Lawyers for at least four of five former Broward Health executives on Jan. 17 rejected plea deals to reduce the charges against them for allegedly violating Florida state law in 2017, the Sun Sentinel reports.
Three things to know:
1. During a hearing Jan. 17, lawyers for four of the five defendants said their clients were planning to or were likely to turn down a proposal from prosecutors that would have reduced the charges levied against them to one or two noncriminal infractions, fines and prosecution costs, according to the report.
2. The defendants — three former board members, a current board member and the Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based health system's former general counsel — were indicted in December 2017 for allegedly violating the state's open-meetings act by holding private meetings during which they decided to oust former Broward Health CEO Pauline Grant.
3. All five defendants maintain they did not violate any state laws. Their trial is expected to begin April 9.
To access the full report, click here.