August 3, 2021

Florida International University’s Prosecutorial Performance Indicators project is hosting a public meeting – via Zoom – from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Wednesday Aug. 4 to get community input about how the Broward State Attorney’s Office can increase transparency and accountability.

Broward State Attorney Harold F. Pryor announced earlier this year that the office has partnered with Florida International University (FIU) and Loyola University Chicago to measure Prosecutorial Performance Indicators (PPIs). The project creates data dashboards that are shared with the public online. The neutral and objective information is then used to help analyze and measure prosecutorial decision-making and its impact on communities. Prosecutors use the research findings to make smart decisions and analyze what works and what needs attention or improvement.

The Prosecutorial Performance Indicators are 55 measures of performance that challenge and expand traditional measures of success in the field of prosecution. They emphasize the priorities of safety, community well-being, justice, equity and fairness for everyone affected by our criminal justice system.

All members of the community are welcome to participate in the meeting and provide input. The purpose of this meeting is to seek local input to select which indicators should be prioritized for Broward County. All 55 indicators are listed here.  To attend via Zoom, please register in advance at: https://fiu.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJAvf-2sqT8pH9JMjSKc1eV0vl3Z3tor-zx-

A second community input meeting will be announced in the coming weeks.

The Broward State Attorney’s Office was the seventh prosecutorial office in the US, and the third in Florida, to join the project. The initial announcement is here. The indicators look at nine objectives for a prosecutor’s office, from increasing timely handling of cases, to reducing racial and ethnic disparities, to expanding community outreach and engagement. They also allow prosecutors to discern trends, learn about progress and anticipate problems.

Earlier this year, State Attorney Pryor appointed a Community Advisory Board to work with FIU to seek input, ideas and feedback from community members and experts. The board members are:

Marsha Ellison: President of the Fort Lauderdale/Broward NAACP, Chairperson of the NAACP Florida State Conference Civic Engagement & Branch Revitalization Committee, and Treasurer of the NAACP Florida State Conference.

Michael Garcia: An experienced litigator who represents a diverse list of businesses and individual clients in various industries, including construction, healthcare, textile, real estate, and government affairs.

Johnny McCray: The Chairman of the Prosecutorial Performance Indicators Community Advisory Board for Broward County. He has been a leading attorney in South Florida for nearly 40 years.

Brian Silber: A successful trial attorney with more than 17 years of courtroom experience in South Florida. He is a former prosecutor and has tried more than 50 jury and 50 non-jury trials to verdict.

Dr. Gregory Salters: Recently retired from the Fort Lauderdale Police Department where he served for more than 28 years, concluding his career as an Interim Assistant Police Chief/Chief’s Executive Officer. He is the Founder/Managing Partner of The S.A.L.T. Mine Success and Leadership Training Institute LLC.

Daryl Wilcox: An Assistant Federal Public Defender for the Southern District of Florida, Fort Lauderdale Division. He represents low-income people accused of committing federal crimes. He has tried approximately 150 criminal cases ranging from misdemeanors to life felonies. He has also argued several cases before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit.

Nik Harris: Director of Strategic Outreach and Engagement at the Human Rights Campaign, America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve LGBTQ equality. They were also the first ever LGBTQ Consumer Advocate at the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Mx. Harris has also served as a Grievance Committee Chair of the Florida Bar.

Rep. Michael Gottlieb: An attorney who has practiced in the field of criminal defense for 25 years, he has an AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell and is Super Lawyers rated as well. He has served as a state representative in the Florida Legislature since 2018.

Dwight Bullard: A former state senator and state representative, he is the senior political advisor to Florida Rising, an independent organization working to bring political education and awareness to underserved and often marginalized communities.

Chad Klitzman: A corporate attorney, screenwriter (Candy Jar on Netflix), and activist who served in the Office of Management and Administration in the Obama White House. A graduate of Columbia Law School, the University of Pennsylvania and Broward County Public Schools.

Elizabeth Lipella: An Assistant State Attorney in Broward County, she has spent her entire legal career as a public servant and has prosecuted a wide variety of cases, ranging from violent felonies to capital sex offenses. She primarily handles sex crimes and crimes against children.

Dr. Rosalind Osgood: Chairwoman of the Broward County School Board, Dr. Osgood has more than 21 years of experience in nonprofit management. She is the CEO of the Mount Olive Development Corporation for the past 16 years and was the first female preacher in the history of the New Mount Olive Baptist Church.

Ashley Gantt: A former public school teacher, she is the founder and managing partner of Gantt Legacy Law. A former Broward County assistant public defender, she is the president of the T.J. Reddick Bar Association.

Contact: Paula McMahon, spokeswoman for the Broward State Attorney’s Office
mediarelations@sao17.state.fl.us or 954-831-7910
https://browardsao.com