ORLANDO, Fla. – Orange-Osceola State Attorney Monique Worrell will hold a news conference on Thursday to address a plea deal in the felony battery case.
The state attorney’s office said it’s reviewing what it calls a prosecutor’s “oversight” after Tyler Feight took a plea deal last month. Feight, 26, was arrested in April after a woman reported being attacked while jogging near College Park in Orlando.
The victim said Feight struck her to the ground and tried to overpower her before she fought back and he fled. Feight was initially charged with battery and attempted sexual battery.
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The state attorney’s office later dropped the attempted sexual battery charge after review by the sex crimes division, which found insufficient evidence to prove Feight’s intent beyond a reasonable doubt. The case was transferred to the general prosecution division, which filed felony battery charges.
On Nov. 20, Feight pleaded no contest to felony battery and was sentenced to 225 days in jail, credited for time served, followed by three years of probation. His probation includes a psychosexual evaluation and treatment, no contact with the victim, and a restriction from returning within three blocks of the incident location.
The victim also approved the plea deal, according to a news release.
Worrell acknowledged the decision to withhold adjudication in the case was legal but an oversight and violated the office’s normal practice. She emphasized that this did not affect Feight’s sentence or his status as a convicted felon due to a prior case.
The state attorney’s office said the prosecutor who handled the case, Assistant State Attorney Zachary Cole, is not under investigation but his performance is being reviewed by his supervisor for appropriate personnel action.
“This is a standard procedure to ensure that our office operates in a manner that is consistent with the highest and best practices,” Worrell said in the news release.
Worrell said she is holding media availability “to address community concerns and questions” regarding the case and is “keeping with our commitment to full transparency.”
The news conference is set for 2 p.m.
News 6 will stream the conference live when it happens.