File photo of ex-Sheriff Patrick Cannon
Ex-Dade County Sheriff Patrick Cannon is due for court call Monday morning as Dade Superior Court begins its October term, and his trial is on the books for Oct. 17--but it looks as if Cannon's day of reckoning will get a third postponement.
According to his attorney, Chris Townley, Cannon cannot be tried until a new judge is appointed to his case. "We had four judges," said Townley by telephone on Friday. "Three of them recused themselves and one did not, which was Judge Wood." Judge Jon "Bo" Wood's retirement made recent local headlines.
Cannon, who served two terms as Dade's top cop until he was edged out by current Sheriff Ray Cross in the 2012 Republican primary, faces multiple theft-by-conversion and violation-of-oath charges stemming from alleged misconduct during his eight years in office. But since his July 2015 arrest, his court date has been been twice put off. He was originally to have been tried in October of last year, then in April of this one. In both cases, the trials were continued, which is to say postponed.
Last October, Townley, filed a motion requesting that the trial be moved to a court where Cannon was not such a well-known public figure, arguing that unbiased jurors would be easier to find elsewhere. That motion is still pending though so far the trial remains on the Dade docket.
"We do expect the trial to go forward," said Townley, "just not to go forward this October."
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