Florida Assistant State Attorney Honored

During First-Ever National Justice for Animals Week, February 22-28

Animal Legal Defense Fund Names Geoff Fleck Top Prosecutor for Giving Teeth to Animal Protection Laws

During its first-ever National Justice for Animals Week, February 22 – 28, 2009, the national non-profit Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) is recognizing some of the top law enforcement professionals in the nation for getting real justice for animals who are victims of abuse—and Florida Assistant State Attorney Geoff Fleck is being singled out for his tough work on behalf of animals.

Mr. Fleck is an Assistant State Attorney for the State Attorney’s Office, 8^th Judicial Circuit, Gainesville, Florida, where he has been employed since May of 1997. His current assignment is to the office’s Special Prosecutions Unit, where he has trial responsibility for complex white collar crimes as well as felony cases including homicides and other violent crimes and offenders. He also serves as the office’s Training Supervisor and co-ordinates internal training in trial preparation and practice for the attorney staff.  His passion, however, is the prosecution of animal cruelty and fighting cases.

Prior to joining the State Attorney’s Office, Mr. Fleck practiced in the Miami-Dade County area of the state as a partner in the law firm of Friend & Fleck, P.A. and as a sole practitioner where he specialized in criminal defense and post-conviction litigation. Mr. Fleck is a 1972 graduate of Emory University (B.A.) and a 1975 graduate of the University of Miami Law School.  He is admitted to and a member in good standing of the Florida Bar and the Association of Trial Lawyers of America and while in private practice was admitted to the federal Southern and Northern District of Florida bars as well as the 2d, 4^th, 5^th, 6^th, 7^th, 8^th, and 11^th Circuit Court of Appeals Bars and the United States Supreme Court. 

 In the past year, Mr. Fleck has prosecuted upwards of 50 felony animal cruelty cases, many through verdict after jury trials. Every trial has resulted in conviction, and every conviction, barring extraordinary circumstances, has resulted in a jail or prison sentence. A recent guilty cruelty verdict resulted in a sentence of 5 years prison followed by 10 years probation. Geoff Fleck is one of eight law enforcement professionals being honored by the Animal Legal Defense Fund during National Justice for Animals Week.

With the theme “Fighting Animal Cruelty, Honoring Animal Victims,” National Justice for Animals Week will be an annual event dedicated to raising public awareness nationwide about how to report animal abuse—and how citizens can work within their communities to create stronger laws and assure tough enforcement. The week, co-sponsored by Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), the author of Tennessee’s T-Bo Law (named in honor of his beloved Shih Tzu) and numerous other successful pro-animal laws, will also celebrate significant legislation in the push for animal justice in the halls of Congress.

ALDF was founded in 1979 with the unique mission of protecting the lives and advancing interests of animals through the legal system. Camera-ready artwork and web banners for National Justice for Animals Week are available upon request.

To arrange an interview with Geoff Fleck, please contact Megan Backus at mbackus@aldf.org, or at 707-795-2533, x1010. For more information, please visit www.aldf.org.