Rumor has it the fates of the double dippers handling the Parkland case and attendant issues are in limbo. Apparently, one of the still working pensioners, Tim Donnelly, has been told he won’t be coming back in January, ostensibly due to budgetary concerns.
Concerning Mike Satz, Jeff Marcus, and Carolyn McCann, the remaining expensive and retired prosecutors looking to essentially stay employed ad infinitum given the pandemic and breadth of the Cruz case, many are hoping budget cuts and morale concerns within the ranks of talented, full time and decidedly unrecognized SAO employees will cause Harold Pryor to rethink his position on keeping the rest of the old guard in place, and at the center of an intense media spotlight for possibly years to come.
For background, take a look at Bob Norman’s 2019 article “State Attorney OKs Wasteful Double-Dipping in Office, Blames Parkland Case.”
Our position hasn’t changed since Bob’s piece, while Pryor seemingly flip-flopped during the campaign as to whether or not Satz and company would be staying on if he won. Now, factoring in a looming budget crisis, let’s hope Harold ultimately makes a clean financial and symbolic break from the past, and spreads the savings, large or small, amongst his loyal, skilled, and underpaid ASA’s, who most definitely deserve to be appreciated and rewarded for their years of dedicated service …