardo Medrano -Arzate 41
and Eva Chavez-Medrano, are legal immigrants to the United 42
States who came to this country to work and provide their 43
children with opportunities to achieve the American dream and 44
have resided in the Mexican -American community in Okeechobee for 45
more than 30 years, and 46
WHEREAS, Ricardo Medrano-Arzate's and Eva Chavez -Medrano's 47
dreams for their daughter Hilda Medrano were destroyed by the 48
reckless actions of Deputy Gracie, and 49
WHEREAS, after a 4-day trial, a jury awarded Ricardo 50
HB 6511 2022
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hb6511-00
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
Medrano-Arzate and Eva Chavez -Medrano, as personal 51
representatives of their daughter Hilda Medrano, $5 million in 52
damages after finding that Deputy Gracie was 88.5 percent liable 53
for the collision, and that decision was affirmed by the Fourth 54
District Court of Appeal, and 55
WHEREAS, in accordance with the statutory limits of 56
liability set forth in s. 768.28, Florida Statutes, the 57
Okeechobee County Sheriff's Office settled the claims of the 58
other two victims but has not paid any money toward the damages 59
awarded to Ricardo Medrano -Arzate and Eva Chavez -Medrano, as 60
personal representatives of Hilda Medrano, NOW, THEREFORE, 61
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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 63
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Section 1. The facts stated in the preamble to this act 65
are found and declared to be true. 66
Section 2. The Okeechobee County Sheriff's Office is 67
authorized and directed to appropriate from funds not otherwise 68
encumbered and to draw a warrant in the sum of $5 million 69
payable to Ricardo Medrano -Arzate and Eva Chavez -Medrano for 70
damages awarded in connection with the death o f their daughter, 71
Hilda Medrano. 72
Section 3. The amount paid by the Okeechobee County 73
Sheriff's Office and awarded under this act is intended to 74
provide the sole compensation for all present and future claims 75
HB 6511 2022
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb6511-00
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
arising out of the factual situation describ ed in this act which 76
resulted in the award of damages to Ricardo Medrano -Arzate and 77
Eva Chavez-Medrano, as personal representatives of Hilda 78
Medrano. The total amount paid for attorney fees relating to 79
this claim may not exceed 25 percent of the amount awa rded under 80
this act. 81
Section 4. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law. 82