COCONUT GROVE, FLA. (WSVN) - Embattled City of Miami Commissioner Joe Carollo had plenty to say after a federal judge rejected a request to reduce a multimillion-dollar judgment against him and order a new trial.
The commissioner spoke with 7News on camera on Thursday following comments he gave over the phone the night before.
“I’m extremely happy. There were no surprises in the judge’s ruling,” he said.
Carollo weighed in on U.S. District Judge Rodney Smith’s strongly worded ruling, saying he will not grant the commissioner a new trial or reduce his multimillion-dollar verdict.
“We knew how he was going to rule, but by federal laws, before we could appeal, we had to present this motion before him,” said Carollo.
Back in June, a Fort Lauderdale jury found Carollo liable for violating the rights of William Fuller and Martin Pinilla, the owners of the Little Havana hotspot Ball & Chain. As a result, the commissioner was ordered to pay damages totaling $63.5 million.
In this newest, 13-page ruling, Smith wrote that the “Defendant’s actions specifically targeted Plaintiffs’ financial vulnerabilities by attempting to shut down their, or their tenants’, businesses. Defendant’s actions were continuous and unrelenting. And Defendant’s actions were intentional and malicious.”
Carollo’s attorney argued there were evidentiary errors with the trial and that the damages were excessive.
But Smith dismissed the argument, writing in his ruling, “Defendant argues that the damages awarded are so grossly excessive that they shock the conscience. The Court disagrees. The only shock to the conscience here is that Defendant used his position and power to weaponize the City government against Plaintiffs because Plaintiffs chose to exercise their First Amendment rights by supporting Defendant’s political opponent.”
In order to pay that verdict, U.S. Marshals have already started the process of seizing Carollo’s assets, most recently advertising a public auction to sell his Coconut Grove home.
“Where am I going to get 10% of $63 and a half million, plus interest now, attorney’s fees? It’s $70 million or more; I don’t have that kind of money, and they know that,” said Carollo, “so this is why they’re doing all this: to try to see how they could pressure me.”
Carollo said his legal team’s next steps are to try to stop the auction and appeal for a new trial.
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