Being the legal epicenter of the universe has its pros and cons.
Just like appearing on a national Court TV show as one of the local experts.
That was a thing in 2024. If you watch “Closing Arguments with Vinnie Politan”, you saw a familiar face and name—mine.
The courtroom news network brought me on to share what I knew from a local level and angle regarding the Madeline Soto sexual assault and murder case. Her name, and those of mother Jennifer Soto and her one-time boyfriend Stephan Sterns, who has been convicted and sentenced in the case, came up a lot.
After nearly a year and a half, with Sterns shuffling off to the Florida State Prison system, the saga ends—unless Jennifer ultimately faces her own charges.
In the News-Gazette, I feel like we did a good job of covering this news event at the local level. Wait, I know we did.
Why? Because Stephan Sterns’ defense team, when asking Judge Keith Carsten to limit potential jurors’ exposure to headlines, specifically mentioned, and held up, the Osceola News-Gazette and its parade of front-page headlines. (It led to bloggers, Youtubers and one mainstream news outlet running a “Defense wants to ban the News-Gazette” headline. It just added to the hyperbole.)
Always remember the opposite of love is not hate, it’s apathy. When people stop giving a darn, that’s when you worry.
With that going on … you’d love to have been a fly on the wall of the newsroom conversations about this case over the last 17 months.
My kids are 16 and 10. When I haven’t been a “newsman”, I’ve been like the concerned neighbor watching all of this unfold, asking the questions within the office … How could this happen … unchecked … for years?
(By the way, I’d be remiss without thanking those who checked on how the case was affecting my mental state. Those refreshes were helpful.)
I’ve heard your chatter as well. Most centered around Jennifer Soto who, depending on who you talk to, may still be residing in the area. Or not. Either way, she’s taken “laying lower than low”—and the one place she is not residing is in a jail cell, or at least in police custody. That would be the pound of flesh a lot of people are asking for.
Keep in mind, early in this process, the Kissimmee Police Department said it was not “actively” pursuing charges against Jennifer. Maybe that changes. We’ll let you know if it does.
The No. 2 question behind “Where is Jenn?” is, “Why did the state let Sterns plead no contest rather than not guilty?”
Answer? To get the deal. Follow me here: to get a death penalty conviction, Sterns would have to continue pleading not guilty, go to that capital murder trial that would have likely been pushed back every few months, then be found guilty by a jury.
That would have been after the trial he avoided on the 60 “other charges”. To get to a death sentence, the court, two juries—and the community— would have had to endure two very brutal trials, with all of the graphic evidence put on display in court.
So, the state gave up nothing to get a life sentence that is truly life—Sterns waived his ability to appeal as part of the deal.
Also ... am I shocked that Jennifer Soto did not attend the plea hearing? Absolutely not. I'm convinced she was not setting foot in a courtroom unless compelled by a subpoena or to testify.
This is all talk we couldn’t have shared as the process wore on. Now we’re just reviewing the game tape—and letting Vinnie Politan talk about another area of the country.
