TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- A lawyer for the state concedes it's too late to carry out the Legislature's plan to privatize nearly 30 South Florida prison facilities.
Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Glogau acknowledged that to the 1st District Court of Appeal on Wednesday in Tallahassee. A budget provision calling for the outsourcing expires Saturday.
Glogau still urged a three-judge panel to reverse the trial judge's ruling the budget provision was unconstitutional and uphold the Legislature's ability to use that option again.
Circuit Judge Jackie Fulford of Tallahassee ruled the Republican-led Legislature should have passed a stand-alone law instead.
A separate privatization bill subsequently was defeated.
The judges, meanwhile, questioned Attorney General Pam Bondi's ability to appeal the ruling after the Department of Corrections declined to do so.
Associated Press