A former member of the Sebastian City Council, Pamela Parris, who was removed from her position during the Sebastian recall, has been sentenced to serve 30 days in jail.
This sentence comes after her involvement in an illegal meeting led by fellow council member Damien Gilliams, which was held after the cancellation of the regular meeting due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Judge Michael Linn of the 19th Circuit Court highlighted the severity of the situation, noting the public panic and uncertainty surrounding COVID-19 at the time of the meeting.
“The time of this meeting was at the precipice of the pandemic where essentially the entire general public was panic. No one knew what COVID was, everyone frankly was not comfortable with what was going on in the public with the spread of this virus,” Linn said. The judge also said the situation may have been different had the meeting been around issues that would’ve helped the community regarding COVID.
Linn remarked that the meeting, which was aimed at overthrowing the then-mayor Ed Dodd and appointing Damien Gilliams, was a clear violation of the Sunshine Law and was unrelated to addressing the pandemic or assisting the community. He referred to the event as a coup and emphasized Parris’ previous DUI conviction, suggesting it wasn’t her “first rodeo.”
Parris addressed the judge with a plea for leniency regarding her sentence, expressing she’s not in good health and regretful for her actions. Despite her apology, she continued to blame her troubles on others such as “derogatory press” and online trolls.
Despite acknowledging Parris’ health issues, apology, and naivety, Linn stated that her actions, including lying to the state attorney investigator, contributed to the situation. However, he also recognized that her involvement was less significant than Gilliams’, whom he deemed the “ring leader.”
“We have two co-defendants charged essentially the same, engaging in the same acts together, and then the question the court has is who’s more responsible than the other. I think my original sentence illustrated who this court determined who was more responsible than the other person, and that clearly is Damien Gilliams,” said Linn.
Consequently, Linn reduced her sentence to 15 days for the Sunshine Law violation and 30 days for Perjury, to be served concurrently, along with paying restitution. She is ordered to begin her 30-day jail sentence on Friday, January 12, 2024.
Judge Linn expressed his disappointment in the case, emphasizing the responsibility and leadership expected of public servants, especially during times of crisis. He stressed the importance of public officials acting as leaders and not engaging in power grabs, affirming his commitment to holding them accountable.
“I can’t think of a more egregious violation of the Sunshine Law,” Linn said. “I can’t ignore that fact, and I won’t.”
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