The jury trial of former Broward County Public Faculties Superintendent Robert Runcie is about to start Monday, June 9, on the Broward County Courthouse.
Runcie, who took the helm of the district in 2011, has pleaded not responsible to a perjury cost associated to his testimony earlier than a statewide grand jury investigating faculty security following the mass taking pictures at Marjory Stoneman Douglas Excessive Faculty on February 14, 2018.
Perjury is classed as a third-degree felony in Florida and carries a possible sentence of as much as 5 years in jail and a $5,000 positive. Runcie was arrested by the Florida Division of Regulation Enforcement (FDLE) on April 22, 2021.
The primary particular person of Caribbean descent to function Broward’s superintendent, Runcie held the position for a decade earlier than stepping down in 2021. Throughout his tenure, he was credited with elevating commencement charges, bettering colleges throughout the district, and fascinating minority communities. His efforts earned recognition at each state and nationwide ranges.
He additionally responded to issues raised by Black households by implementing applications geared toward lowering the criminalization and disproportionate self-discipline of Black college students.
Nonetheless, Runcie confronted mounting criticism after the Parkland taking pictures, during which Nikolas Cruz killed 17 individuals and wounded 17 others. Cruz is now serving a number of life sentences with out parole. Within the aftermath, many Parkland mother and father and college students demanded reforms and referred to as for Runcie’s resignation.
Help from the Caribbean neighborhood
Runcie, born into poverty in Jamaica and later a Harvard graduate, was the primary in his household to attend faculty. Regardless of his critics, he has additionally obtained sturdy help—significantly from South Florida’s Black and Afro-Caribbean communities.
Within the wake of his arrest, a bunch of Black elected officers, civil rights leaders, and enterprise house owners held a press convention on the Broward County faculty board headquarters to point out public help. A rally in his favor was additionally organized.
The grand jury indicted Runcie in April 2021 based mostly on testimony he gave throughout classes in March and April of that 12 months. The investigation was related to former Broward Faculties expertise chief Tony Hunter, who had been accused of accepting advantages from a vendor concerned in a questionable tech contract. Though a decide later dismissed Hunter’s case on jurisdictional grounds, the state has appealed that call.
Prosecutors allege Runcie falsely said that he had not ready for his testimony. They level to communications with then-district procurement director Mary Coker two days earlier than he testified, which they declare contradicts his sworn statements.
Authorized journey
Broward Circuit Decide Martin Fein initially dismissed the indictment in 2021, siding with Runcie’s protection attorneys who argued the grand jury lacked jurisdiction for the reason that alleged offense occurred in a single judicial circuit.
However in a major authorized flip, a three-judge panel from the 4th District Court docket of Attraction reversed that ruling final 12 months. The courtroom discovered that for the reason that grand jury proceedings occurred nearly throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, with jurors collaborating from three judicial circuits, the alleged perjury did happen throughout a number of circuits—giving the statewide grand jury jurisdiction.
Runcie’s authorized workforce contains attorneys Johnny L. McCray, Jr., Mike Dutko, and Jeremy Kroll. McCray has publicly maintained that the case is retaliatory.
Shortly after Runcie’s arrest, McCray said, “I’m assured when the mud settles, that he (Runcie) might be acquitted of this cost; Mr. Runcie is a person of excessive character.’’
