FORT PIERCE -- A state investigation that wreaked havoc in the St. Lucie County court clerk's office -- resulting in three firings, two arrests, one civil suit and the discovery that more than 8,000 traffic dispositions never reached the Department of Motor Vehicles -- has come to a close and no more criminal charges are expected to be filed.

The investigation, requested in writing June 12 by Gov. Jeb Bush, was conducted by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and centered on allegations that things in the traffic division of the Clerk of Courts office were not exactly on the up and up.

The governor wrote that he specifically wanted the FDLE to determine whether Clerk of Court JoAnne Holman was involved.

Although two deputy clerks were arrested and are now awaiting trial on charges they fixed tickets for friends and family, the FDLE has determined that Holman herself wasn't involved in any criminal misconduct.

FDLE spokeswoman Kristen Perezluha said she wasn't sure when the investigation wrapped up, but she was sure it was closed and no more criminal charges were going to be filed.

Holman could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

The call for an investigation at the clerk's office began in May when County Court Judge Thomas Walsh was notified by Port St. Lucie police that a man who had racked up numerous traffic tickets was still driving legally.

Walsh wrote in a letter that at least 10 percent of the St. Lucie County traffic tickets filed since 1999 have not reached the Department of Motor Vehicles because of "case reporting problems" in the clerk's office.

Those "reporting problems" were eventually blamed on a computer glitch from 1999, when the Clerk of Courts Office hired a contractor to write a new computer program that would be Y2K compatible. That contractor apparently didn't include in the program a way for the information to be transmitted to Tallahassee.

The computer glitch resulted in long lines outside the traffic division -- as well as long hours for deputy clerks who worked overtime to get the new system up to speed.

Investigators did file criminal charges against two former deputy clerks in the traffic division.

Veronica Bass, of Fort Pierce, was arrested July 15 on 16 counts of official misconduct, a third-degree felony, and Karen Tomlinson, also of Fort Pierce, was arrested July 16 on two counts of official misconduct, according to an FDLE report.

Bass admitted to detectives that she used her position to void a suspension date for not paying fines on several traffic infractions incurred by her son-in-law, Taurus Hill of Fort Pierce, the FDLE report says. Of 32 traffic infractions issued to Hill since 1997, 18 were not on his driving record at the Department of Highway and Motor Vehicles -- keeping Hill from having to pay fines or face suspension of his license.

Tomlinson used her position to allow her son, Jamie Tomlinson, to not pay fines levied by a judge for operating a vehicle off the roadway and killing a deer with a gun and light, according to the FDLE report.

A third woman, traffic supervisor Debra Noble, was fired from her job in the clerk's office July 15 after her two colleagues were arrested. Noble has sued to get her job back, saying she didn't do anything wrong.

That case is still open in civil court.

Palm Beach Post

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FL - St. Lucie traffic clerk not allowed back to work yet

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