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2 Hillsborough judges go before grand juryBy SUE CARLTON © St. Petersburg Times, published November 16, 2000 TAMPA -- As one judge left a grand jury room Wednesday after being questioned for more than an hour and another headed in to take his place, a lawyer had an observation about Hillsborough's trouble-plagued courthouse. "When all is said and done about what has happened here, and all that you have read, you may have encountered a Peyton Place, Tampa-style," said Ralph Fernandez, the attorney for Circuit Judge Robert Bonanno. "But you have not heard anything that would affect the administration of justice." Fernandez's comment -- referring to the 1950s-book-turned-1960s-TV-show about the steamy secrets, scandals and extramarital affairs in a New England town- came as the grand jury heard from pivotal witnesses in an expanding investigation. It was July when Circuit Judge Greg Holder's bailiff found Bonanno inside Holder's darkened chambers after hours. Holder called for an investigation, and the special prosecutor assigned to the case decided to put it in the hands of a Hillsborough grand jury. Since then, the witnesses who have been called to testify behind closed doors have made it evident the investigation has spread well beyond Holder's chambers. First up Wednesday was Joan Helms, a courthouse employee who once worked as Bonanno's civil court clerk. Court clerks are responsible for handling paperwork and records, swearing in witnesses and reading verdicts. Bonanno's lawyer has acknowledged Helms may have been questioned about rumors, including one that cases could have been diverted to Bonanno's court to benefit certain lawyers. "Absolutely not," Fernandez said of that allegation Wednesday. "Never. Never considered. Never even a passing thought. Nothing along those lines." Grand jury witnesses cannot discuss their testimony. Helms, who spent 37 minutes inside, said afterward it was "fine." "I'm used to giving the oaths, not receiving them," she said. Asked if there were any surprises, she said, "I guess not." Asked about her relationship with the judge for whom she no longer works, Helms said, "We don't really speak." She said the reasons were personal. Next, Bonanno himself spent about an hour and 20 minutes inside with Fernandez at his side. The judge then attended a news conference but said nothing as his lawyer answered questions. Halfway through, Bonanno got up and left for a hearing. Fernandez said Bonanno's visit to Holder's chambers was "an innocent act" and the probe into that incident had "snowballed." "Then we got into these other issues that are very sensitive to people in this community and this courthouse," he said. He said the inquiry has spread to seven or eight different scenarios. No matter what, Bonanno will not resign and might even consider running for chief judge if the current one, Dennis Alvarez, runs for mayor, Fernandez said. Soon after Bonanno left the grand jury, his face tense, fellow Circuit Judge Gasper Ficarrotta went in accompanied by his lawyer, Ron Hanes. Earlier this year, Ficarrotta was under investigation by the Judicial Qualifications Commission about allegations stemming from an affair with a bailiff. Ficarrotta also was accused of raising campaign funds for the sheriff, which is forbidden for judges. Ficarrotta has since resigned his judgeship effective in December. Ficarrotta spent about an hour in front of the grand jury and left without comment. Jerry Hill, the prosecutor from Polk County assigned by the governor to oversee the investigation, would not say if he planned to call more witnesses. He did say the jurors weren't done with their work. "What a great grand jury," Hill said as he headed out of the courthouse with a poster board-sized chart under his arm. "They are so appropriately involved and so concerned. The citizens ought to be very proud of the work they're doing." The grand jury is not expected to meet next week because of the Thanksgiving holiday. When they complete their inquiry, they can indict, decline to indict, or issue a report of their findings and recommendations. - Times staff writer Graham Brink contributed to this report. Sue Carlton can be reached at (813)226-3346 or carlton@sptimes.com
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