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A.G. GancarskiMarch 27, 2017

Former Rep. Corrine Brown has the best sense of theater of any politician in Northeast Florida. And she gave a Jacksonville TV station a one-woman show. Brown, facing an April 5 status conference and an April trial for almost two dozen counts in federal court, stands alone now. Her co-defendant and chief of staff, Ronnie Simmons, pleaded […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 9, 2017

It was never supposed to be like this for Corrine Brown. The now-former twelve-term United States Congresswoman was one of the leading politicos in Jacksonville, upbraiding media that crossed her, and picking winners and losers in primary and general elections alike. The slogan: Corrine Delivers. The end of that era: July 6, 2016, when Brown and […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 8, 2017

On Wednesday, Ronnie Simmons, a co-defendant in the One Door for Education trial with Rep. Corrine Brown, pleaded guilty to two federal felony counts. The timing was notable, as Brown and Simmons were slated to appear at a joint status conference on Thursday for jury selection for the April trial. The symbiosis between Brown and Simmons, her […]

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 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 […]

Tag: Ronnie Simmons

Comeback kid? Corrine Brown begins defense in explosive TV interview

Corrine Brown won’t plead guilty, rebuffed in request for trial delay

Ronnie Simmons pleads guilty to two counts in One Door for Education case

Corrine Brown co-defendant sets ‘change of plea’ hearing for Wednesday

10 people to watch in 2017 in Jacksonville politics

Corrine Brown aide reverses motion for separate trial in One Door case

Ronnie Simmons files to sever from Corrine Brown in One Door trial

Corrine Brown/Ronnie Simmons fraud trial pushed back to April 2017

Status conference in Corrine Brown trial slated for Tuesday

Potential motions reveal strategy in Corrine Brown case may be to ‘sever defendants’