Joe Carollo still has to pay $63.5 million after federal court denies his appeal
A three-judge panel submitted its 19-page opinion that shot down Carollo's claims of jury tampering and dismissed his request for the $63 million verdict to be remitted.
Potentially, this marks the final ruling in a years-long legal battle between Carollo and Little Haiti businessmen William 'Bill' Fuller and Martin Pinilla. In 2023, a jury ruled the commissioner had carried out a vendetta by siccing Miami code enforcement and other city officials on their businesses.
'We are encouraged but not surprised by the U.S. Court of Appeals' clear rejection of Joe Carollo's baseless appeal,' Fuller and Pinilla said in a statement. 'This isn't just a legal victory—it's a win for every resident and business owner who believes in fairness, democracy, and the First Amendment.'
Carollo first filed motions to lower the $63.5 million judgment and request a new trial in late June 2024, but was denied by U.S. District Court Judge Rodney Smith. He met the same fate from the U.S. Court of Appeals on Thursday.
Carollo's legal team could not be reached for comment.
No jury tampering found
A large portion of Carollo's plea to the Court of Appeals revolved around his accusation the jury that saddled him with a $63.5 million payout had been tampered with.
He claimed the judge in the 2023 case was given a note from a juror that said she'd been followed into a parking garage by Zach Bush, a business partner of Fuller and Pinilla.
Immediately after, a jury inquiry was held by the court, with each juror questioned to determine if she had told her story to them and if it had affect their ability to remain impartial. The jury assured them they'd remain able to, and the trial ensued.
The three-judge panel concluded the jury investigation into the alleged tampering was properly handled and, for that reason, dismissed Carollo's claim, the Thursday opinion read.
As for the rest of Carollo's appeal, the court ruled that it lacked jurisdiction over it and dismissed it, as his notice of appeal was improperly filed.
'The court's sharp questioning and the overwhelming evidence presented at trial reaffirm what we have maintained from day one: Carollo abused his public office to wage a relentless campaign of political retaliation against us simply because we supported his opponent,' Fuller and Pinilla said. 'We look forward to putting this chapter behind us and continuing our work to uplift Little Havana.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox News
a few seconds ago
- Fox News
Former CBS anchor warns Paramount merger marks 'the end' of the network and 'honest' journalism
Former CBS anchor Connie Chung warned on CNN Friday that the recent merger between Paramount Global and Skydance Media could be the "end" of journalism as she once knew it. The FCC announced it approved an $8 billion merger between the two companies on Thursday with the deal set to close on August 7. This came after several controversies involving CBS, which Paramount owns, such as a lawsuit settlement with President Donald Trump over a "60 Minutes" segment and canceling "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert." Based on the newly formed company Paramount Skydance Corp., the former "CBS Evening News" anchor suggested the network she was a part of could lose all of its independence. "I fear the end of CBS as I knew it," Chung said on "CNN News Central." "CBS was always a standalone network. It was autonomous. The news division was autonomous, and it was always unencumbered by pressures from politicians, including presidents, and unencumbered by bean counters. But now? I can see very clearly that the days that I remembered are long gone." She continued, "Honest, unbiased, fact-based journalism is being tainted and those who practiced that journalism, like Edward R. Murrow and Walter Cronkite, that kind of journalism has disappeared. I also fear that gone are the days of Frank Stanton, who was the president of CBS, who defended the rights of the journalism, the First Amendment, the fourth estate before Congress, and he represented all journalists in many ways." Chung placed more blame on Paramount's controlling shareholder Shari Redstone and Skydance Media CEO David Ellison for having "tainted journalism" with their "greed." She also called out company's pledge to not implement any new DEI initiatives as an insult to her and other women and minorities at CBS. Several journalists have accused CBS and Paramount of acquiescing to Trump ahead of the merger through its settlement and cancellations, including Chung. "I have difficulty believing what they claim, which is that the '60 Minutes' agreement had nothing to do with the merger, or a settlement had nothing to do with the merger, and also that the disappearance of Steve [sic] Colbert had nothing to do — it had only to do with financial issues. It all smells," Chung said. Paramount has been facing an intense backlash for its recent decisions, even from some of its own employees. Veteran "60 Minutes" producer Rome Hartman told Fox News Digital earlier this month that he thought the company's settlement with Trump was a "cowardly capitulation by the corporate leaders of Paramount" and a "fundamental betrayal" of CBS News. Senators Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. and Ron Wyden, D-Ore., also sent a letter to Ellison demanding answers about the Trump settlement and the Colbert cancellation, suggesting anti-bribery laws may have been broken in order for the merger to proceed with FCC approval.
New York Post
12 hours ago
- New York Post
NYC's ‘We're With Colbert' rally for late-night host is a bust with just 20 protesters
What a joke. A Big Apple rally in support of on-his-way-out 'Late Show' host Stephen Colbert drew fewer than two dozen people Sunday — with even the NYPD cops on scene quickly calling it a day since most of the demonstrators left after just a few minutes. Organizers said the 'We're With Colbert' gathering outside the CBS Broadcast Center on Manhattan's West Side said it was meant to be part of a nationwide call for 'integrity.' Advertisement 4 Demonstrators gather outside CBS' offices in Manhattan on Sunday to protest the end of the 'Late Show' with Stephen Colbert. REUTERS 4 Colbert was told this was his last season on CBS, sparking controversy on both sides. CBS 'Our country is not perfect, never has been,' said the event's organizer, who would only identify himself as Matt and said his nickname is 'Slim.' Advertisement 'But we've always had the First Amendment, and now Mango Mussolini is trying to take that from us,' he said, referring to a derogatory nickname for President Trump. CBS said declining viewership and diminishing profits led to its decision to end the show in May 2026, effectively firing the 61-year-old talk-show host Colbert — but critics claim the network bowed to pressure from Trump. 4 CBS officials said the decision to fire Colbert was the result of growing costs and diminishing viewership. Luiz C. Ribeiro for New York Post 4 The number of protesters at Sunday's 'We're With Colbert' rally topped off at about 20 at its peak. REUTERS Advertisement CBS's parent company finalized an $8.4 billion merger with Skydance Media shortly after Colbert was told he was on his last season. The merger required federal approval. Colbert has also been among the top talk-show hosts who routinely roast Trump. 'This is a First Amendment attack,' a protester who refused to give her name said of the closing-down of the show. 'We can't stand for that.' Advertisement Still, Colbert has also come under fire for featuring predominantly lefty-leaning guests. According to the right-leaning group MRC NewsBusters, Colbert has had 176 liberal guests and only one Republican on his show since 2022.
Los Angeles Times
18 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
Can a county fire a sheriff behind closed doors? Advocacy group threatens to sue for access
An open government advocacy group is threatening to sue a California county that is preparing to discuss firing its elected sheriff behind closed doors. San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus, who serves one of the wealthiest communities in the country, has faced calls for her removal since an explosive November report from a retired judge found that she likely violated the county's policy on nepotism and conflicting relationships. The report alleged that, by 2024, Corpus had 'relinquished control' of the department to a subordinate. That led to a ballot measure last year that voters passed to empower the county Board of Supervisors to remove her from office, which they voted to do in June. Corpus appealed, leading to the scheduled August evidentiary hearing. As part of the removal proceedings, Corpus' legal team asked that the removal hearing take place behind closed doors. 'The county should decline,' wrote First Amendment Coalition attorney Aaron Field in a letter to the county Board of Supervisors. 'Barring the press and public from the removal hearing as Sheriff Corpus has requested would violate the First Amendment right of access to public proceedings, undermine a panoply of compelling public interests in administering the removal hearing transparently and needlessly shut San Mateo citizens out of a key phase of a process.' The hearing is scheduled to begin Aug. 18 and is expected to last about 10 days. CalMatters originally filed a request to open the June removal hearing to the public, a request that was denied. The First Amendment Coalition is making the same request for the August removal hearing. Corpus' removal — and her fight against it, including unsuccessfully filing for a restraining order to stop the proceedings — has roiled her department and the community for nearly a year. Several cities in her county have given her administration no-confidence votes, and the unions representing both her deputies and her sergeants have called for her removal. A San Mateo County spokesperson said the county had received the First Amendment Coalition's letter and would announce a decision soon. 'The county has consistently expressed its view that this should be a fully transparent process, including having the August appeal hearing for her removal from office be open,' said San Mateo County spokesperson Effie Milionis Verducci. 'However, the sheriff has blocked it.' The sheriff's department is still in turmoil, most recently when Corpus put a San Mateo County sheriff's sergeant on leave. That sergeant had testified extensively in a second county investigation into Corpus. The union representing San Mateo County Sheriff's sergeants objected, alleging the sergeant was put on leave as retaliation for his testimony. Corpus denied that her actions had anything to do with the report in a statement posted to the sheriff's office website. 'His temporary administrative leave is entirely unrelated to any comments or cooperation he may have provided in the Keker report,' Corpus said in the statement. Duara writes for CalMatters, where the article first appeared.
