MONDAY MARCH 19 - COURT HEARING ON ALACHUA LAWSUITS

JUDGE ROUNDTREE WILL CONVENE HEARING AT 1:30 PM
Civil Court | 201 East University Ave. | Third Floor
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ARE WELCOME TO ATTEND!

Judge Robert Roundtree will be taking action tomorrow (Monday March 19) on a number of cases involving legal disputes between citizens and Alachua city officials. The public is welcome to attend this hearing.

The Alachua cases currently before the Circuit Court include the following:

1. a lawsuit challenging an unconstitutional trespass order against Charlie Grapski;


2. a lawsuit filed by Charlie Grapski and Michael Canney claiming violations of open records laws by Alachua officials, involving abuse of the consent agenda and public records violations;


3. a lawsuit filed by Charlie Grapski claiming that Clovis Watson's employment as City Manager and Police Commissioner violates Florida's constitutional prohibition of dual office holding;


4. a false arrest civil suit filed by Charlie Grapski against Watson and the City of Alachua for a wrongful felony arrest in City Hall on May 1, 2006.

A lawsuit by Eileen McCoy and other Alachua voters claiming election fraud and misconduct in Alachua's 2006 city commission election is on appeal after being dismissed by Judge Roundtree on a technicality.

Grapski trespass order
Judge Roundtree will hold a non-evidentiary hearing on the City of Alachua's trespass order against Charlie Grapski, issued on February 12 by APD Chief Robert Jernigan and APD officer Jimmy Smith on orders from Clovis Watson. Grapski, who had gone to City Hall to request public records, was told he would be arrested if he returned to the City Hall property for a period of one year. He and attorney Gary Edinger filed a challenge to the trespass order, claiming it is an illegal infringement of Grapski's constitutional rights, and should be nullified by the Court.

Case status conference
Judge Roundtree has asked that the cases involving the City of Alachua be conjoined, and a case status conference will be held tomorrow to determine what the next step will be in the lawsuits. A new mandamus petition was filed on Friday March 16 by Alachua city commission candidates Mike Perkins and Charlie Grapski, replacing an earlier writ that was filed following the city's disqualification of three candidates. It is not clear whether Judge Roundtree will take any action on the mandamus writ on Monday.

For more information search these websites:

http://www.highspringsherald.com
http://freealachua.org/

- Renee*in*Ohio

Of Foxes and Henhouses

This was posted yesterday in comments at Howard Empowered People.

I have just received this message from Florida!
CHARLIE GRAPSKI SUPPORTERS PLEASE TAKE NOTE!

Your recent correspondence to Governor Charlie Crist was forwarded to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement's (FDLE) Office of Executive Investigations (OEI) for review. In your e-mail, you complained of the manner in which the Alachua Police Department (APD) handled an arrest that Charles Grapski was the subject of. You further requested that this incident be investigated in order to determine if any wrongdoing on the part of APD Chief Jernigan was present.

Upon review of your correspondence, it was determined that your complaint does not appear to contain a criminal predicate that would warrant an investigation by our office. Furthermore, since the Chief of Police is an appointed position within the City of Alachua, it would be the local city government's responsibility to investigate allegations brought forth regarding APD Chief Jernigan. Therefore, your correspondence is being forwarded to Alachua City Manager Clovis Watson for review and any action he deems appropriate. Should you have any questions regarding our review, you may contact our office at (850) 410-8240.

Sincerely,
John Ford
Florida Department of Law Enforcement
Office of Executive Investigations

HERE'S MY RESPONSE JUST SENT ~

Dear Mr. Ford,

Considering that Clovis Watson has a known grievance with Mr. Grapski, your action can hardly be deemed useful or appropriate. I am copying my Senator, Patrick Leahy, as well as a reporter of the Gainsville Sun, who has been following the story, on this message.

My confidence in law enforcement in Florida is not only not restored, but is further maligned(sic).

Respectfully,
CC: Sen. Patrick Leahy; Amy Reinink

- listener

Media Finally Taking Notice

News from Alachua for friends of Charlie. He is doing well. But has been working 24 hours a day for nearly a year. The work has been difficult but is now starting to pay off as people are seeing through the haze of spin and framing.

The local news blockade has effectively kept this story fairly quiet until now. But even the major media outlets in Alachua County are now seeing through the facade.

Please take a look at the front page story of the Gainesville Sun today and help us spread the word around. Charlie needs our help. You would be proud of the work he is doing. Many of us were skeptical about the role the internet can play in local politics. But he has shown us the importance of community and that includes the wider community that stretches across the nation.

Alachua makes waves by doing things its own way
By AMY REININK
Sun staff writer

ALACHUA - The public comment period of last Monday night's city meeting started as many others do - with people lining up behind the podium to criticize or praise a recent decision by city officials.

Residents quoted Maya Angelou, Thomas Jefferson and Florida election laws to back up their points. They cheered and booed other speakers' comments. Some called city officials everything from incompetent to ignorant. Others thanked them for bringing positive change to the community.

At issue was the city's decision to disqualify the three people who challenged two incumbent commissioners in the city's April 10 election for what city officials said was incomplete paperwork. That decision would have essentially called off the election.

See more here.

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