Broward State Attorney Harold F. Pryor issued the following statement:

“On behalf of myself and all of the dedicated public servants who work at the Broward State Attorney’s Office, I am very disappointed that the Sheriff said that he was speculating when he made vague comments alleging public corruption by my agency. However, as a prosecutor, I am held to a higher ethical and moral standard and will not speculate about this important matter. Attempts to verbally bully my office or sway public opinion prior to trial will not deter us from seeking justice and striving to do the right thing.

I strongly encourage the Broward Sheriff’s Office to provide us and the residents of Broward County with a detailed and specific account – in writing – of the allegation the Sheriff alluded to at the media conference.

Let me assure the residents and dedicated law enforcement officers of Broward County that I will provide complete transparency regarding this matter while also complying with the ethical rules that discourage prosecutors from commenting on the facts and circumstances of cases we are prosecuting.

My prosecutors and I will continue to try all criminal cases in the courtroom, based on facts and evidence – not in the media.

The Sheriff questioned why it took some time for charges to be filed: The investigation of the three detention deputies who were charged in relation to Samantha Caputo was initiated in April of 2024 after her criminal defense attorney filed a motion to dismiss the battery charge against her. The prosecutor handling the case spoke to her supervisor, Paul Valcore, the Assistant State Attorney in Charge (ASAIC) of the Felony Trial Unit, regarding the evidence in the battery case against Caputo.

After reviewing the video footage from the jail on April 22, 2024, ASAIC Paul Valcore was concerned and recommended dropping the battery charge against Caputo. He then notified Chief Assistant State Attorney Gina Faulk and the Assistant State Attorney in Charge of the Public Corruption Unit, Julio Gonzalez, about the matter and sent the case file, the defense motion, and the surveillance video to the Public Corruption Unit for review. Last month, criminal charges were filed against the three detention deputies.

All individuals charged with a crime are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty. At no time were the detention deputies placed in front of the national media in handcuffs, they were allowed to surrender to the jail at a time that was arranged with their defense attorneys in advance, and they were released from the jail on agreed bonds of $7,500 without going through magistrate court.

All of the relevant memos are provided here and here.

Regarding the Sheriff’s comments about Ronald Thurston, our Public Corruption Unit prosecutors declined to file a battery charge against him in June of 2021 after concluding there was insufficient evidence to charge him with a crime. Thurston was criminally charged in February of this year on an unrelated matter and is currently facing criminal prosecution by our agency. As with all cases, we will file criminal charges when we have facts and evidence to support them.

Please see the relevant memo here.

In response to the assertions made by the Sheriff that prosecutors declined to file charges against law enforcement officers in a number of cases presented by his agency, this indicates how seriously we take the process of reviewing the evidence on a case-by-case basis. This is consistent with our belief in pursuing justice and reviewing cases independently, irrespective of an individual’s name or perceived status. Whatever the facts and evidence, we will always strive to do the right thing.”

Sunday Nights with Bill Cunningham