FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - A Broward Sheriff’s Office courthouse deputy is under investigation for jury tampering after he allegedly told jurors to find a defendant guilty on all charges.
The incident happened at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, last Wednesday.
Lisa Garnes’ son, Lateef Garnes, has spent most of the last five years behind bars and is accused of shooting two people in Lauderhill in 2013.
“Playing around with someone’s life — his life has been on hold for five years for something he did not do,” she said.
Witnesses told police they saw the 32-year-old load his gun and fire it. The victims would survive, but Lisa said her son did not pull the trigger.
“The charges are false, so I really don’t know what they are, and whatever it is, we’re just fighting to get him out,” Garnes said.
Lateef faces charges that include aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. He turned down a plea deal for 10 years in prison.
“The state has charged him under the 10-20-life,” attorney Richard Rosenbaum said. “If he is found guilty, he has to get a minimum mandatory 25 years.”
Before the opening statements in Garnes’ trial were delivered, the court bailiff told Judge Andrew Siegal that he heard an armed deputy instructing the jurors to find Garnes guilty.
“The next thing we hear the courtroom deputy from Judge Siegal has gone in and apparently overheard the armed deputy telling the jurors to find the defendant guilty of all counts, and a couple of jurors laughing,” Rosenbaum said. “I don’t know how someone can go through BSO and not learn that a defendant is presumed innocent, and that he shouldn’t be saying anything to potential jurors.”
BSO said Deputy Roberto Aspuru was assigned to the courtroom. They have since launched an internal investigation, and the deputy has been removed from the courthouse and reassigned while the investigation proceeds.
The judge ordered an immediate mistrial, and the jurors were sent home.
Garnes was sent back to jail, where he will have to wait several more months for his day in court.
“That’s rough on a person, especially for something that you didn’t do,” Lisa said. “How are you supposed to swallow this?”
Garnes’ trial has not been rescheduled.
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