Former Broward Sheriff Scott Israel’s hearing in the Florida Senate is on hold until his lawsuit challenging Gov. Ron DeSantis’ suspension is resolved, according to a memo released Tuesday.
Senate President Bill Galvano wrote to senators that he is accepting a recommendation to delay proceedings until Israel receives a ruling from the courts and exhausts all appeal options.
“My decision is not in any way a reflection of the merits of the proceeding, but is necessary to ensure due process,” wrote Galvano, R-Bradenton.
DeSantis suspended Israel from his post shortly after taking office in January, citing “incompetence” and “neglect of duty” related to his leadership of the agency during the mass shootings at the Fort Lauderdale airport and Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland.
Under Florida law, the Senate is responsible for deciding whether to uphold or overturn the governor’s suspension. Israel requested a hearing in the Senate, but he also filed a lawsuit in Broward County Circuit Court.
The lawsuit accuses DeSantis of overstepping his legal authority and calls the suspension “a political power play that interferes with the right of the public to determine their elected officials.”
Dudley Goodlette, the special master appointed to oversee the Senate hearing, recommended in a letter to Galvano that the proceedings be postponed until the lawsuit is resolved
“The pending litigation challenges the entirety of the executive order,” Goodlette wrote. “Therefore, it is my opinion that the basis for the Senate proceedings is dependent upon the outcome of the current litigation.”
The governor wanted to move forward with the Senate hearing, while Israel’s lawyer asked for it to be put on hold, he wrote.
DeSantis used his State of the State address on March 5 as an opportunity to criticize Israel, saying any senator who would vote to reinstate him would “thumb his nose” at families who lost loved ones in the Parkland shooting.
Israel’s hearing in the Senate had been scheduled tentatively for the week of April 8.
sswisher@sunsentinel.com, 561-243-6634 or @SkylerSwisher