The State's Attorney
R.J. Larizza, State Attorney for Florida’s Seventh Judicial Circuit
The man behind the prosecution
When someone is charged with murder in Volusia County, the decision to press forward—to charge, to prosecute, to pursue justice in the name of the State of Florida—ultimately rests with R.J. Larizza.
Larizza has served as State Attorney for Florida’s Seventh Judicial Circuit for more than fifteen years. His jurisdiction spans four counties: Volusia, Flagler, St. Johns, and Putnam. He is the top prosecutor in the region, overseeing hundreds of attorneys and support staff, and making the final calls in the circuit’s most serious criminal cases.
Before he was a prosecutor, Larizza worked as an assistant public defender, representing the accused. That early experience on the defense side has shaped his reputation: firm, methodical, and careful with high-stakes cases. He’s known for reserving the death penalty for what he’s called “the worst of the worst.”
It’s Larizza’s office that charged Travis McBride with first-degree premeditated murder in the shooting death of Clinton Dorsey—a case now slowed by mental health evaluations and questions of competency.
And it’s Larizza who authorized Assistant State Attorney Mark Interlicchio to lead the prosecution in court.
Though Larizza may not argue the case personally, his signature is on every decision that brought it to trial. He sets the tone. He determines the strategy. He stands behind the charges.
For the family of Clinton Dorsey—and for the people of DeLand—R.J. Larizza is the figure who turned a death on a dark street into a case for the State of Florida.
Sources
Florida Department of State. Division of Elections – Candidate Tracking System. "R.J. Larizza – Candidate Detail." Last modified 2024. https://dos.elections.myflorida.com/candidates/CanDetail.asp?account=49073.
Office of the State Attorney, 7th Judicial Circuit. “R.J. Larizza, State Attorney.” Accessed April 12, 2025. https://www.sao7.com/about-us/state-attorney-rj-larizza/.
News4JAX. “Death Penalty Still on Table in 2018 in Florida Despite Prosecutor Reform.” WJXT Jacksonville, February 6, 2018. https://www.news4jax.com/news/florida/2018/02/06/death-penalty-still-on-table-in-2018-in-florida-despite-prosecutor-reform/.
News-Journal Online. “R.J. Larizza Defeats Political Newcomer to Win Another Term as State Attorney.” The Daytona Beach News-Journal, August 18, 2020. https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/news/politics/elections/2020/08/18/larizza-defeats-newcomer-to-win-another-term-state-attorney/5608797002/.
Daytona Times. “Florida State Attorney R.J. Larizza Seeks Death Penalty in Murder Cases.” Daytona Times, April 5, 2021. https://www.daytonatimes.com/news/florida-state-attorney-rj-larizza-seeks-death-penalty-in-murder-cases/article_02e6d85c-55e9-11eb-a8a1-7f2db94e28c5.html.