Mar 20, 2008 8:21 pm US/Eastern
Judge Grants Timoney Delay In Panel Appearance
MIAMI (CBS4) ―
Miami Police Chief John Timoney has been granted a temporary stay from having to testify before the Civilian Investigative Panel.
Last week Circuit Court Judge Victoria Sigler subpoenaed Timoney to testify before the panel about a Lexus SUV the chief drove for more than a year, compliments of the dealership; an arrangement exposed by a
CBS4 news investigation. Sigler rejected Timoney's argument that because he's Chief of Police he doesn't have to answer to the panel. She had ordered Timoney, and Lexus officials to testify this week.
Thursday morning Sigler granted Timoney a stay from having to testify and gave him 15 days to file an appeal with the 3rd District Court of Appeals.
A Miami ethics commission reprimanded and fined the chief in January for accepting the car in violation of ethics laws. But the CIP's probe of "Lexus-gate" is broader and ongoing.
"Were any taxpayer dollars, for service, for gas, for any purpose, expended on him?" asked panel member Brenda Shapiro. "We don't know any of that."
And the CIP also wants to know why Lexus of Kendall would give the chief the SUV.
"We share a lot of things in common, including an Irish heritage," Timoney said in a previous press conference.
The chief has said the dealership's owner is a pal, a fellow Irishman who wanted him to take a test drive in the SUV.
"Dumb of me, I'll say it right now," said Timoney in a recent news conference regarding the matter.
Timoney has said it was dumb of him to accept a car—a boneheaded thing.
"Boneheaded is an interesting word," said Shapiro. "We're going to investigate and see if he went beyond boneheaded."
Timoney could appeal the order that he testify
And what does his boss say?
"I will meet with him and also plan to meet with the CIP chairman to hopefully resolve this and move forward," said City Manager Peter Hernandez.
The CIP was created by a vote of the people in Miami, to guarantee civilian oversight of the police department.
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