The Florida Supreme Court said Monday that Governor Rick Scott must give reason why his office hasn’t lifted the suspension of Miami Lakes Mayor Michael Pizzi.
The Court weighed in after Pizzi was acquitted on federal corruption charges and sought to get his old job back. Scott had originally suspended Pizzi from office shortly after his arrest in August 2013.
Scott wasn’t ordered to lift Pizzi’s suspension, but he will have to justify the continuation of the suspension to the court.
“Mayor Pizzi is gratified with the Court’s expedited order, and anticipates that his suspension will be vacated in short order,” Pizzi’s lawyer Benedict Kuehne said in a statement.
Up to this point, Scott has refused to lift the suspension he imposed on Pizzi last year. In the meantime, Pizzi’s job status remains up in the air. While Pizzi was fighting the charges against; a new mayor was voted into office in Miami Lakes.
There is a precedent in Miami when Commissioner Michelle Spence-Jones was acquitted of charges against her, the suspension against her was revoked by Governor Scott and she returned to office.
The Florida high court put a time limit of October 14 for the governor’s office to respond to its Monday order.
