Dade Bailiff Accused Of Taking Bribes Quits Job
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – A Miami-Dade circuit court bailiff who was arrested earlier this month for allegedly accepting cash in exchange for fixing traffic tickets has quit her job.
Juana Olga Durand, 52, who was caught on camera accepting cash while in uniform and on-duty, resigned on Monday, according to CBS4 news partner The Miami Herald.
Durand has been charged with three felonies: uttering a forged instrument, official misconduct and illegal compensation. She was also charged with a misdemeanor count of violating the county's ethics code.
The man she was helping was Maciel Gonzalez, who was working undercover with Miami-Dade public corruption detectives, according to court records.
Those detectives recorded and videotaped a number of conversations between Durand and Gonzalez, according to the warrant.
The warrant states Durand arranged for a local attorney to represent Gonzalez in exchange for cash and also arranged a fake certificate showing Gonzalez had completed traffic school.
Durand is also accused of using her relationship to the Police Benevolent Association to make traffic tickets disappear. Durand has a daughter who works for the Miami-Dade police department and her husband is also a bailiff in Miami-Dade criminal court. Her daughter is on the Board of Directors for the Police Benevolent Association and her husband is a member of the PBA Executive Committee.
Durand faces up to 25 years in jail if convicted of all counts.
CBS4 news partner The Miami Herald contributed to this report.
