Overview:
Florida prosecutors have declined to file criminal charges against Haitian media personality Carel Pedre following his December arrest in Tamarac on a domestic violence charge. The filings may resolve the county criminal allegations, but do not address Pedre’s separate immigration case. Meanwhile, Pedre’s landlord is seeking to evict him for missing January’s rent on the apartment where the arrest happened.
One week after the woman at the center of the Carel Pedre arrest that led to his detention by immigration authorities denied dating him and asked that he not be prosecuted, the Florida State Attorney’s Office in Broward County declined to file criminal charges against the Haitian media personality, according to newly filed court documents. Meanwhile, Pedre’s landlord is also moving to evict him for not paying January’s rent while he has been in custody.
Court records filed on Jan. 22 in Broward County Court show a “no information” decision in Pedre’s case. The filing lists the state’s action as “decline case” for the misdemeanor charge of battery involving “touch or strike,” with no further details explaining what led to their decision.
A “no information” determination means prosecutors chose not to formally file charges for any number of reasons, such as witnesses not coming forward or victims deciding not to pursue the matter, legal experts have explained. Declining a case does leave prosecutors with the discretion to revisit a case if new evidence emerges, though such actions are not common without materially new information.
A separate filing dated the same day confirms that Pedre is no longer subject to domestic violence pretrial restrictions. The court records also show that the $1,000 cash appearance bond posted in the case was returned to Vanessa Joseph, a North Miami City Clerk, who has appeared on Pedre’s shows in recent years, indicating that the bond was no longer required after the state’s decision not to proceed.
Pedre remains in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at Krome Detention Center in Miami.
His attorney and relatives have not commented on the cases beyond thanking the public and asking them to let the system run its course, despite the widespread criticism and support for Pedre.
The founder of the media platform Chokarella and a prominent figure on the Haitian social scene, was arrested on Dec. 21 after an alleged domestic dispute with Richelle Robinson. At the time, deputies said Pedre identified Robinson as his girlfriend when they arrived at the scene of Pedre’s apartment and found her naked in the street. As previously reported by The Haitian Times, deputies arrested Pedre after interviewing neighbors and the pair. Once jailed and after bond was set, he was transferred into federal custody because an immigration detainer lodged by ICE prevented his release.
The newly filed court documents may appear to resolve the state criminal case, but they do not address Pedre’s immigration status. Immigration proceedings operate separately from criminal courts, and the filings make no reference to ICE custody or potential deportation.
Pedre’s arrest and continued detention drew public attention, with supporters questioning how a misdemeanor arrest could result in prolonged custody through immigration enforcement mechanisms. Advocates have pointed to the case as an example of how contact with local law enforcement can trigger immigration consequences even when criminal charges are not pursued.
The arrest also opened Pedre’s life to scrutiny, with some wondering about the Port-de-Paix native’s immigration status and his private life as a married father-of-two daughters.
On that front, court records also show that the landlord of the Tamarac property where Pedre was arrested — a company called JMK TV MF2 LLC — said in court papers that Pedre missed January’s rent, late fees and utilities payment totaling $2,996.89 for the unit he rented at 9097 N.W. 57th Street. The courts sent Pedre notice Wednesday, giving him and anyone else still using the apartment notice to vacate unless they paid the back rent and met other conditions within five days.
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