Manuel case order sealed

Manuel case order sealed

Judge sealed order due to confidential informants

By PETER GUINTA
peter.guinta@staugustine.com
Publication Date: 01/21/09


A Jacksonville federal judge has sealed the latest order in the corruption case of suspended St. Johns County Commission Chairman Tom Manuel because it had to do with confidential informants.

Attorneys William Sheppard and D. Gray Thomas of Jacksonville, representing Manuel, had requested information about the two individuals who had cooperated with the FBI during an 18-month investigation of the commissioner's business dealings.

Manuel was indicted in October and suspended soon after by Gov. Charlie Crist.

Case summary documents list the charge against him as "converts to own use property of another." Federal prosecutors, however, have said in previous motions that Manuel is being charged with two counts of bribery.

He is accused of accepting $10,000 in April 2008 and then $50,000 in June 2008, prosecutors say.

Developer Bruce Robbins of Falcon Development Group, Jacksonville, and his attorney, George McClure of St. Augustine, have been named as confidential informants in the case.

Taped and video conversations Manuel had with these two men are part of the evidence against him.

Manuel maintains his innocence. He remains free on a $50,000 unsecured bond.

A Jan. 6 defense motion asked the judge to order the prosecution to deliver information about the two "confidential human source" witnesses to "confront and cross-examine them (and) to prepare (a) defense" well in advance of the April trial.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Hackenberry Savell's response to that motion 10 days later argued that information requested by the defense, "such as criminal history, payments, motivation, promises/benefits, communication of exculpatory information," had been provided or does not exist.

Savell asked the judge to deny the defense request.

But the fate of either motion is unavailable to the public due to the judge's seal on the order.

Another motion, a Jan. 5 request by Sheppard and Gray to dismiss Manuel's indictment, still remains to be decided.


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