In a significant development on Monday, an administrative law judge recommended that Broward County Sheriff Gregory Tony should receive a written reprimand and undergo ethics training.
The recommendation follows the conclusion that Sheriff Tony violated state law by failing to disclose that his driver’s license had been previously suspended when renewing his license in 2019.
Judge Robert L. Kilbride issued a detailed 31-page recommended order, which also suggested placing Sheriff Tony on an 18-month probationary status.
This decision originates from a 2022 complaint by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission. The complaint alleged that Tony had not disclosed his driver’s license suspension in multiple applications over several years.
According to Kilbride’s findings, Tony’s Pennsylvania driver’s license was suspended in 1998. While alleged violations of state law in 2007, 2013, and 2017 were not adequately proven, the judge confirmed that Tony failed to disclose the suspension in his 2019 renewal application.
“The totality of the evidence in this case demonstrated that respondent (Tony) knowingly violated the provisions of (a section of state law), when he applied for a Florida driver license renewal in person on February 1, 2019, and, upon questioning, failed to disclose to the driver license examiner that his driving privilege had previously been revoked, suspended, or denied in the state of Pennsylvania,” Kilbride wrote.
Sheriff Tony held to ‘a high standard’
The judge also wrote that Tony, as the Broward County sheriff, “is held to a high standard since his position is one of considerable authority within the community.”
“There can be no doubt that respondent’s position as a law enforcement officer and sheriff is also one of great public trust. Respondent’s action on February 1, 2019, regrettably, has damaged that trust.”
“A basic public expectation of those who serve the public and enforce the laws is that they must obey the law.”
But Kilbride also wrote that the state Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles “presented little evidence to counter respondent’s argument that either a true or false response to the suspension question would not have a material impact of his license status. It is also important to note that respondent has no prior discipline on his certification record.”
Under administrative law, Kilbride’s recommended order will now go to the Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission for a final decision.
In response to the investigation, Sheriff Tony has suggested that the scrutiny is an “intended assault” on his character and career.
