Florida

Parsing the Perdomo "Hot Nicaraguan" Lawsuit.

I like a good cigar every once in a while.

Not in a pretentious, ostentatious "full Rothstein" manner, but I do appreciate the heft, body, and aroma of a well-made stogie.

Speaking of well-made stogies, did anyone see this report about a suit filed by Miami Lakes vice mayor Nick Perdomo against a local town critic:

Miami Lakes Vice Mayor Nick Perdomo is suing a Miami-Dade resident after she said public comments he made were in poor taste.
In a legal filing in Miami-Dade Circuit Court, Perdomo alleges Angela Garrison has hurt his cigar company and business reputation through libel and slander.
A hearing is set for September before Judge Gisela Cardonne Ely.
Perdomo, 45, says he is suing Garrison, 42, because she criticized public statements he made at a September budget meeting. He filed the suit in November.
At the hearing, Perdomo was urging then Town Manager Frank Bocanegra -- a former Miami-Dade police officer who worked in Liberty City -- to forgo an office assistant.
``I mean, you were in Liberty City fighting the animals over there when you were younger, OK? You're going to be fine and we're going to save the town's folks $50,000 a year,'' Perdomo said.
Perdomo also told Bocanegra if more help was needed, he would send the town manager one of his ``hot Nicaraguan'' assistants from his cigar company.
Bocanegra has since left the Northwest Miami-Dade suburb and the office position was eventually approved in the budget.
After the meeting, Garrison criticized Perdomo's comments. Garrison, who works in property management, helped campaign to incorporate Miami Lakes and has been an outspoken critic of Miami Lakes town government.
`MORE CLASS'
``I think we need to show a little more class than that,'' Garrison told a reporter for WPLG-ABC 10. ``Perdomo's remarks were made in poor taste and unbecoming of a public official.''
A few months later, Garrison received notice she was being sued by Perdomo.

He said the mention of ``hot'' assistants was not disrespectful, but simply described some employees at his cigar company who are attractive.

Full post as published by South Florida Lawyers on August 02, 2010 (boomark / email).