FL H0195

Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office is directed to pay Lawrence Femminella $716,200, representing the unpaid balance of a $816,200 judgment awarded by jury verdict on February 6, 2006, for false arrest, loss of consortium, and negligent training and hiring of deputies

Payment compensates Femminella for his wrongful arrest on September 11, 2003, based on fabricated evidence provided by informant Willoughby Farr, who falsely claimed Femminella was involved in smuggling drugs into the county jail

Femminella was exonerated after a criminal investigation concluded in November 2004, and the Sheriff's Office internal affairs investigation found Deputy Clarke guilty of neglect of duty

The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office has already paid $100,000 of the judgment, leaving a balance of $716,200 to be paid under this act

Attorney's fees, lobbying fees, and other related expenses cannot exceed 25 percent of the awarded amount, and this payment constitutes sole compensation for all present and future claims arising from the incident