Key legislation that could make it harder for Jacksonville to settle lawsuits was based on a complaint that Sheriff T.K. Waters and his office weren’t consulted before a high-profile $200,000 settlement. But new records show the officer who was sued and the Sheriff’s Office attorney were invited to the mediation meeting where the city agreed to settle.
Author Archives: Nichole Manna
Nichole Manna is The Florida Trib's Senior Investigative Reporter. She has been with the organization since 2023 and has covered the criminal justice system for more than a decade.
Nichole has extensively covered conditions at the Duval County jail and in 2024 received first place from the Green Eyeshade Awards in online investigations for her reporting of medical neglect at the facility. That series of stories was recognized with awards at the local, regional and national level. She took home the first place prize for a feature story in a small newsroom from the Online Journalism Awards in 2025 for her series, ‘Cold-Blooded’, which dissected a 1993 death penalty case and questioned whether the defendant received a fair trial.
Prior to joining The Trib, Nichole was an investigative reporter at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram in Texas where she was a Livingston Award finalist for a series of stories about a neighborhood with the lowest life expectancy in the state. Her work helped get residents access to free pop-up clinics and they continue to receive help with food disparities.
She is currently working with ProPublica’s Local Reporting Network to produce an investigative project.
You can reach her at nichole@floridatrib.org.
Posted inFlorida News Articles & Reporting
Council committees soften bill that would give Jacksonville sheriff settlement authorization
After an hour-long meeting Monday, the Jacksonville City Council Rules Committee amended a piece of legislation that would have given the sheriff the power to override decisions made regarding the resolution of lawsuits that involve his officers.
Posted inFlorida News Articles & Reporting
32-year-old woman’s death marks second this year at Duval jail
A 32-year-old woman who was incarcerated at the Duval County jail died Sunday after being found in medical distress, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said.
Posted inFlorida News Articles & Reporting
Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office reports first jail death of 2024
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office has reported the first in-custody death of the year at the Duval County jail.
Posted inFlorida News Articles & Reporting
Lawsuit: Duval jail’s neglect led to heart transplant recipient’s death
Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters faces a new federal lawsuit filed this week by the family of a man who died after a short stint in Duval County’s jail.
Posted inCriminal Justice
Proposed city legislation would give Jacksonville sheriff more power
At least seven members of the Jacksonville City Council and Sheriff T.K. Waters are attempting to expand the powers of the city’s top law enforcement official regarding the resolution of lawsuits that involve his officers.
Posted inFlorida News Articles & Reporting
Rising costs and in-custody deaths: Jacksonville’s struggle with jail health care
The Duval County jail’s inefficient health care system — one that can appear at times more like a taxi service to UF Health — comes at a cost to inmates and taxpayers alike.
Posted inFlorida News Articles & Reporting
64-year-old arrested on trespassing charge dies in Duval jail
A 64-year-old Jacksonville man who was arrested on a charge of trespassing on private property and defying an order to leave died in the Duval County jail while in isolation.
Posted inFlorida News Articles & Reporting
Duval jail death toll hits 14 this year after 2 more reported
Two recent in-custody deaths at Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office—Walter James Matthews and Robert Shaffer—raise critical concerns about inmate healthcare, bringing this year’s toll to 14 at Duval County jail.
Posted inCriminal Justice
Jacksonville to pay $200k to settle lawsuit over police shooting of FAMU student
Taxpayers will foot a $200,000 bill to settle a lawsuit against the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office for the police killing of FAMU student Jamee Johnson.