VERO BEACH — State Attorney Bruce Colton has asked Gov. Rick Scott to find a different office to prosecute the case against longtime Vero attorney Charles Sullivan Sr., who turned himself in Thursday afternoon after a warrant was issued for his arrest on a felony sexual assault charge.
He cites concern over a “perception of conflict of interest” for asking the governor’s office to reassign the case.
“He’s been around for years and years,” said Colton. “I didn’t want there to be any feeling in the community that we could have a reason for a conflict. If something went wrong and we had to drop (the charges), there might have been the appearance of favoritism. That’s normally the reason why we withdraw from cases. “
Sullivan, 82, is accused of assaulting a woman who worked in his office by, among other things, groping her under her blouse and reaching up her skirt and assaulting her. While the victim says Sullivan groped her for months in the year she has worked with the firm, the assault that provoked her going to police is alleged to have occurred June 12 in Sullivan’s 20th Street office, near the Indian River County Courthouse.
Police reports allege that on the morning of the assault, Sullivan, dressed in shorts, exposed himself to the victim and tried to make her touch him.
Sullivan shares the office with his son, attorney Charles Sullivan Jr., and Bobby Guttridge, a well-known Vero Beach defense attorney.
“Between him (Sullivan Sr.), his son and Bobby Guttridge, they’ve handled a lot of criminal cases. There’s regular interaction between them and my office,” Colton said. “There could be a bond with someone in our office. Or, on the other hand, there could be contentiousness from my office. The problem is a public perception of an appearance of impropriety.”
Colton’s office investigates and prosecutes cases within the 19th Judicial Circuit covering Martin, St. Lucie, Okeechobee and Indian River counties.
“We have (handled the case) up until now, when the police needed to have their affidavit,” Colton said. “Now with the arrest, I have sent a letter to the governor’s office to have another office handle the case from now on.”
Late this afternoon, the governor’s office responded by email that it had received Colton’s request. The search for another state attorney’s office to handle the case will proceed based on current assignments, Colton said. He expects the new assignment will come within a week.
Colton said it is his understanding that Sullivan Sr. is still practicing law.
