this is the weekly on click Orlando
dot-com with Justin warmoth good morning
I'm Justin Mormo that sincere already
being cast and early voting beginning
this week candidates from the state to
local level are out with their final
push to voters including the - running
for attorney general it is a powerful
position and whoever's elected Democrat
Sean Shaw or Republican Ashley moody
will determine how the state moves
forward on some very big issues this
morning Shaw is here laying out his
vision for Florida tell us a little bit
about your background and how you got to
now a candidate for attorney general
sure I was born in Jacksonville was
raised in Tallahassee I was raised to
last because my father was on the
Florida Supreme Court its leander j shaw
jr he was the first african-american
chief justice of the floor Supreme Court
so I grew up in Tallahassee I went to
Princeton University for college
University of Florida for law school
moved back to Tallahassee worked at a
law firm then I was a point in 2008 to
be the insurance consumer advocate of
the state of Florida which meant I
protected insurance consumers from bad
practices of insurance companies I stood
up for them in the legislative process
went to rain hearings keep kept their
race low all those sorts of things then
moved to Tampa and work for a law firm
there now where I represent homeowners
against their insurance company so
that's not a surprise and I got elected
to the Florida House in 2016 from Tampa
and so why run for attorney general is
this always been a dream it's always
been a dream you know I literally grew
up in the halls of the Florida Supreme
Court when I was a little boy and we'd
watch cartoons on Saturday and the court
and the conference room the floor
Supreme Court while my dad was working
and Sunday I would go there after high
school and wait from the job you know
it's a building I grew up in and it's no
surprise how I treat the law and how I
have a reverence for the law and I
believe the attorney general's office is
the best office in Florida to hold
everyone accountable under the law and
it's an office that requires aggression
it requires someone that's ready to
fight for the rule of law and to hold
everyone accountable and I'm willing to
do that and can't wait to do that like I
said I think it's the best office in
Florida let's go back to your dad as a
kid did you understand the magnitude of
what he represented for Florida and how
big of a deal he was I did not you know
listen I was a kid who's my dad so we
went fishing a lot it he took me to
basketball practice
and he was just a father figure and as I
send another interview every little boy
wants to be like his dad so I became
aware that he was involved in the law
and he was a judge and then the older I
got obviously the more you become aware
of how big a deal it is and you know
following in those footsteps you know
and and I'm in the law and so we'd read
his cases in law school and so it's a
big deal and something I'm very proud of
but certainly when I was younger I
didn't realize it but the older I get I
realize what it meant I read his opinion
to understand what he meant to the law
and I historic context as well very nice
so why run for attorney general why are
you the better option than your
candidate and what will you do
differently than a current Attorney
General Pam Bobby I'll do everything
different I've not made it I've not been
a secretive about the fact that I don't
agree with a lot of Pam Bondi's not only
policies but in substance the way she's
conducted the office right I make the
point that it appears general Bondi has
acted like she's the general counsel to
the Republican Party that's not what the
Attorney General's Office ought to be it
ought to be an independent watchdog an
officer holds everyone accountable
including someone committing fraud on
the street someone maybe even the
legislature not doing what they're
supposed to do perhaps even the
president if he if you think he's
breaking the law everyone no one is
above the law and it appears in the last
eight years that we haven't really done
the office that way it's been a lot of
partisan stuff in fact I can't think of
a time where general body has disagreed
with the GOP on really any big issue in
addition she's filed a lawsuit to end
the Affordable Care Act and a lot of
people like the fact that they cannot
get discriminated against now for having
a pre-existing condition
she and my opponent would like to end
that and continue the lawsuit to end
Obamacare the minute I'm elected Florida
will leave that lawsuit I believe that
it is wrong to separate children from
their families at the border and wrap
kids in a foil blanket and put them in a
detention center we will join that
lawsuit the minute I'm elected though
there's certainly some things that I
intend to do that my opponent will not
and certainly Pam Bondi is not and on
the issue of guns I'm someone that
believes in common-sense gun control we
need to have increased background checks
we need to do something about how easy
it is to get a gun at a gun show these
things we need to talk about and do
something about my opponent and general
they have made it clear they believe the
Second Amendment means you cannot
regulate guns and do anything about guns
I disagree with that so your your
platform is ban all assault rifles it's
not my platform I believe we should yeah
I'm not a fan of assault rifles but I my
platform is so the U n RA has sued the
state of Florida with regard to the bill
we passed in response to the parkland
tragedy and that bill contained
increased background checks and other
gun control measures I believe in those
gun control measures my opponent has
already said she did not believe in
those gun control measures how the next
Attorney General feels about those
measures will determine how the Attorney
General deals with that lawsuit I'm
gonna defend the gun control that's
contained in that bill interesting when
you look at let's go back to the
legislature it is dominated by
Republicans right as a Democrat that
dynamic might not be great
well you're hitting on one of the
reasons I'm running for attorney general
right I mean I sat in the back road
press the note button a lot when you're
41 Democrats against 79 Republicans
that's tough fight
we got three bills passed and signed
into law I was proud to do that and in
only one session so it was about
insurance consumers and affordable
housing we got some substantive
legislation passed but still we all knew
the outcome of almost every vote it was
extreme partisan bickering going on it's
hard to get stuff done this is the best
office in Florida to get stuff done I
don't have to have a Senate sponsor I
don't have to ask the governor for
permission I don't have to go walk
across to the Senate and see if they
will co-sponsor a bill this is the
opportunity to hold everyone accountable
without having to ask permission to do
it that's why it's the best office when
you look at Attorney General's and and
especially here in Florida they often
come on the scene and are in the press
during hurricanes we just had one when
you look at the fraud that takes place
after a hurricane that is something that
Pam Bondi tries to get a hold of and
tries to get out in front of before
something bad can't happen when it comes
to front I know that's like right up
your alley is that something that you
would continue her ideals when it when
it comes to stopping these frauds you
are throwing me in the briar patch here
right this is exactly my area of
expertise is exactly where my experience
and what I've done comes into play in a
way my opponent does not she has no
experience and these sort of consumer
protection issues
that's all I've done
career right so I've I was the insurance
consumer advocate what we did is protect
consumers and all types of insurance but
particularly property in particular
particularly when there is a catastrophe
there's no worse person than someone who
would take advantage of a citizen when a
hurricane or a catastrophe has happened
and would price gouge or do anything to
take advantage of that person in their
time of need and we are coming down on
that extremely hard I hate it and it's
something I'm familiar with because of
my experience you know the kind of law I
practice now is I represent homeowners
against property insurance companies and
it's using the time of a fire or a
hurricane or some kind of catastrophe
and in that representation I come across
this kind of people being taken
advantage of all the time and it's awful
and as the attorney general there is I
will have zero tolerance for that
because I'm a consumer advocate at heart
you know people often say they want a
consumer advocate to be the Attorney
General I was literally the consumer
advocate of the state and I will take
that experience to the attorney
general's office and that's gonna be a
huge focus of mine again that's my lived
experience and your opponent thinks that
a prosecutor should be the Attorney
General of the state of Florida well we
have different experience right right
I've never been a prosecutor before
she's never been in consumer protection
she feels that that is more of a
qualification I feel that it's less of a
qualification the attorney general's
office does not directly prosecute a lot
of cases there are other things that the
attorney general does and I've just
given you numerous things where I'm
gonna do things that she will not
whether that is has to do with guns
whether that has to do with healthcare
whether it has to do with consumer
protection well I mean Pam Bondi was a
prosecutor it doesn't matter what kind
of experience you have if you're not
going to Tallahassee and willing to do
the right thing for the people if you're
gonna continue the legacy of Pam Bondi
which my opponent has said she will then
you're gonna continue to have an office
as extremely partisan and that conducts
itself like it's the general counsel to
the Republican Party it's not I'm gonna
run the office I'm a Democrat
I'm not running to be the general
counsel today even the Democratic Party
I'm ready to be the Attorney General the
independent watchdog for the state of
Florida that goes after anyone that does
wrong and I intend to be the most
aggressive Attorney General in the
country when it comes to going after bad
people you're going to hear that from my
opponent I don't care what kind of
experience she has I'm someone that's
got a record of fighting for people I
would put my record of consumer advocacy
and standing up for people and civil
rights and criminal justice reform
against anyone running for any office in
the state of Florida right now that's
kind of experience I have so people can
think whether it be in a prosecutor for
two years is more important than what I
just told you about I believe the people
are gonna understand that my experience
is more varied and ready to take the job
and coming up Shaw and I will discuss
the opioid crisis stand your ground and
the death penalty controversy
surrounding orange Osceola state
attorney Aramis Ayala stay with us this
is the weekly on click Orlando comm with
Justin warmoth welcome back this morning
we're focusing on the race for attorney
general Pam Bondi is leaving because of
term limits after eight years as the
state's top cop and now two candidates
with two very different platforms and
backgrounds are looking to replace her
including my guest this morning Democrat
Sean Shaw in this part of the interview
Shaw will discuss some of the key issues
he's running on starting with why he
believes the Stand Your Ground law
should be repealed let's go now to the
Stand Your Ground law as it is right now
in the books talk about what you think
of that law and whether Floridians
should be able to defend themselves if
stand your ground went away today
Floridians would still be able to defend
themselves that is a let's just get rid
of that straw man argument right there
you're allowed to defend yourself the
key is do you have a duty to retreat
that's what stand your ground really
talks about and I want everyone who
hasn't seen it to watch the video of
Marcus McLaughlin who was essentially
standing up for his family in the
parking lot of a gas station in
Clearwater and he was gunned down and he
was killed in front of his family and
kid and he took four steps backwards and
was shot down and killed in that video
that's the law of the state of Florida
the person that killed Marquis
McLaughlin went home that night spent
the night with his family
Marquis McLaughlin did not spend the
night with his family he was murdered
what I saw in that video was not
defending yourself it was murder and I
don't think the law of the state of
Florida ought to be that
so Iowa am in favor of repealing
stand-your-ground I'm not running for
reelection to the legislature so I've
got to hope the Legislature will do that
I will certainly push them to do that
but I don't think it ought to be the law
of the land but I saw in that video was
not okay
he ended up being charged after a while
but is that a lot of people have a
problem with that and how every one has
a different take on what
stand-your-ground really is the
assistant state attorney filed the
charges the sheriff did not he thought
that was standard regret that's part of
the problem that's part of the problem
the other thing is that the NRA and I
don't agree on much at all even the NRA
believes that the waist and the ground
was applied in that case was wrong and
prosecutors did not like stand your
ground law public defenders do not like
stand your ground judges that I'm aware
of don't like standing around other than
my opponent believes the stand your
ground is a great law we very much
differ on that I mean you can bring up
issue after issue actually moody and I
are not gonna agree on it that's what
elections are about people get to decide
where they are but this is something we
disagree on what I saw in that video
ought not be the law of state of Florida
when it comes to the death penalty we
have a big case that made a lot of
headlines here in Orlando involving air
Messala and refusing to seek the death
penalty for a gentleman who allegedly
killed a police officer and his pregnant
ex-girlfriend where do you stand on air
miss Iowa and her decision to not seek
the death penalty against those two
there were there were several of us
legislators in Tallahassee who did a
press conference in defense of state
attorney Ayala and the reason we did it
is because we believe she has the
discretion now if you disagree with how
she uses that discretion she is up for
reelection and that is how you can
express that but while she is the active
state attorney it is a principle that is
deeply embedded in our legal system that
prosecutors have the discretion to
determine what they will do with regard
to charging the death penalty if you
don't agree with it then the voters can
decide that but I certainly didn't think
what that the governor ought to be
snatching her cases and that her budget
ought to be slashed and all these
punitive things that were done to her in
Tallahassee we're totally inappropriate
if you disagree with
how she uses her discretion then deal
with it at the ballot box some
law-enforcement officers might be seeing
this and as the top cop of the state if
you are elected they might not think
that you support them because a police
officer ended up being shot and killed
in a death penalty case is not what I
just said was I I respect a Yala's
discretion to make the decision I wasn't
you didn't ask me any other question
than that listen I will do everything I
can to enforce the death penalty it is
the law of the land in the state of
Florida as attorney general I will make
sure that the death penalty is carried
out how I feel about the death penalty
notwithstanding it is the law of the
land in Florida the Attorney General has
certain responsibilities under the law
in the Constitution to carry out the
death penalty I will definitely do it
listen I'm endorsed by the PBA I'm Co
endorsed with actually mooted by the
people you have a long personal
relationship with law enforcement that
is a red herring it's politics shy you
know I get it we're in politics land but
that's just not true another case that
the governor is involved in that's
medical marijuana right he's preventing
people from being allowed to smoke
medical marijuana as part of their their
medicine what do you think about that
it's awful right 72% of the voters said
we want access to medicinal cannabis
they voted that into the Florida
Constitution it is the law of the land
and for the legislature trust me I was
there for the legislature to make this
arbitrary decision that you can't smoke
it and then for the governor to
slow-walk the ability of anyone to
really get it in their hands and for Pam
Bondi to join in the appeals about
keeping it out of people's hands is
awful and it's another point of clear
distinction I have with Pam Bondi I will
do everything in my power to implement
the will of the voters with regard to
that amendment and get medicinal
cannabis into the hands of as many
people that are sick and need it as
possible that's what the amendment was
about and they will get that in the
Attorney General like me it's one of the
planks of my campaign is providing
access to medicinal cannabis because the
Constitution requires it people voted it
and it's it is a disgrace that the
current Attorney General and my opponent
would continue these appeals to get in
the way of sick patients and medicinal
cannabis it's not our call anymore the
people of the state of Florida in a huge
bite
Hardison passion this is not a Democrat
Republican issue
72% of the voters said they want this us
as elected officials ought to be doing
everything we can to implement the will
of the voters not to try to thwart it
what is your vision for medical
marijuana and recreational use down the
road for medicinal look we need to have
a framework that allows the most people
to get it a lot of politics infected our
decision-making when we were up in
Tallahassee and dealing with this
because you're creating a billion dollar
industry out of nothing so you can
imagine how many people were at the
table and what we were trying to do
listen it's simple make it make the
system as transparent as open as
possible so people that are sick can get
it if they need to grow it they should
be able to under the right regulations
that they need to smoke it they ought to
be able to do that that's what the
voters intended let's make it easy for
them let's do it rather than standing in
the way and listen that's what elections
are about if you want easier access to
what you voted for I'm probably the
tourney general candidate you're gonna
want to vote for on this issue with
regard to adult use I support it if that
becomes a constitutional amendment in
2022 I'll vote for it I support it I'm a
big proponent of criminal justice reform
and I think this is a big prawn of it
there's a lot of people in prison for
nothing other than simple possession or
substance abuse issues we ought to be
building substance abuse centers not
just more prisons all the time and
that's how smart justice works I believe
in that my opponent certainly does not
let's now move to the opioid epidemic
you know the Senate last month passed a
sweeping bill bipartisan support
overwhelmingly passed when you look at
that bill then you look at Florida how
would that affect Florida there's two
ways I think you can deal with the
opioid crisis this is one area where
perhaps the current Attorney General and
I agree the one rare area and that is I
would probably continue the lawsuit
against big pharmaceuticals for the way
that the opioid crisis has unfolded in
Florida with regard to false advertising
and you know saying that they're not
addictive when they actually are a lot
of attorneys general around the country
have filed these lawsuits I would
continue the one in Florida but to you
know we just talked about medicinal
cannabis what better substitute for
opioids than medicinal cannabis which
the people have already said by a 72%
margin we ought to have I'm interested
in pursuing some legislation perhaps
we're a viable substitute to
the only prescription might be medicinal
cannabis that's a that's a great way to
deal with this opioid crisis but third
you still got to punish people that are
doing bad you still got to go after
people that are doing wrong and we will
certainly do that in attorney general's
office if you break the law with regard
to this we're coming down hard because
this is a crisis we've got to get our
hands around and we got to do it quickly
because it's been in existence for a
long time and I interviewed Shaw's
opponent Republican Ashlee moody back in
August and discuss the same topics we
covered this morning
look for that interview right now on
click Orlando com / weekly I'm Justin
warmoth have a great Sunday
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