Citrus: Officer not arrested, but punished

INVERNESS - One of Sheriff Jeff Dawsy's top lieutenants was pulled over by a deputy this month on suspicion of drunken driving.

It was the second time in his 22-year career that Lt. James Martone was stopped for that reason. He was not arrested either time.

-Will serve one year of probation within the agency beginning Feb. 12. Martone, who supervised the school resource officers in Citrus, will no longer be a sworn law enforcement officer. Instead, he will work as a civilian, assigned to the child protective services arm of the Sheriff's Office.

-Will be suspended without pay for three weeks and will lose part of his special risks retirement pay. The suspension started Jan. 22.

Martone, 43, was pulled over Jan. 13 while driving his personal vehicle, according to a sheriff's disciplinary report.

He was not arrested. Sheriff's spokeswoman Gail Tierney said the deputy who made the traffic stop called a supervisor for assistance.

The Sheriff's Office plans to release the details of the traffic stop, and the contents of the subsequent internal affairs investigation, today.

Martone is a high-profile member of Dawsy's administration and well-known because of his role in the schools.

In November, Martone was pictured in area newspapers standing next to Dawsy after the two completed a run to help raise money for Jessie's Place, a new child advocacy center named for Jessica Lunsford. Both Martone and Dawsy are board members at Jessie's Place.

Martone also participated numerous times in the Key Training Center's Run for the Money fundraiser.

In summer 1997, Martone, while off duty, was stopped by an Inverness police officer, according to news accounts. He was released without being cited even though he was said to be speeding, he did not have his driver's license or proof of insurance, and the officer said she smelled alcohol on his breath.

Dawsy's discipline at that time: Martone was banned from taking his sheriff's cruiser home for two weeks and was issued a written reprimand for speeding.

Martone joined the Sheriff's Office in 1985 as a road patrol deputy, then became a school resource officer in 1987, sheriff's records show. Later, he was promoted to sergeant and then director of the Juvenile Affairs Division, which oversees the school resource officer programs.

The officers, known as SROs, often counsel children on avoiding alcohol, tobacco and drugs.

Jorge Sanchez can be reached at sanchez@sptimes.com or 860-7313 in Citrus or toll-free at 1-800-333-7505, ext. 7313.

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by chele	01/30/07 11:05 PM
Reading article via online from out of state; it appears officer Martone has a history of this type of activity. How many ohter things have been covered for him. Was it published simply because it's public record? 70k to 52K... "OUCH!" GIVE ME A BREA

by COPS PROTECTING COPS	01/30/07 10:01 PM
BAD PIG NO MORE DOUGHTNUTS... THIS LITTLE PIGGIE SHOULD HAVE GONE TO JAIL :}:}:}

by John	01/30/07 09:48 PM
What about a drunk driving record?

by Mike	01/30/07 02:09 PM
Lady Bug, you can't get past the $70k in salary for the Lt? After 22 years of service to any company, wouldn't you expect that kind of salary? Being from a LEO family, the money they get paid is the least we can do to thank them for their service.

by Tiny	01/30/07 01:56 PM
More have fallen further for much less.

by mike	01/30/07 01:31 PM
Thank you for allowing a drunk to drive on the streets that my family use. Lets wait untill he kills someone. Who knows it could be a employee of the dept, or maybe someone his obvious buddy the sheriff loved ones!How things would change!

by Brooke	01/30/07 01:30 PM
When Joe Public as you call it gets caught no front page story, no job demotion. Just the normal fine. He has paid over an above for his mistake. And by the way suspicion would never hold up for Joe Public like it did with Martone

by SARA	01/30/07 01:30 PM
The outcome could have been alot worse. Unemployment, accident or even a traffic fatality could have been the end result. Thank goodness it all turned out like it did.

by Eddie	01/30/07 12:17 PM
Plenty of Law Enforcement Officer's have made mistakes that ended their careers with an agency. L-E-O's are held to a higher standard. Let's read the "rest" of the story before we crucify the deputies involved in this incident. Martone, good luck.

by CC	01/30/07 11:44 AM
Free ride or not, laws are laws. One can't decide what punishment to give if a law is broken. That is up to a judge. So why was he punished on suspicion?

by Chuck	01/30/07 11:35 AM
Suspected of DUI? What would have happened to Joe Public if he was pulled over and suspected of DUI? You would have been subjected to breathalyzer or lose your license. This whole thing stinks.

by John	01/30/07 10:35 AM
Jamie, I don't see how this is a "free ride." 22 years of devotion to the community. People make mistakes, suspended for a year. Where is the "free ride?" Most people just lose their license. I'm glad nobody was physically hurt.

by Ed	01/30/07 10:21 AM
What was the benefit of making this incident public.Shame on the men in uniform for not protecting its own.

by LadyBug	01/30/07 10:09 AM
I can't get past the $70,148 a year; however, not many of us could survive an $18,000 a year pay cut. But Joe is right--what if that were the penalty for anyone suspected of driving under the influence?

by KatsMeow	01/30/07 08:42 AM
The level of punishment seems to eradicate the "suspicion" of drunken driving. While I agree punishment is necessary, I feel the degree is a bit over the top. Why not just fire him and allow him to move on to something else in life? Poor choices!

by JoeLunchbucket	01/30/07 06:59 AM
Typically, we expect law enforcement to be held to a higher standard, however, in this case the punishment does not fit the crime - it is much too severe for a case of "suspicion of drunk driving". He ought to appeal his punishment- its reversible.

by jamie	01/30/07 06:15 AM
Typical double standard. The police in Citrus arrest you for anything so they can keep the jail full. It is all about the money. The police get a free ride. They should be held to a higher standard.