Meggs office dodges Sansom-related cut
The decision to prosecute former House Speaker Ray Sansom for theft and conspiracy — and then drop those charges in the middle of the trial — almost cost the office of State Attorney Willie Meggs $300,000, at least if one lawmaker had his way. Sen. Gary Siplin, D-Orlando, briefly sponsored a budget amendment Thursday that would have taken the $300,000 and used it “for compensation of individuals wrongfully incarcerated.” Siplin has been withering in his criticism of Meggs for prosecuting Sansom, whose trial ended last week after Meggs dropped the charges. But Siplin withdrew the amendment after Budget Chairman J.D. Alexander, R-Lake Wales, asked him to drop the issue. “If you wouldn’t mind, I’d prefer not to add insult to injury,” Alexander said.