Florida court rules against Parkland sheriff

The Florida Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that the state’s governor, Ron DeSantis (R), had the right to suspend Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel over his handling of two mass shootings. 

DeSantis suspended Israel in January over his handling of last year’s shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., and a 2017 shooting at the Fort Lauderdale airport.

Florida’s Republican-held state Senate could vote to reinstate Israel. If it does not, Israel, who is a Democrat, will have to run for the job again in 2020, according to the South Florida Sun Sentinel. {mosads}

“I hope and expect the Senate will look at the merits of the claim,” Israel’s lawyer Ben Kuehne told the newspaper. “If they do, and do not act politically, then Sheriff Israel will be reinstated.”

DeSantis maintained on Twitter that the court’s decision reaffirmed his authority to suspend a poorly performing official.

“Today’s @flcourts opinion leaves no doubt of my authority to suspend a government official for neglect of duty and incompetence,” he tweeted. “Scott Israel failed to protect the families and students of Broward County and I look forward to the @FLSenate resuming the process of formal removal.”

Today’s @flcourts opinion leaves no doubt of my authority to suspend a government official for neglect of duty and incompetence. Scott Israel failed to protect the families and students of Broward County and I look forward to the @FLSenate resuming the process of formal removal.

— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) April 23, 2019

The newspaper noted that an independent commission found that the sheriff’s office did not adequately change its policy following the Fort Lauderdale shooting, which left five people dead, and resulted in more casualties in Parkland, where 17 students and faculty were killed.