Sarasota News Leader

12/13/2013

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Sarasota News Leader December 13, 2013 Page 11 In her press release, Ramirez called for Brodsky to cede jurisdiction to the feds, a moot point after Thursday's plea deal. With the agreement, Waechter will be hit with three months of community control, two years of probation and 100 hours of community service. He'll have to pay a $5,000 fine, plus the costs incurred by the State Attorney's Office and the Sheriff's Office. Waechter read a prepared statement during Thursday's hearing, calling his actions "a few moments of sophomoric hand-rubbing glee" that have cost him greatly. "I have embarrassed myself and I have caused great embarrassment to my family and friends," he said. Calling "partisan politics" at times "competitive," "combative," "contentious" and "bruising," Waechter added that it should never be "underhanded." "I lost sight of the dividing line between right and wrong and crossed it decisively," he said, apologizing to Ramirez. Iten laid out the case the State Attorney's Office would have brought against Waechter Bob Waechter is shown in his Sheriff's Office mugshot in December 2012. Contributed photo if it had gone to trial, noting Waechter's ties to Republican Al Maio, who is running against Ramirez in next year's GOP primary. "Robert Waechter, in supporting Alan Maio's pursuit of Nora Patterson's commission seat, was trying to undermine Lourdes Ramirez's credibility," Iten charged. Ramirez addressed the judge as well, mentioning her concerns about Brodsky's credibility. She said Waechter's actions weren't intended to harm just her, but to "undermine the democratic process." She added that a strong sentence was needed to not only send a message to Waechter, but to all political operatives. Ed Brodsky is the state attorney in the 12th Judicial District. Image from www.edbrodsky.net After Thursday morning's hearing, Ramirez told the News Leader she was still unhappy with the result. "I really feel let down by the state," she said. But with a campaign to run, she doesn't have any more time to spend on the case: "I have a lot of work ahead of me." %

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