JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Rachel Hoffman, 23, who was arrested for allegedly possessing marijuana and pills, agreed to go undercover for the Tallahassee police in exchange for leniency on her charge. Hoffman was a confidential informant, but was murdered during a botched sting operation in 2008.
Hoffman's case inspired Rachel’s Law, which reformed confidential informant guidelines. But seven years later, it's unclear how many confidential informants there are in Florida.
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Lance Block represented the Hoffman family during a successful lawsuit after Rachel’s death. He said the law needs to be strengthened.
"We don’t know how many deaths have resulted in deals gone wrong or retaliation," Block said.
Block wants to revive a bill that would require the FDLE to keep data on confidential informants around the state. The bill would also let people consult a lawyer before agreeing to a deal.
"Ninety-nine percent of defense attorneys would advise against it if they spoke with a client," Block said.
State Attorney Willie Meggs said that discretion needs to be used in these cases, but it’s a necessary program for getting bad guys off the streets.
"I don’t think you could work, legitimately work, drug enforcement or the intelligence we so desperately need without the use of CIs," Meggs said.
Block said that without data, there isn't really anything to point to in order to show just how effective confidential informants are.
The bill has yet to be filed for 2016 and died in committees during last legislative session.