'HOFFMAN' LAW COULD LIMIT USE OF YOUNG INFORMATS

State lawmakers are looking at legislation to create stricter
standards for the use of young people as confidential informants.

State Sen. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey, is working with an attorney
for the family of Rachel Hoffman to craft the legislation. Hoffman,
23, of Clearwater, was fatally shot in May while helping Tallahassee
police with a drug investigation.

Hoffman agreed to work with police after she was arrested on drug
charges, including possession of more than 20 grams of marijuana and
possession with intent to sell Ecstasy.

Hoffman had planned to meet police officers at a park, where a drug
deal was supposed to take place, but she called from the park to say
the location had been changed. The Investigators told her to stay
where she was, but she wasn't there when they arrived.

Her body was found in rural Taylor County, southeast of
Tallahassee.

After her death, Tallahassee police defended their use of Hoffman as a
confidential informant. Her family and friends said police put an
unprepared young woman in danger.

"It was a very sad, very sad situation," Fasano said.

"We've got to do our best in working with law enforcement to protect
young people like that ... who don't realize what they're getting
themselves into," he said.

"We're not talking about a hardened criminal. ... We're talking about
a young lady who may have had personal problems, but that doesn't mean
we put her out there in a dangerous situation."

He said he and other lawmakers were in the process of writing the
legislation for the 2009 session, which opens March 3.

It may include banning the use of some people as informants or
requiring police to take extra steps to ensure inexperienced
informants understand the risk in their assignments.