Seminole County prosecutor named FWC northeast region Prosecutor of the Year

The Seminole County State Attorney’s Office named Assistant State Attorney Christina Vicari the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Prosecutor of the Year for the northeast region, putting a local courtroom lawyer at the center of wildlife enforcement across Central Florida. FWC leaders presented the award June 16 in Daytona Beach.

Vicari has worked in the 18th Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office in Sanford for about eight years, where she has handled cases tied to poaching and boating under the influence. Lt. Garrett Mendelson, the FWC law enforcement supervisor for Seminole and Orange counties, nominated her and wrote that she provided direct guidance and oversight on more than ten BUI cases and served as a critical liaison for poaching investigations.

The award points to the practical side of wildlife enforcement in Seminole County, where officers and prosecutors have to turn field stops and wildlife complaints into cases that can hold up in state court. Vicari also helped FWC investigators navigate a new Florida law allowing residents to shoot bears out of season if they fear an imminent attack, a rule that has raised the stakes for both public safety and wildlife enforcement in neighborhoods that border bear habitat.

Vicari said she has deep respect for the officers she works with and emphasized that the cases often present difficult evidentiary hurdles. She said their steady efforts are essential to achieving justice in the community. Her recognition also reflects the regional reach of the northeast FWC district, which includes the Seminole County area and the day-to-day enforcement work that comes with it.

A Winter Park native, Vicari graduated from the University of Central Florida and Stetson University College of Law. Residents who witness wildlife law violations can report them through FWC’s Wildlife Alert hotline at 888-404-FWCC, or 888-404-3922, for statewide reporting.