Charges against Laramore dropped
Floridan Staff Writer
Published: January 7, 2009
Updated: January 7, 2009
All charges have been dropped in the case against a former Jackson County state probation officer who was arrested under suspicion of drug possession and driving under the influence Sept. 24.
According to Bay County court records, all four charges against Ryder Anthony Laramore of Marianna were dropped Dec. 19.
Laramore, 44, was charged with DUI, possession of methamphetamine, possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
At the time of his arrest Laramore was dressed in women’s apparel, according to police reports.
The day after his arrest, Laramore’s 17-year employment with the state was terminated by way of an “extraordinary dismissal.”
“The circumstances of the arrest and the evidence introduced early on in the case contributed to grounds for an extraordinary dismissal,” Florida Department of Corrections spokesperson Gretl Plessinger said in an earlier interview.
Although Asst. State Attorney Maria Dykes is listed as prosecutor in the case, Bay County court records show that former 14th Judicial State Attorney Steve Meadows called in a “no information” on the case Sept. 30, and a deferred prosecution agreement with Laramore was executed.
The agreement is similar to a pre-trial intervention, which typically spans six to 12 months, according to a Bay County Clerk of Courts representative.
Laramore’s case was dropped in December, when it was determined that he met the agreement’s conditions, according to court records. He was not charged any court fees.
The son of Public Defender Herman Laramore, Ryder Laramore was represented through the case by Chief Assistant Public Defender Doug White, according to Bay County court records.
In a September interview with the Floridan, White said he expected Laramore would be using a private attorney through the rest of the case.
The case was handled in Bay County because that’s where Laramore was apprehended on the night of the incident.
The arresting deputy found Laramore sitting in the driver’s seat of a black Nissan, wearing a wig and dress, with a bottle of vodka below his car seat, according to a Bay County Sheriff’s Office incident report.
According to Bay County law enforcement, Jackson County sheriff’s deputies were first to respond to the incident, which began along U.S. Highway 231.
Emergency dispatch had received several calls in reference to a possible drunk driver running cars off the road.
“These calls are recorded and will be preserved as evidence in this case,” the BSCO incident report said.
Upon arriving at the scene, a Bay County deputy was informed by a Jackson County deputy who was already present that Laramore had swerved off the road several times and almost hit several other cars.
Laramore also swerved off the road onto a sidewalk, the report said.
When the Bay County deputy made contact with Laramore, he was sitting in the driver’s side of the car.
“I noticed that he wearing women’s clothes and a blond wig. I also noticed a bottle of vodka in plain view under the driver’s seat. The bottle was sticking out from under the seat about three-quarters of it’s length,” read the narrative of the incident report.
Laramore told the deputy he had not been drinking, the report said.
“His response to my questions were very slow. He looked at me for about three seconds prior to answering. The defendant appeared to be very disoriented,” the deputy stated in his report. “Although I could not smell any alcohol coming from his person, is suspected that he may have been under the influence of a chemical substance or narcotic. I then asked the defendant to step out of the car. I immediately noticed that his balance was shaken. He was swearing black stockings and no shoes. I then asked the defendant if I could search his car and he stated no. I then asked the defendant to perform some field sobriety evaluations and he agreed.”
According to the incident narrative, Laramore did not successfully complete those evaluations and was placed under arrest for DUI.
Upon searching the vehicle, the arresting officer reported finding “a small bag that contained a plastic vial with white powder which field-tested positive for meth.”
Inside the bag, the officer also found a plastic straw and a small bag of marijuana, according to his report. During a search of the glove box, officers also reportedly found a glass pipe, a pistol and a Probation and Parole badge.
After Laramore was booked into the Bay County Jail, he agreed to provide a breath sample and the results of the test came back negative, according to BSCO.
Laramore was also asked to provide a urine sample, which he declined to give, said BSCO.
“The defendant stated he was not going to take the test until he spoke with a lawyer. I then explained his refusal would result in a suspension of his (driver’s) license. The defendant still refused to take the urine test,” the report narrative said.
Laramore also refused the collection of his saliva for DNA testing, according to the report. The mouthpiece used in the breath test was kept as evidence and was held to be used to collect DNA evidence, the report said.
Advertisement
Reader Reactions
homeboy you’re so full of crap you should work for steve meadows. writing for LA and DC, huh? that’s why you have so much time to post a bunch of lies to the paper you call a tabloid, yet read on a regular basis. and i highly doubt anyone has asked for your help with anything, other than packing a pipe.
concerned, it was not in any publication. I work for a news organization out of D>C> and LA and recently for a show INTERVENTION who recently did a story out of CHiply Florida. By accident I read a study that listed the top ten rural towns that were ridden with meth and to my utter shock Marianna (Jackson county) was on the list. I did alittle research on the subject and I talked with some old friends and cousins still in Marianna. Out of the 6 people I talked with 4 of them were on meth and to my suprise again they were very open about it and talked about it like it was normal and legal. I was just floored. I also looked over the Jackson County Floridan where I read article after article mostly on a everyday basis about “meth” and drug bust and on and on. I am going to try to do something about it. I’m going to talk with the show intervention and also maybe do a news story on it although, I did not want to do this story about my hometown and put them on the map like that. It kinda embarassing. I’m also am willing to give funding to a organazation that could help with the problem. Someone from the Floridan (who obviously figured out who I was) called me yesterday and asked me to do some kind of story. I really don’t think it is my place. Instead of the Floridan reporting on the drug bust and who goes to jail like some sort of tabloid maybe they should write a story in general concerning the problems with meth. The “floridan” seems to want the publicity for the town and paper and I just think it is the wrong thing to want publicity for.
METH is a BIG problem in Marianna and Jackson county. That’s a fact. Now just need to know what to do about it.
Hey Homeboy could you kindly give us a link to the publication that list Marianna as a top ten meth ridden town.I am not calling you a liar but I would like to read it for myself.
I’ve lived in Jackson County my entire life (except the past 3 years, which have been on and off). I ACTUALLY know people who are on meth(though I wouldn’t touch the stuff with a 40 ft pole). The FEW (3) people I know on the stuff(which is saying a lot, because I know AT LEAST 1/3 of the county) are not shy about their use and their physical apperence shows. What bothers me most about this abuse of power is that like with everything else, Jackson County just accepts it. A few upset people will write comments, and in a few weeks that will be all that is left. Nothing will be done, no one will stand up against injustice. Am I upset at this abuse of power? Of course, but I am realistic about the situation. Instead of calling people names, I put my time to better use. Perhaps nothing can be done now, but that doesn’t mean that those who are upset cannot express their opinion in positive ways. After the injustice done to Mr. Stoutamire last summer, I made shirts and wore them around town and encouraged others to do the same. I couldn’t get him out of jail, but I made sure that my opinion was known. Maybe that would be a better use of time than getting angry at one another when you both agree on the same thing…It was wrong and something should be done.
Ok, there is a problem with meth in this area, although I’ve lived here all my life, know people from all walks of life, and they wouldn’t touch it, might as well smoke rat poison.
The problem here is lies and injustice. My son is 19, on 3 years probation. He has a small child. I was naive when the judge handed down his sentence, believing he should ‘learn’ from his mistakes, which were minor compared to Ryder Larramores. It is difficult for him to find work to support his family and pay a probation officer monthly. What do I tell him now? Where was INTERVENTION with my son? I live in dread worried about him. I am angry, I mean I want to scream, when I read Hess’ comments, lies rather, and the public display of unequality with Larramore’s crime. No need to hide blatant misuse of power, gotta swap favors.
O>K> Jeff….Believe me I could tell by your ignorance that you are indeed in Marianna so, impressing you would probably easy….
Although I hated to see my hometown in the top ten Small towns” in the country to be “meth ridden”...I guess I should not generalize. Maybe if you should spend more time on cleaning up your community and less time attacking me. Just read this paper everyday(they send it to me online) and you can see the prblem with “meth”——-
WE would not even be talking here today or anyday if it was not for “meth”
No, homeboy, no way my accent could be good or bad enough to make up for your stellar (AND informative!) performance here. I AM impressed with you, though…..almost 16 years removed from Marianna and you still manage to be a first-hand expert on everything and everyone here. Kinda funny, too….how you’re hundreds of miles away, yet you have all the facts straight…you know EVERYONE in Marianna is a meth-head….I actually live here, but I’m stupid. Guess we can’t all be super-intelligent and insightful like you, huh?
Maybe I should just take your advise and “SUT-UP ALREADY”.
Certainly not trying to impress you with my grammer, Jeff. Although I’m quite sure that your accent makes up for it.
However,
I really don’t think there is “hope” on this website for anyone. The Jackson County Fish wrapper….well, no one cares.
btw, Herman Laramore joked in a open court proceeding about being a ‘redneck.“ ( i believe you missed the joke.) Although, I am glad to hear you have acknowledged the BIG drug problem with a small town drug like “meth” as a problem in Marianna, Florida. I do not live in Marianna but, in Washington D.C. and L.A.
I only found out about this because I saw survey come across a news desk that had my hometown on it. I left Marianna when I was 18 almost 16 years ago. At first I thought it was kinda funny but after some research I discovered that this is a real problem. I talked to someone who went to MHS reunion a couple of years ago and they said all the classmates still in Marianna were all smoking it like it was normal. Why are people smoking this stuff 17 year olds and Ryder’s age group which I think is about 50.
Meth has become a small town drug—you can’t even find it in cities. Marianna needs a drug meth task force and rehab of some type and soon!!!
I didn’t deny there is a drug problem locally. The meth problem here is VERY real. But your assertion that “most the town is on meth is ridiculous, oversimplictic, and an insult to the community at large….not to mention horrible grammar.
And for God’s sakes, get some facts and credibility before you start a debate in a public forum. Stating that Herman Laramoe, “...he a redneck state’attourney…“, destroys any hope you had of being taken seriously here.
Hey Jeff, that is stupid to say. The VAST majority of the Marianna does have a drug problem and it is mainlky meth. So much so, that the gov appointed a task force to conduct a study on Marianna and the meth problem in Jackson County and why it is such A vast problem there. It’s called the “redneck” crack. Now, I’m not sure why all of you rednecks feel the need to smoke draino but, it is a problem in Marianna and Ryder did not create the problem. A Marianna meth dealer David Ingram who was just sentanced to ten years in prison had 670 clients or (JUNKIES) just to himself. Wake up! You have a meth problem and the town is riddled with it. Instead of denial you people should get together and try to solve it.
Advertisement