FEBRUARY 2008 (Marco Island): Marco Island City Councilman Chuck Kiester has been accused of violating the Florida Public Records Law, which prohibits the deletion of e-mails related to government business. Kiester was charged with failing to maintain, preserve or allow inspection of public records that were generated between the time he took office in March 2006 until March 2007
APRIL 2008 (Sneads):The City of Sneads agreed to pay former Police Chief William Nelson $10,000 and his attorneys $25,000 seven years after he filed suit alleging the city violated Florida’s Open Meetings Law. The former police chief was fired by the town council during a special meeting to which, he alleged, the public was not given proper notice.
APRIL 2008 (Hallandale Beach):City Commissioners have agreed to pay former Hallandale Beach Police officer Talous Cirilo more than $100,000 to settle a lawsuit. In 2005, the city refused to reinstate Cirilo on the police force after he was charged with and acquitted of three misdemeanor counts of battery on a prisoner. The two lawsuits filed against the city alleged that the city civil service board held and illegal meeting a week before the scheduled meeting. It also alleged falsification of evidence and persuasion of a felon to lie under oath about Cirilo.
APRIL 2008 (Jacksonville): An unsealed grand jury report found evidence that Jacksonville City Council members committed “technical or noncriminal” violations of Florida’s Open Meetings Law. State Attorney Howard Shorstein said he will not prosecute unless there is evidence of a kickback to a Jacksonville City Council member or other criminal act
MAY 2008 (Broward County): Collier County Judge Mike Carr found Marco Island city council member Chuck Kiester guilty of a noncriminal public records violation for deleting e-mails that contained information about city business from his personal computer. Kiester was ordered to pay the maximum $500 fine.
JULY 2008 (Venice): After an emergency hearing, a circuit judge ruled three Venice City Council members must allow a computer expert to obtain government business e-mails from their home computers. A recently filed lawsuit claims that four council members violated the Open Meetings Law by discussing city business in private e-mails.
