Seminole State Attorney’s Office Chief of Staff

Assistant State Attorney Chris White to Retire Friday

            Veteran prosecutor Christopher White has announced his retirement after 35 years of protecting the citizens of Seminole and Brevard counties, said State Attorney Norm Wolfinger.

            White has guided the 40-plus attorneys on Wolfinger’s Seminole staff for the past 19 years while also prosecuting some of the most heinous criminals seen in Central Florida and handling appellate issues. He filled a leadership role in the prosecution of William Cruse, who killed six people including two police officers in 1987 in Palm Bay; in the prosecution of Mark Dean Schwab, who abducted, raped and murdered 11-year-old Junny Rios Martinez in 1990; and in countless other cases where children, the elderly, and the disadvantaged were preyed upon by killers and abusers.

            Wolfinger noted that White has prosecuted 44 first-degree murder cases, six of those in one year along with 33 other felony cases for the year.

            Just this year, White was recognized by the Florida Prosecuting Attorneys Association as the Eugene C. Berry Attorney of the Year for both his prowess in the courtroom and his continuing efforts to improve his community and his profession. He has regularly taught seminars to other attorneys on insanity issues and homicide prosecution. White also has volunteered his time to civic and governmental committees in Titusville.

            “I enjoy a challenge and this work has certainly been that, but more than that I have had the privilege of seeking justice for people who were wronged. I also like that I have been able to hold people accountable for what they have done,” White said.

            White graduated from Florida Technological University in 1972 and from Florida State University in 1975. He worked in private practice for a while and also as an Assistant Public Defender.

            “Chris White is one of those people who have made this office what it is today. His intelligence, his caring, his professionalism, and his overwhelming drive to do the best possible job have made him a blessing to the people of Brevard and Seminole counties,” said Wolfinger. “He will be sorely missed.”

            However, Wolfinger said he considers himself very fortunate to be able to promote Assistant State Attorney Pat Whitaker as his newest Chief of Staff in Seminole. Whitaker is also a veteran prosecutor with the highest standards and abilities.           

            White said he looks forward to spending more time in travel with his wife Barbara with whom he has shared 41 years of marital bliss, and being with their two adult children and three grandsons, with a fourth on the way.  He described himself as a very young 61-year-old who occasionally rides his motorcycle to work on Casual Dress Friday.

Lynne Bumpus-Hooper
Communications and Research Assistant
for State Attorney Norm Wolfinger
office--321-617-7548
website--sa18.state.fl.us
pager--321-635-3648