Rebecca Fierle mistrial: Orlando guardian’s 2nd trial set for March

By Monivette Cordeiro

Almost a month after a mistrial in the case of former Orlando guardian Rebecca Fierle, a judge on Tuesday scheduled the retrial for March 2023.

During a virtual hearing, Fierle’s attorneys told Circuit Judge Samantha Ward their client was waiving the 90-day rule mandating the start of a new trial after a mistrial. After conferring with both sides on their availability, the judge set the second trial to start on March 20.

Fierle, 53, is accused of aggravated abuse and neglect of an elderly or disabled adult in the 2019 death of her 75-year-old incapacitated client Steven Stryker. She has pleaded not guilty.

A six-person Tampa jury deadlocked on a verdict in the trial last month after deliberating for about 12 hours over two days.

Fierle was the court-ordered decision maker for Stryker and hundreds of other incapacitated people in Florida before details of his death sparked a statewide scandal in the state’s guardianship system.

Multiple investigations into Fierle by authorities and news outlets, including the Orlando Sentinel, exposed widespread flaws in the guardianship program, prompting lawmakers to pass reforms in 2020.  (Continue Reading)

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Rebecca Fierle mistrial: Orlando guardian’s 2nd trial set for March

Mistrial declared in case of woman charged with client's abuse, neglect

Rebecca Fierle, a guardian to 75-year-old Steven Stryker, is accused of placing a "do not resuscitate" order on him. He died in May 2019. 

Author: Andrew Krietz, Hannah Dineen

TAMPA, Fla. — A Hillsborough County judge declared a mistrial Monday in the case of a former Florida guardian accused of causing the death of an elderly man in May 2019.

The judge issued the ruling when a jury deadlocked since deliberating in the case charging Rebecca Fierle with aggravated abuse and neglect of an elderly person, 75-year-old Steven Stryker. 

Jurors on Friday told the judge that they needed more time to deliberate the case. It resumed Monday with the judge telling them to take as much time as needed to reach a verdict before the mistrial was called.

Fierle was appointed to be Stryker's guardian in September 2018. A guardian is appointed to someone when they aren’t able to make medical and financial decisions for themselves. 

In 2019, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigated claims he did not want a "do not resuscitate" order and he had stated, many times, that he wanted to live. Fierle ordered his doctors not to perform any life-prolonging procedures, the FDLE said.

She reportedly ordered doctors at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tampa to cap Stryker's feeding tube.

Stryker died on May 13, 2019.

Fierle was arrested in February 2020. She allegedly placed "do not resuscitate" orders on other clients without their permission.

"All I can say is that this is extremely emotional for me. I’ve waited a long time to see her held accountable for how she treated my father," said the daughter of Stryker, Kim Stryker, to WKMG-TV at the time of Fierle's arrest. 

 

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Mistrial declared in case of woman charged with client's abuse, neglect

I-Team: Mistrial declared for woman who had the largest guardianship practice in Florida

by Danielle DaRos

TAMPA, Fla. (CBS12) — A judge declared a mistrial on Monday in the trial Rebecca Fierle, the woman considered to be Florida's most notorious guardian.

Fierle faced felony abuse charge related to the death of 75-year-old Steven Stryker, a ward in her care.

As the CBS12 News I-Team reported last year, Fierle had the largest guardianship practice in the state, overseeing the medical care and finances of more than 400 people spanning 19 counties.

A judge put her in charge of Stryker, and against his wishes, Fierle signed a "Do Not Resuscitate" order for him, and decided to cap his feeding tube.

Days later, he choked while in the hospital. Because of the DNR, hospital staff could not save him.

An investigation revealed Fierle had put DNRs on a number of her wards, and an audit found she collected millions of dollars in fees that were not authorized by courts.

Fierle was on trial for the abuse and neglect charge. The judge declared a mistrial for the case after a hung jury.

Her defense team told a jury she was doing her best to handle complicated cases, while prosecutors showed she only spoke to Stryker a few times before making life and death decisions for him.

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I-Team: Mistrial declared for woman who had the largest guardianship practice in Florida