Weather | Sports | Forums | Comics | Classifieds | Calendar | Movies
An assistant public defender says he can run the office better than his boss. They will face off in the GOP primary this fall.
By WILLIAM R. LEVESQUE
© St. Petersburg Times, published June 23, 2000
LARGO -- Pinellas-Pasco Public Defender Bob Dillinger said his office is working efficiently for taxpayers. But somebody thinks it could do a better job.
That would be Cimos Angelis. He's an assistant public defender. Dillinger is his boss.
Angelis and Dillinger, both Republicans, have filed papers announcing their candidacy to be the 6th Judicial Circuit's public defender, setting up a showdown this fall in the GOP primary. No other candidates have announced.
Angelis, 38, of Tarpon Springs is resigning his position in Dillinger's office effective July 14. In the meantime, the man he wants to replace remains his boss.
"I don't want to sound like a disgruntled employee," Angelis said in an interview this week. "It's not like I'm running against him because I've got a grudge against him. But I know this office from the inside out. I've held just about every job there is here. I think I could run the office more efficiently."
Dillinger, 48, who unseated longtime public defender Robert Jagger in 1996, said that's news to him.
"I have an open-door policy with my employees," Dillinger said. "They can come in and tell me anything they want. Many employees take advantage of it. I've never heard a complaint from him."
Both are graduates of the Stetson University College of Law in Gulfport, Dillinger receiving his law degree in 1976 and Angelis receiving his in 1987.
Dillinger earned his undergraduate degree at Columbia University in New York City, where he majored in environmental science. Angelis received undergraduate degrees at the University of South Florida in Tampa, majoring in criminal justice and finance.
Dillinger, who lives in St. Petersburg, began his career with the public defender's office shortly after being admitted to the bar in 1976. He worked there until 1981.
He then worked in private practice until making his successful run at Jagger.
Dillinger said he's worked hard the past four years to spend his office's budget wisely. For instance, he said he hired about 24 new additional employees, mostly lawyers, without a significant increase in his budget.
"We're pretty proud that we've been able to do that," He said.
Dillinger said he also has tried diligently to work with state lawmakers that affect the work of public defenders throughout the state.
Angelis, meanwhile, said the office has lost several good lawyers in recent years. Office morale, he said, isn't as high as it could be.
"I think given the opportunity I can keep a lot of those people in the office and happy," Angelis said. "I think the attitude in the office is that everyone is expendable. It's more about numbers than it is about people."
Both candidates are seasoned trial attorneys who have worked a wide range of felony criminal cases.
The public defender, who earns about $125,000 a year and serves a four-year term, oversees a staff of lawyer assistants who represent people who have been charged with a crime but cannot afford their own attorney.