- March 14, 2025
R.J. Larizza
AGE: 54
FAMILY: Married 21 years, two children, one granddaughter
QUIRKY FACT: Plays the harmonica
BIO: Larizza was born in Jacksonville and moved to St. Augustine in 1983. He graduated from Troy University in 1980 and worked as a probation officer for 13 years. Went to law school at 35 and, upon graduation, worked as a prosecutor in Daytona and St. Augustine for 6.5 years. In 2003, he opened and ran a private practice. In 2008, he successfully ran for state attorney, a position he currently holds. He has personally prosecuted death penalty and other first-degree murder cases, violent felonies, child and adult sex cases, white collar and property crime cases.
How can the State Attorney’s Office work more effectively with local law enforcement and victim services?
It’s all about communicating effectively and consistently between the different agencies. We use technology to help us communicate better. We share email addresses and are linking our databases with the various law enforcement agencies for quicker and accurate access to the information we need to share.
What is your approach to staff salaries and other budgeting concerns?
Salaries are 95% of our budget and critical to office operations. Our budget has been reduced almost 15% since I took office. I increased the collection of cost of prosecution from defendants by approximately 48% to avoid layoffs or furloughs and to insure public safety is not compromised.
What makes you the most qualified for this office?
During my tenure as your state attorney, the conviction rate is up, crime is down, we have filed more felony charges and dropped fewer. Since taking office, I have seen the conviction rate become the highest in the recorded history of the Seventh Circuit, at 89.8%. The state average is 86%. As far as experience, I was a probation officer for 13 years before going to law school at 35 years old. I prosecuted for six years upon graduation and then ran a successful private practice for six years. I have been your state attorney for almost four years. That adds up to 29-plus years of hands-on experience in the criminal justice field.
I established the Career Criminal/Special Prosecution Unit that targets the habitual violent felons and career criminals who are responsible for the most serious offenses and pose the greatest threat to public safety.
I implemented a performance-based employee evaluation process that applies to all employees. I am proud of the folks I work with and the quality of work they put out on a daily basis.
What is your vision for the next four years in this office?
To continue the policies and programs I initiated and continue to improve upon the overall effectiveness of the State Attorney’s Office.
