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Sheriff testifies before grand jury
By GRAHAM BRINK © St. Petersburg Times, published November 9, 2000 TAMPA -- Sheriff Cal Henderson testified briefly Wednesday before a grand jury sorting through numerous accusations involving judges at the Hillsborough courthouse. Henderson was there to shed some light on what, if anything, he knew about allegations that Circuit Judge Gasper Ficarrotta was involved in raising money for Henderson's re-election campaign. Florida's judicial cannons forbid judges from raising money for political candidates. Henderson has said since the allegations became public in August that he was not aware that Ficarrotta had done any fundraising for him. "(I'd) be surprised if he did," Henderson said after testifying for about 20 minutes. Jerry Hill, the state attorney from Polk County appointed to investigate, said Henderson was not subpoenaed and cooperated fully, answering every question asked. The two men smiled and shook hands outside the grand jury room before Henderson testified. The jurors began meeting after a bailiff found Judge Robert Bonanno in Judge Greg Holder's office after hours in July. The bailiff said she was startled and thought Bonanno was trying to hide. Bonanno said he was simply there to talk with Holder. Holder demanded an investigation, and the governor appointed Hill. During the investigation, speculation arose that Bonanno may have been in the office looking for information he thought Holder had regarding Ficarrotta's affair with bailiff Tara Pisano. Pisano had been serving as Holder's bailiff on Fridays and is a close friend of Holder's regular bailiff. The inquiry expanded into whether Ficarrotta asked lawyers to contribute to Henderson's campaign or influenced them in some way to give. Ficarrotta has not appeared before the grand jury. Pisano testified before the grand jury last month, along with Holder, Chief Judge Dennis Alvarez and other courthouse personnel. Bonanno has not yet testified but has said through his lawyer that he will cooperate. Last week, several local lawyers testified about whether they were involved with Ficarrotta in raising money for Henderson. Most declined to comment. On Thursday, a judicial assistant and a bailiff testified briefly as did attorney Joe Ficarrotta, the judge's cousin. He was reluctant to answer questions afterward, but said he was proud of his cousin and did not know of any wrongdoing. Amid a separate investigation by the Judicial Qualifications Commission, Judge Ficarrotta said two weeks ago that he will resign at the end of the year. The grand jury meets again next week and might finish hearing testimony by the end of the month. When the inquiry ends, the jurors can indict or decline to indict on criminal charges. They can also issue a "presentment," a report of their investigations and any recommendations they have.
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
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