CS/HB 6511 2022
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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 911 call for law enforcement assistance, an d 20
WHEREAS, the speed limit on that portion of State Road 70 21
is 35 miles per hour, and 22
WHEREAS, Deputy Gracie recklessly sped without activating 23
his emergency lights or sirens to warn other motorists in the 24
area of his presence or that he was driving at s uch a high rate 25
CS/HB 6511 2022
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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
of speed, and 26
WHEREAS, Deputy Gracie's police cruiser struck the vehicle 27
in which Hilda Medrano was a passenger on the passenger side 28
door at a speed of 87 miles per hour, killing Hilda Medrano and 29
her cousin and severely injuring a second passenger in that 30
vehicle, and 31
WHEREAS, the Florida Highway Patrol's investigation found 32
that Deputy Gracie violated ss. 316.216(3) and 316.126(5), 33
Florida Statutes, and 34
WHEREAS, an Okeechobee County Sheriff's Office internal 35
affairs department investig ation found that Deputy Gracie's 36
actions were unbecoming of an officer and in violation of four 37
standing operating procedures of the Okeechobee County Sheriff's 38
Office, and 39
WHEREAS, at the time of her death, Hilda Medrano was a 21 -40
year-old college student with dreams of becoming an X -ray 41
technician, and 42
WHEREAS, Hilda Medrano's parents, Ricardo Medrano -Arzate 43
and Eva Chavez-Medrano, are legal immigrants to the United 44
States who came to this country to work and provide their 45
children with opportunities to achieve the American dream and 46
have resided in the Mexican -American community in Okeechobee for 47
more than 30 years, and 48
WHEREAS, Ricardo Medrano -Arzate's and Eva Chavez -Medrano's 49
dreams for their daughter Hilda Medrano were destroyed by the 50
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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
reckless actions of Deputy Gracie, and 51
WHEREAS, after a 4-day trial, a jury awarded Ricardo 52
Medrano-Arzate and Eva Chavez -Medrano, as personal 53
representatives of their daughter Hilda Medrano, $5 million in 54
damages, and 55
WHEREAS, based on the jury's apportionment of fau lt, 56
finding that Deputy Gracie was 88.5 percent liable for the 57
collision, the trial court reduced the jury's award to 58
$4,425,000, and that decision was affirmed by the Fourth 59
District Court of Appeal, and 60
WHEREAS, in accordance with the statutory limits o f 61
liability set forth in s. 768.28, Florida Statutes, the 62
Okeechobee County Sheriff's Office settled the claims of the 63
other two victims but has not paid any money toward the damages 64
awarded to Ricardo Medrano -Arzate and Eva Chavez -Medrano, as 65
personal representatives of Hilda Medrano, NOW, THEREFORE, 66
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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 68
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Section 1. The facts stated in the preamble to this act 70
are found and declared to be true. 71
Section 2. The Okeechobee County Sheriff's Office is 72
authorized and directed to appropriate from funds not otherwise 73
encumbered and to draw a warrant in the sum of $4,425,000 74
payable to Ricardo Medrano -Arzate and Eva Chavez -Medrano for 75
CS/HB 6511 2022
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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
damages awarded in connection w ith the death of their daughter, 76
Hilda Medrano. 77
Section 3. The amount paid by the Okeechobee County 78
Sheriff's Office and awarded under this act is intended to 79
provide the sole compensation for all present and future claims 80
arising out of the factual si tuation described in this act which 81
resulted in the award of damages to Ricardo Medrano -Arzate and 82
Eva Chavez-Medrano, as personal representatives of Hilda 83
Medrano. The total amount paid for attorney fees relating to 84
this claim may not exceed $885,000, the total amount paid for 85
lobbying fees may not exceed $221,250, and the total amount paid 86
for costs or other similar expenses may not exceed $4,030.89. 87
Section 4. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law. 88