Childers gets jail for open-meeting violations; bribery sentence awaits
By Associated Press
Published May 13, 2003
PENSACOLA - W.D. Childers was sentenced to 60 days in jail and more than $4,100 in fines and costs Monday for two counts of violating the state's open-government "sunshine" laws.
The suspended Escambia County commissioner, a former Florida Senate president, faces sentencing for more serious bribery-related convictions Friday.
Childers looked grim but said nothing as Okaloosa County Judge T. Patterson Maney imposed sentence. As he left court, he smiled and said, "No comment."
Childers' request for bail pending appeals was denied, and Maney ordered him to turn himself in at 9 a.m. Wednesday.
Maney also sentenced former Escambia Commissioner Mike Bass for two sunshine offenses. He escaped jail time, but must pay more than $4,100.
Childers and Bass both were accused of discussing public business in private with other commissioners.
A Pensacola jury last year convicted Childers on one sunshine count. He later pleaded no contest to the other. Bass pleaded no contest to both counts in exchange for prosecutors' dropping more serious felony charges including bribery.
Childers was convicted last month of bribery and unlawful compensation for official behavior. He could get up to 10 years in prison Friday in Crestview, where that trial was moved because of extensive news coverage here.
Gov. Jeb Bush suspended Childers, Bass and two other Escambia commissioners, Terry Smith and Willie Junior, after they were indicted on various corruption charges.
Maney previously sentenced Smith to 250 hours of community service plus $4,987 in fines and costs on two sunshine counts.
Childers' felony convictions were in connection with bribes he and Junior took for voting for the county's purchase of a former soccer complex for $3.9-million from a friend of Childers, Joe Elliott. Elliott was acquitted in a separate trial of bribery; his wife, Georgann, still faces charges.
Junior also got a deal from prosecutors. He pleaded no contest to one sunshine count and 10 felonies and agreed to testify against other defendants in exchange for no more than 18 months in prison. No sentencing date has been set.
