The drama unfolded at a Miami City Hall commission meeting, as Commissioner Joe Carollo was served with a summons in full view of the public. The bearer of the unwanted news, a process server named Jose Mejia, was on a mission to hand Carollo legal papers from two plaintiffs intent on ousting him from his position.
According to a WSVN report, the plucky server declared, "Joe Carollo, I have a summons of complaint for you to have you removed from office," before his microphone was abruptly cut and he left the documents at the podium. The move comes after U.S. Marshals started to seize Carollo's assets last week, the latest in a string of setbacks for the commissioner following his multimillion-dollar civil lawsuit defeat.
Carollo was found liable by a federal jury in June of 2023 for harassing business owners Bill Fuller and Martin Pinilla, and ordered him to pay a hefty $63.5 million in damages. The battle has been waging for years, stemming from Carollo's alleged misuse of his office against the owners who supported a political rival. This latest summons plays out as part of their effort, mentioned in Local 10 News, to have Carollo "forfeited his right to office" under Miami's "Citizens' Bill of Rights."
During the commission meeting, proceedings took a cinematic turn, "Sir, please step away from the podium," Commission Chair Christine King commanded Mejia, who had been attempting service after previous failed tries. Jeff Gutchess, attorney for Fuller and Pinilla, noted to Local 10 News that Carollo had been dodging the legal process, necessitating the public spectacle.
Miami City Attorney Victoria Mendez slammed the plaintiffs' actions in a statement, calling it "yet another effort by plaintiffs in that case to harass sitting Commissioner Carollo and force the City of Miami to continue spending tax payer funds unnecessarily." Meanwhile, Carollo has remained defiant, vowing not to step down and branding himself a victim of harassment. Despite his fraught situation, Carollo has continued to ridicule the plaintiffs and the judgment against him, even making light of their claim to his property in brazen defiance to the unfolding legal narrative.
