Ousted clerk of court’s trial begins with aide’s testimony
KISSIMMEE — The strongest description of Malcomthompson’suncheckedanger during testimony in the ousted Osceola County clerk of court’s workplace-violence trial came from an unlikely critic — his former top aide.
Appointed to replace Thompson by Gov. Rick Scott, Chief Deputy Clerk Kimberly Hennecy took the stand Monday to talk about her former boss’s reaction when she interceded on behalf of a secretary Thompson is accused of hitting in a rage.
“Youneed to shut up, little girl,” Hennecy said Thompson told her after claiming that the strike was “blown out of proportion.”
Thompson, 62, is charged with battery for hitting Latifa Ramdani, an administrative aide, after she declined Dec. 29 to remove Christmas cards before the New Year’s holiday that were taped to his door frame in the county courthouse’s executive suite.
Scott removed Thompson from office Jan. 30 after the Florida Department of Law Enforcement charged him with twice hitting Ramdani — and days later threatening personnel director Kim Zander for alerting authorities. The latter accusation makes up the assault case against Thompson, which is scheduled for trial after the battery case.
Thompson must convince six jurors that striking Ramdani resulted from a misunderstanding or an accident. His lead at- torney, Stewart Cohen of Orlando, has pointed out that Thompson only has vision in his right eye and suffers from lack of depth perception.
Cohen also questioned Hennecy and a previous witness about their lack of personal loyalty to Thompson for not alerting him to the FDLE investigation. Both explained they were told by agents not to discuss the investigation.
Ramdani, the main witness in the case, is expected to testify today.
Prosecutor Heather Page, in opening arguments, described what happened as much more than an accident or horseplay between a boss and an employee.
Page described how Thompson became visibly angry and spoke in a loud voice ordering Ramdani to remove the holiday cards moments before he hit her on the shoulder with his right hand. The blow knocked Ramdani backward causing her intense pain, Page said.
According to Page, Ramdani told him “‘Don’t ever touchme. ... Youhurtmeto the bone.’ ”
Thompson left the courthouse’s executive suite immediately after the incident and did not return for hours, Page said. A redbruise remainedonramdani’s shoulder for at least three hours.
Peggy Lay, the second of Thompson’s two executive assistants, testified earlier in the day that she witnessed the confrontation but that Thompson encouraged her to say she didn’t see anything.
However, Lay testified she remembered seeing him visibly angry, speaking in a loud voice and clenching his teeth before allegedly striking Ramdani.
Interest in the case’s outcome soared Friday among courthouse workers when an emergency motion filed by the defense disclosed the prosecutors’ claim that Thompson contacted Ramdani after he was removed from office and told her to assert her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination if she were called to testify against him.
While winning both trials would be critical for Thompson to end his suspension, they are equally important in the public arena, where Thompson must convince county voters he deserves re-election this fall despite the controversy over his management style.
After taking office in 2009, Thompson, a former Kissimmee police officer, set about making the clerk of court’s office more professional and responsive to the public. He also installed a surveillance camera in one instance to stop thefts from an employee honor box and insisted on a strict policy of honesty and behavior which measured tardiness in one-minute increments.
Cohen suggested that the case against Thompson was motivated by supporters of candidates challenging him during this “political season.” He pressed Lay to declare whether she favored a particular candidate to which Lay responded, “I have not made a decision yet.”