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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2025

VOLUME 120 - ISSUE 6 Not officially associated with the University of Florida

Published by Campus Communications, Inc. of Gainesville, Florida

New Florida law raises penalty for DUIs and vehicular homicide

FOOTBALL

TRENTON’S LAW CREATES HARSHER PUNISHMENTS FOR DRIVING AND BOATING CRIMES BY REPEAT OFFENDERS

By Alexa Ryan Alligator Staff Writer

Credit // Alligator Staff

Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier during a postgame interview after a football game between the Miami Hurricanes and the Florida Gators on Sept. 20, 2025, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. Read more in Sports on pg. 12.

After a driver struck and killed teenagers on two separate occasions — while driving recklessly in 2001 and again in 2023 — the victims’ parents came together to further punish repeat offenders. Now, a Florida law will raise the maximum sentence for repeat offenders convicted of killing someone while driving or boating under the influence from 15 to 30 years, starting Oct. 1. The same will happen for vehicular homicide convictions. Trenton’s Law was proposed

after 18-year-old Stetson University football player Trenton Stewart died after colliding with a speeding driver. Trenton was a cybersecurity major and aspiring fitness influencer. Nothing ever stood in his way when it came to achieving his goals, said his mother Mandi Stewart. She described her son as “always being dedicated to becoming the best version of himself.” “We always felt so blessed that we were chosen to be his parents,” she said. “He truly was just exceptional.” On May 9, 2023, Trenton, who had recently moved home from college for summer break, was driving along a 45 mph road in Duval County. Ariel Monteagudo was driving his Mercedes Benz around 1 a.m. on the same road

SEE TRENTON'S LAW, PAGE 4

Retired UF professor loses emeritus status over Charlie Kirk social media post Jeffrey Harrison, a former law professor, publicly commented on Kirk’s assassination By Leona Masangkay Alligator Staff Writer

Jeffrey L. Harrison, a retired UF law professor, lost his emeritus status following a political post he made on Facebook. Harrison made a post about the killing of Charlie Kirk, a popular conservative activist, the same day Kirk was shot and killed on a college campus in Utah. “I did not want him to die,” Harrison wrote in a Facebook post, referring to Kirk. “I reserve that wish for Trump.” UF responded to Harrison’s post just over a

SPORTS/SPECIAL/CUTOUT

Volleyball Story description finish with comma,

Florida setters star on team. Read pg# more on pg. 11.

week later on Sept. 19 in a statement that left Harrison unnamed. “The University of Florida has been made aware of a retired faculty member who issued a post on social media that is raising concerns,” UF wrote in an X post. “In accordance with the university’s policies and regulations, UF has rescinded this individual’s emeritus status.” Emeritus status, granted to faculty members by vote after retirement, gives recipients UF-affiliated email accounts, as well as courtesies such as parking, use of the library and admission to athletic events, according to university regulations. UF has no further comment outside of what

it posted online, university spokesperson Cynthia Roldán said. The university released its statement the day after another conservative activist, Scott Presler, posted on X calling for Harrison to “lose any affiliation” with the university and any current duties. The post, which included screenshots of Harrison’s profile on UF’s website and of his social media accounts, garnered over 16,000 likes and 130,000 views. Harrison’s profile has since been removed from the UF Levin College of Law website, and the link now throws a 404 error. In a follow-up Facebook post Sept. 19, Har-

Student life

New app offers favors for students, by students, pg. 4

rison said he received “a lot of hateful commentary” after his original post was screenshotted and republished on X. Harrison, who specialized in economics, contracts and antitrust before retiring in 2020, is not the first individual to face consequences for his post. Three professors at Florida Atlantic University in South Florida were put on administrative leave this week after commenting on Kirk’s death. Four teachers in public K-12 schools in Osceola County are being investigated but have not yet lost their jobs as of Sept. 15. On Sept. 18, popular show host Jimmy Kimmel had his talk show, “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,”

SEE EMERITUS, PAGE 5

Crime

Florida executes man for triple-murder, pg. 5

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