Blue’s Law Gains Powerful Ally as Lakeland Mom Meets With Grady Judd
by Becky McLachlan
A Lakeland mother fighting to change Florida law after her son was killed in a motorcycle crash got a major boost Wednesday when Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd expressed support for Blues Law and committed to bringing it before state legislators.
Ashlee Schilling, whose 19-year-old son Blue Tyler Scott (pictured) died Nov. 1, 2025 after a car pulled out in front of his motorcycle, met one-on-one with the Sheriff at his office. Schilling said she left the 35-minute meeting with so much more than she expected.
“He [Judd] said, ‘I absolutely agree with this. I think this is something that absolutely needs to be done,'” Schilling recalled. “And then he asked to keep the copy of the petition.”
Judd told Schilling he plans to present Blues Law directly to state legislators and have them move it forward. Schilling said she had anticipated having to navigate that process on her own.
“I thought I would have to present it to the legislators myself,” she said. “When he said he knows somebody there and he’s going to send it to them, I was like, oh my God.”
Blue’s Law would require blood draws at the scene of vehicle accidents involving a fatality to test for impairment. The legislation takes aim at a gap in current Florida law that allows a driver involved in a crash to refuse a roadside blood sample, potentially destroying critical evidence before any charges are filed.
Sheriff Judd acknowledged there are potential legal hurdles, including possible Fourth Amendment challenges, but told Schilling there are ways to address them. One option he raised: if a driver refuses a voluntary blood draw at the scene of a fatal accident, that refusal could become a separate criminal charge, while law enforcement could still compel a draw at the station.
The case for the law is rooted in what happened the night Blue Scott was killed. The driver of the vehicle that struck him had already agreed to a blood test at the scene. An EMS worker on scene talked the driver out of it. That detail is now at the center of a separate review. Judd told Schilling he personally followed up with EMS leadership after reviewing the police report and found that no detectives had spoken with the EMS worker involved. The agency reversed course the following day. Authorities are now looking more closely at the case to determine whether charges could be brought against the EMS worker for their role in discouraging impairment testing following the fatal accident.
Judd also cited a recent Bartow motorcycle fatality as evidence that the issue is urgent, pointing to statistics Schilling included in the materials she brought to the meeting.
Motorcyclists are 28 times more likely to die in a crash than occupants of a passenger vehicle.
“He said, ‘I absolutely agree with that because it’s happening more and more often,'” Schilling said. “‘You hit somebody in a car, nothing happens. You hit somebody on a motorcycle, you’re gonna get hurt.'”
The meeting was held privately, without media present. Schilling said she was at peace with the decision, believing the one-on-one format allowed for a more direct and personal conversation.
Schilling said she is not waiting for the law to carry Blue’s memory forward. She learned to ride after his death, bought the same model motorcycle he had, and said the bike has become both a tribute and a lifeline.
“I’m not living for me,” she said. “I’m living for him.”
Blue would have turned 20 on May 31. Schilling celebrated his birthday with his friends, a ride to the cemetery, and his favorite banana pudding.
Schilling carried a special keepsake with her to Wednesday’s meeting with Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd. She said it is a gift from her son that she carries with her everywhere she goes. On one side, the engraving reads “Remember I love you mom,” with a small heart, and “Blue + Mom” on the other.
She described Blue as someone who would pull up to a stranger at a gas station, strike up a conversation about motorcycles, and come home having made a new friend whose name he never caught.
“It didn’t matter,” Schilling said. “It was just the connection.”
The petition supporting Blue’s Law had gathered 2,075 signatures as of Tuesday. Schilling said she expects to hear from Sheriff Judd’s office once he has been in contact with legislators. She said the next milestone she is watching for is a hearing in Tallahassee.
The Citrus Tea will continue to follow this story.
Blue Tyler Scott was 19 years old. To sign the petition for Blues Law, visit Blues Law Petition To follow updates on the case and the legislation, subscribe to The Daily Cup at thecitrustea.com/subscribe.
Sources: Interview with Ashlee Schilling, conducted June 24, 2026, following her meeting with Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd at the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. Previous Citrus Tea coverage: “Lakeland Mom Fights Back.” Photos by Becky McLachlan / The Citrus Tea
