His father urged him to try law school. Stetson University in Gulfport accepted him. There he fell in love with the intellectual combat of the courtroom. After graduation, de Vlaming was hired as a prosecutor. Old opponents such as Clearwater lawyer Pat Doherty say he was as good at putting people in jail as he is now at keeping them out.
Some lawyers excel at working out plea deals.
And he wins more than he loses. His high-wire tactics are not foolproof. He went up against Pieri in a murder case in which police could not find the body. The jury didn't buy it. But risk-taking has paid off for other clients.