Attorneys representing former Broward Sheriff’s deputy Scot Peterson put state officials on notice Tuesday that proposed legislation to strip him of his state pension is unconstitutional and will be challenged in court if passed.
Bills filed by state Rep. Spencer Roach, R-North Fort Myers, and state Sen. Joe Gruters, R-Sarasota, would deny Peterson a pension, only allowing him to receive back any personal contributions he made into the Florida Retirement System. Peterson, the former school resource officer at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, has been vilified for failing to go after the shooter during the February 2018 massacre.
Peterson was allowed to retire a week after the shooting and is now collecting a $105,263 annual pension.
Attorney Joseph A. DiRuzzo III said the bills are illegal “bills of attainder” that seek to inflict punishment on Peterson without a judicial trial, as well as an illegal taking of his property — his pension benefits — by the state. DiRuzzo included the information in letters sent to Roach, Gruters, Gov. Ron DeSantis, House Speaker Jose Oliva, Senate President Bill Galvano and Sen. Kevin Rader.
“We ask that these bills be removed from consideration and, in all events, not become law in order to avoid needless litigation,” DiRuzzo wrote.
The annual state legislative session officially started Tuesday.
The legislation was also on the agenda at Tuesday’s Broward County Commission meeting, where Mayor Mark Bogen sought to have commissioners pass a resolution supporting the bills. Bogen withdrew the resolution after being rebuffed by commissioners who did not want to be “judge and jury” over Peterson’s fate.
Commissioners Barbara Sharief and Nan Rich said it was premature given Peterson had not been indicted or convicted of any wrongdoing.