Florida SB 10: Relief of Sidney Holmes by the State of Florida

Bill Text

10 
Relief of Maury Hernandez by the Department of Corrections 
2025-08-01T12:14:04Z 
Providing for the relief of Maury Hernandez; providing an appropriation to compensate former Broward County Sheriff’s Deputy Maury Hernandez for injuries and damages sustained as a consequence of the Department of Corrections’ failures to enforce probation laws, regulations, and policies; providing legislative intent that certain liens be waived; providing a limitation on the payment of compensation and attorney fees, etc. 
Original Filed Version 
2026 
S 
GCB 
Claim Bill/General 
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 Florida Senate - 2026 (NP) SB 10 

 By Senator Rodriguez 

 40-00086-26 202610__ 
 1 A bill to be entitled 
 2 An act relating to the relief of Maury Hernandez; 
 3 providing an appropriation to compensate former 
 4 Broward County Sheriff’s Deputy Maury Hernandez for 
 5 injuries and damages sustained as a consequence of the 
 6 Department of Corrections’ failures to enforce 
 7 probation laws, regulations, and policies; providing 
 8 legislative intent that certain liens be waived; 
 9 providing a limitation on the payment of compensation 
 10 and attorney fees; providing an effective date. 
 11 
 12 WHEREAS, at 11:45 a.m. on August 6, 2007, Broward County 
 13 Sheriff’s Deputy Maury Hernandez, then 28 years of age, was 
 14 operating a vehicle assigned to him by the sheriff’s office and 
 15 was within its jurisdiction when he observed David Maldonado, 
 16 then 23 years of age, the operator of a motorcycle, fail to stop 
 17 at three traffic signals on Pembroke Road, and 
 18 WHEREAS, Deputy Hernandez engaged his lights and stopped 
 19 Mr. Maldonado at a location within the 3700 block of Pembroke 
 20 Road, where he parked and got out of his vehicle, approached Mr. 
 21 Maldonado, identified himself as a deputy sheriff, and displayed 
 22 his badge, and 
 23 WHEREAS, Mr. Maldonado falsely identified himself as a 
 24 police officer from Opa-locka and, when asked to produce 
 25 identification, dropped his motorcycle, pushed Deputy Hernandez, 
 26 and fled on foot, at which time Deputy Hernandez gave chase, 
 27 also on foot, and 
 28 WHEREAS, during the chase, Mr. Maldonado suddenly turned 
 29 around and fired two rounds from a .45 caliber handgun, striking 
 30 Deputy Hernandez in the head, and 
 31 WHEREAS, although Deputy Hernandez was critically wounded, 
 32 he miraculously survived the shooting and was rushed to Memorial 
 33 Regional Hospital in Hollywood, where he was in a coma and was 
 34 placed on life support, and 
 35 WHEREAS, shortly after the shooting, Mr. Maldonado was 
 36 apprehended by Hollywood police in a nearby condominium complex 
 37 where he had attempted a carjacking, and 
 38 WHEREAS, Mr. Maldonado was ultimately charged and convicted 
 39 of attempted murder in the first degree and numerous probation 
 40 violations and is currently serving a life sentence, and 
 41 WHEREAS, four months before the shooting, on April 18, 
 42 2007, Mr. Maldonado, a habitual traffic offender with a history 
 43 of multiple drug offenses and an illegal concealed weapon 
 44 conviction, pled no contest to felony traffic charges and was 
 45 placed on probation for 24 months, and 
 46 WHEREAS, the Department of Corrections’ records document 
 47 that in April and May of 2007, before the shooting of Deputy 
 48 Hernandez, Mr. Maldonado twice admitted to his probation 
 49 officers that he illegally possessed a firearm in violation of 
 50 Florida law, the department’s zero-tolerance policy, and the 
 51 conditions of his probation supervision, but his probation 
 52 officers simply warned him that he could not possess a weapon 
 53 and did not report the violations to the state attorney or to 
 54 the presiding circuit judge, and 
 55 WHEREAS, on June 28, 2007, Mr. Maldonado admitted a third 
 56 probation violation for buying and using illegal drugs in 
 57 violation of s. 948.03, Florida Statutes, which prohibits 
 58 probationers from possessing drugs or narcotics unless 
 59 prescribed by a physician, and violating the conditions of his 
 60 probation, but the probation officer failed to report the 
 61 violation, and 
 62 WHEREAS, under former s. 948.03, Florida Statutes (now s. 
 63 790.23, Florida Statutes), Mr. Maldonado was prohibited from 
 64 possessing, carrying, or owning any firearm unless authorized by 
 65 the court, and 
 66 WHEREAS, s. 944.09, Florida Statutes, requires the 
 67 Department of Corrections to supervise probationers, stay 
 68 informed about the probationers’ conduct, and cooperate with 
 69 circuit courts exercising criminal jurisdiction over 
 70 probationers, and 
 71 WHEREAS, rule 33-302.1031, Florida Administrative Code, 
 72 implements s. 944.09, Florida Statutes, and provides that 
 73 probation officers under the authority of the Department of 
 74 Corrections are responsible for supervision and control of 
 75 offenders, including enforcing conditions of supervision, 
 76 conducting invest