FORMER SHERIFF CLEARED IN CONTRACT SQUABBLE

FORMER SARASOTA COUNTY SHERIFF BILL BALKWILL WAS CLEARED MONDAY BY A JURY AFTER A TWO WEEK CIVIL TRIAL IN WHICH ONE CONTRACTING COMPANY SUED HIM AND ANOTHER CLAIMING FAVORITISM IN THE BIDDING PROCESS.  EXECUTIVES OF ARMOR CORRECTIONAL HEALTH SERVICES WERE ALSO CLEARED OF ANY WRONG DOING IN THE LAWSUIT WHICH WAS BROUGHT FORTH BY PRISON HEALTH SERVICES, WHO LOST OUT ON A $9 MILLION DOLLAR CONTRACT NEARLY THREE YEARS AGO AND CLAIMED THERE WAS COLLUSION BY BALKWILL AND ARMOR.  THEY CLAIMED ARMOR TOOK BALKWILL AND HIS WIFE OUT TO DINNER AT FANCY RESTAURANTS DURING THE BIDDING PROCESS AND THEY TOOK BALKWILL ON A FISHING EXCURSION TO COERCE HIM INTO CHOOSING ARMOR.  ATTORNEYS ALSO CLAIMED THAT BALKWILL AND ARMOR’S CEO DELETED THOUSANDS OF FILES FROM THEIR COMPUTERS BEFORE THE FILES COULD BE EXAMINED BY FORENSIC INVESTIGATORS.  AN INDEPENDENT PROSECUTOR HAS BEEN INVESTIGATING WHETHER THE DELETION OF THOSE FILES WARRANTS CRIMINAL CHARGES.