Chief judge looked into scandal
Judge F. Dennis Alvarez investigated on his own a case involving a fellow Hillsborough jurist.
By DAVID KARP
© St. Petersburg Times, published February 1, 2001
The JQC has opened an investigation into Alvarez's handling of Ficarrotta's affair. Ficarrotta resigned last year rather than face formal charges by the JQC.Alvarez had asked authorities to keep the documents released Wednesday secret. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement initially agreed, but released them when confronted with a public records request by the Times.
"All of this is history," Alvarez said. "I'm glad it's behind us."
Among the records released is an Aug. 25, 1999, letter from bailiff Pisano's attorney, Barry Cohen, to Alvarez that spells out the charges against Ficarrotta. Cohen said Ficarrotta accosted Pisano "in an intimidating, hostile manner" in a hearing room in front of then-Circuit Judge James Whittemore and his aide.
Whittemore, now a federal judge in Tampa, and his aide declined comment Wednesday.
According to the letter, Ficarrotta threatened to use his close relationship with the sheriff to damage Pisano's job and the job of her husband, who also works for the sheriff. Ficarrotta and the sheriff were social friends, and Ficarrotta raised money for the sheriff, Cohen wrote.
Cohen asked Alvarez to take immediate action to "end the harassment." He added that Alvarez would receive additional information that would "disgrace and discredit" Ficarrotta and the judiciary in general.
[snip]
That's the ticket. We know what kind of guy risks the 'person in question' slowly dehydrate [no iv for fluids?] while he meditates, goes to the cave and hums, whatever.