Florida Senate Keeps Scott Israel's Challenge On Hold
TALLAHASSEE (CBSMiami/NSF) - A Florida Senate case about suspended Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel will remain on hold while the embattled law enforcement official pursues a court appeal, according to a memo issued by Senate President Bill Galvano.
Siding with Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday, a judge threw out a lawsuit in which Israel challenged his suspension by the Republican governor.
Shortly after he took office in January, DeSantis suspended Israel, accusing him of "neglect of duty" and "incompetence" in two mass shootings in Broward County, including last year's massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland.
Israel, a Democrat, challenged his suspension in the Senate, which has the authority to reinstate or remove elected officials. But that challenge was put on hold when Israel asked a Broward County circuit judge to weigh in on whether DeSantis lacked the power to strip the elected official of his post.
After Judge David Haimes dismissed the case Thursday, Israel filed a notice to appeal the decision. "This is not merely an issue for Sheriff Israel, whose removal resulted from the governor's election campaign political deal-making.
It also represents an unprecedented use of the suspension power to disenfranchise the voters, who alone hold the authority to determine their elected officials," Israel's lawyers Ben Kuehne and Stuart Kaplan said in a statement.
The court appeal will keep the Senate case on hold, Galvano said in a memo to senators Thursday evening. "As you are aware, the matter is in abeyance until all appeals are exhausted or have been definitively taken off the table," Galvano, R-Bradenton, wrote.
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