Findings Of Fact In November of 1960 the Petitioner, Frankie L. Mills, became employed by the Florida Highway Patrol, and he was a member of the Florida Highway Patrol Pension System (Chapter 321, Florida Statutes). On approximately December 1, 1970, the Petitioner transferred from the Florida Highway Patrol Pension System, and he became a member of the Florida Retirement System (Chapter 121, Florida Statutes). In June of 1976, the Petitioner resigned from the Florida Highway Patrol to run for Sheriff of Okaloosa County. He was elected, and began his position as Sheriff in January of 1977. In the election of 1980 the Petitioner was not re- elected as Sheriff of Okaloosa County. As a result, his term of office as Sheriff ended on January 6, 1981, and the Petitioner vacated the office of Sheriff of Okaloosa County. The Petitioner did not resign from his position as Sheriff of Okaloosa County. His termination from the office of Sheriff was occasioned by the expiration of his elected term of office as of January 6, 1981.. During the time the Petitioner served as Sheriff of Okaloosa County, until January 6, 1981, he was a special risk member of the Florida Retirement System (Chapter 121, Florida Statutes). In August of 1981, the Petitioner became employed as a deputy sheriff of Gulf County. This employment qualified him as a special risk member of the Florida Retirement System (Chapter 121, Florida Statutes). The Petitioner has been employed as a deputy sheriff in Gulf County since August, 1981, and he is so employed at present. Between January 6, 1981, and at least August 11 981, the Petitioner was not employed by an "employer" as this term is defined in Section 121.021(10), Florida Statutes, and during this time he was absent from the payroll of any such "employer." Between January 6, 1981, and August of 1981, the Petitioner was not a "state law enforcement officer" as this term is used in Section 121.021(38), Florida Statutes, and Rules 22B- 2.002(5)(e) and (g), Florida Administrative Code. Between January 6, 1981, and August of 1981, the Petitioner had a break in his continuous service under the provisions of Chapter 121, Florida Statutes, including Section 121.021.
Recommendation Based upon the foregoing Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law, it is RECOMMENDED that the Respondent enter its Final Order finding that the Petitioner, Frankie L. Mills, had a break in his continuous service in the special risk category of the Florida Retirement System during the period of time he was not employed as a law enforcement officer between January and August, 1981. THIS Recommended Order entered on this 26th day of November, 1986, in Tallahassee, Leon County, Florida. WILLIAM B. THOMAS Hearing Officer Division of Administrative Hearings The Oakland Building 2009 Apalachee Parkway Tallahassee, FL 32301 (904) 488-9675 FILED with the Clerk of the Division of Administrative Hearings this 26th day of November, 1986. COPIES FURNISHED: Gilda Lambert, Secretary Department of Administration 435 Carlton Building Tallahassee, FL 32301 Robert Scott Cox, Eq. P. O. Box 1876 Tallahassee, FL 32302-1876 Burton M. Michaels, Esq. 2639 North Monroe street Suite 207, Building C Tallahassee, FL 32303 APPENDIX The following constitutes my specific rulings pursuant to Section 120.59(2), Florida Statutes, on all of the Proposed Findings of Fact submitted by the parties in this case. Rulings on Proposed Findings of Fact Submitted by the Petitioner The Petitioner's proposed findings are not in consecutively numbered paragraphs, but the unnumbered paragraphs will be considered to be consecutively numbered. 1.-3. Accepted. 4. Rejected, as not a proposed factual finding, but an argument of law. Rulings on Proposed Findings of Fact Submitted by the Respondent 1.-9. Accepted.
The Issue Whether Appellant on February 6 and 7, 1977, violated Department of Highway Safety & Motor Vehicles Personnel Rules and Regulations 2.1C and Florida Highway Patrol General Order 19, paragraph 11, as specifically alleged in the disciplinary letter of March 14, 1977. Whether the Appellee's suspension of Appellant should be sustained.
Findings Of Fact Appellant Jerry Shores is employed by the Appellee Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, Florida Highway Patrol, in Troop B, Orange County, Florida, with the rank of Trooper. He was so employed on December 26, 1976, and on February 6 and 7, 1977. A letter dated March 14, 1977, sent by Certified Mail with Return Receipt Requested was mailed to Appellant Shores notifying him that he was being suspended for sixteen (16) hours without pay based on the violation which is the subject of this hearing. The letter was signed by J.E. Beach, Colonel, Director, Florida Highway Patrol and was approved by Ralph Davis, Executive Director of the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. The Appellant Shores appealed this suspension. 3 Documentary evidence and testimony of the witnesses for the Appellee established that on February 6, 1977, during his regular patrol duty hours, Trooper Shores stopped at a "Seven-Eleven" store at 8:30 a.m. without checking in and out of his station by radio then proceeded to his home at 8:40 a.m. where he stopped and went inside without checking out, then left his home at 9:00 a.m. without checking back in by radio, and at 9:30 a.m. stopped at a plant nursery without checking out by radio. At 9:50 a.m. Trooper Shores, while at the nursery, received a call to investigate and assist a disabled vehicle. Trooper Shores did not leave the nursery to attend to the disabled vehicle and while still at the nursery the Patrol Station called him at 10:15 a.m. advising him to work an accident. Trooper Shores then radioed that the reason that he did not get to the disabled vehicle was that he was busy with another disabled vehicle. On Tuesday, February 8, 1977, the Patrol Station called Trooper Shores on the radio during his regular patrol duty hours at 3:50 p.m. The station did not make radio contact although several attempts were made until 4:20 p.m. when Trooper Shores advised he was out of the patrol car. On December 26, 1976, Trooper Shores received a written reprimand from Sergeant J. C. Rique because he was out of his patrol car at the Hilton Inn on West State Road 50 without either checking out by radio or by telephone. Trooper Shores had depended upon another person to check him out.
Recommendation Sustain the penalty of sixteen (16) hours without pay. DONE AND ORDERED in Tallahassee, Leon County, Florida, this 29th day of June, 1977. DELPHENE C. STRICKLAND Hearing Officer Division of Administrative Hearings Room 530, Carlton Building Tallahassee, Florida 32301 (904) 488-9675 COPIES FURNISHED: Enoch J. Whitney, Esq. Department of Highway Safety & Motor Vehicles Neil Kirkman Building Tallahassee, Florida 32304 Jerry Shores Route 2, Box 526-C Apopka, Florida 32702
