Prosecutors will try a woman charged in a bribery scheme linked to ex-Sen. W.D. Childers.
By Associated Press
Published November 29, 2003
PENSACOLA - Prosecutors will try a woman accused of participating in a bribery scheme linked to convicted former Escambia County Commissioner W.D. Childers, even though they lost a pretrial appeal over key testimony.
Childers, also a former Florida Senate president, was convicted this year of giving another suspended commissioner, Willie Junior, a $90,000 bribe to vote for the county's purchase of a defunct soccer complex. Joe and Georgann Elliott sold the property for $3.9-million in 2001.
Georgann Elliott is charged with being a principal to bribery and structuring a financial transaction to avoid reporting requirements related to an alleged $10,000 bribe, although a jury last year acquitted her husband of paying any bribes to Junior and Childers.
The 1st District Court of Appeal last week let stand a ruling by acting Circuit Judge Kevin Wells disallowing hearsay, or secondhand, testimony. State Attorney Curtis Golden said prosecutors will offer new grounds for presenting the testimony and appeal again if Wells rules against them.
That could mean more delays in the case that has been moved to Crestview because of extensive news coverage in Escambia County. No trial date has been set.
A Pensacola jury in June 2002 deadlocked on the structuring count, resulting in a mistrial. Prosecutors later added the principal to bribery charge.
Wells then ruled that Mimi Bass, ex-wife of former County Commissioner Mike Bass, could not testify that Joe Elliott had told her he paid a bribe to a commissioner unless the state first could prove a criminal conspiracy.
Assistant State Attorney John Simon contended that the hearsay should be allowed because Joe Elliott worked for his wife and was acting as her agent. Wells rejected that argument and the appellate court last week held that his ruling cannot be appealed.
Golden and Simon said they now will try to prove a conspiracy.
