The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has named Seminole County Assistant State Attorney Christina Vicari as its Prosecutor of the Year for the northeast region.
Vicari has collaborated with FWC officers to strengthen poaching investigations and boating-under-the-influence cases for prosecution in state courts. She also has helped FWC investigators navigate Florida’s new law allowing residents to shoot bears out of season if they are in fear of imminent attack.
“The extensive work they do on behalf of Florida wildlife is really important, and I’m happy to do the legal groundwork for them,” Vicari said of the FWC officers and their mission. “I love and care for our wildlife – I don’t like it when people hurt animals.”
Vicari was nominated for the honor by Lt. Garrett Mendelson, FWC law enforcement supervisor for Seminole and Orange counties.
“She has provided direct guidance and oversight on more than ten Boating Under the Influence (BUI) cases, ensuring all investigative and evidentiary information was properly documented and courtroom-ready,” Mendelson wrote in his nomination. “Her involvement has strengthened case quality, improved prosecutorial outcomes, and reinforced officer confidence throughout the judicial process.”
He added: “ASA Vicari has served as a critical liaison within the State Attorney’s Office for poaching investigations, offering timely legal direction and consistent availability to investigators.”
Vicari has worked for the State Attorney’s Office for the 18th Judicial Circuit in Sanford for about eight years. She is a Winter Park native and a graduate of the University of Central Florida and Stetson University College of Law.
FWC leaders presented her with the prosecutor-of-the-year award June 16 at the state agency’s regional meeting in Daytona Beach.
“I have so much respect for these officers and their work,” Vicari said. “Their cases can present challenging evidentiary hurdles, but their consistent efforts and willingness to overcome encourages me. Their dedication, thorough investigative work, and commitment to doing things the right way are essential to achieving justice in our community. I am proud to work alongside them in pursuit of that mission.”