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A.G. GancarskiFebruary 7, 2017

The twists and turns of the trial of Corrine Brown and her former chief of staff, Ronnie Simmons, continue even after she’s become a historical footnote in Washington, D.C. The latest sudden development: a “change of plea” hearing that Simmons scheduled for Wednesday afternoon. Simmons had previously attempted to sever his case from that of his former […]

A.G. GancarskiDecember 29, 2016

Jacksonville politics is like a Southern family reunion: there are characters of all types. The 2017 list points out ten of those members of the #Jaxpol family who are uniquely positioned to be in the headlines for one reason or another. We are hoping that 2016 was an outlier year for scandals, and are not projecting […]

A.G. GancarskiDecember 5, 2016

On Friday, Rep. Corrine Brown‘s chief of staff, Ronnie Simmons, filed for a separate trial from Brown in the One Door for Education case. On Monday, Simmons’ lawyer — Anthony Suarez — withdrew the motion. As Lynnsey Gardner of WJXT reported Monday afternoon, Suarez filed a motion to withdraw the previous motion, offering no explanation why. The motion filed Friday was flush with verbiage […]

A.G. GancarskiDecember 2, 2016

Rep. Corrine Brown and her chief of staff, Ronnie Simmons, face 24 charges between them related to the One Door for Education trial. Much speculation has been made as to when one would file for a separate trial. On Friday, Simmons filed for severance in a seven-page document. Simmons’ lawyer contends “the risk of prejudicial spillover is […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 28, 2016

Rep. Corrine Brown and her chief of staff, Ronnie Simmons, face 24 counts between them in a federal court trial next April. The criminal counts related to an allegedly fraudulent charity, which solicited and collected $800,000 over a period of years, but distributed less than $2,000 under its charitable auspices. One might think she would keep a […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 25, 2016

Tuesday’s status conference for Rep. Corrine Brown and her chief of staff, Ronnie Simmons, in a Jacksonville federal court laid out the basic framework for a multi-week trial beginning in April, involving dozens of witnesses, including members of Jacksonville’s donor class. Meanwhile, there seemed to be daylight between strategy and preparation between the lawyers for Brown and Simmons, suggesting […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 25, 2016

Neither U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown nor her chief of staff Ronnie Simmons are required to be at Tuesday’s status conference in their federal trial. However, in the light of potential motions filed last week, Tuesday’s status conference nonetheless may offer a preview of what will happen for the next few months leading up to the trial. The defense listed […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 19, 2016

On Tuesday, both the prosecution and the defense filed a list of potential pre-trial motions in Rep. Corrine Brown‘s trial in 2017. In doing so, both sides have illustrated their strategies. The defense listed a motion to admit admissible character evidence; a motion to sever defendants; and a motion to dismiss. These illustrate that Brown may contend […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 3, 2016

On Tuesday, Federal Judge James Klindt imposed a protective order on evidence in the “One Door for Education” case involving Rep. Corrine Brown and her chief of staff. The two face 24 criminal counts related to an allegedly fraudulent charity, which solicited and collected $800,000 over a period of years, but distributed less than $2,000 under its […]

A.G. GancarskiSeptember 15, 2016

Rep. Corrine Brown and her chief of staff, Ronnie Simmons, are staring down 24 counts for fraud and misrepresentation related to the One Door for Education charity. And now, they are staring down a status conference, slated for Oct. 25 at 2 p.m. at Jacksonville’s federal courthouse. Neither Brown nor Simmons have to attend. Counsel for the defendants and […]

Tag: One Door for Education

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Protective Order imposed in Corrine Brown ‘One Door for Education’ case

Status conference set for Oct. 25 in Corrine Brown, Ronnie Simmons trial