Former Miami Mayor Involved in Fender Bender with His Divorce Judge
Former Miami Mayor Joe Carollo added some more color to his already colorful history at the end of August when he was involved in a fender-bender with who else but the judge that had been presiding over his ongoing divorce. Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Paul Siegel drove into an intersection and collided with Carollo’s vehicle on Wednesday, August 29th. Siegel was cited for failing to yield at the intersection, where there was a stop sign. Prior to this incident, Siegel had been cited twice in the past for infractions, including recklessly operating a boat in 2002 and failing to adhere to a manatee speed zone in 2006. Both of those citations were dismissed. Following the car accident, Siegel removed himself from the divorce case between Carollo and his wife. Divorce lawyers from both sides have not yet come to an agreement in their divorce, which amazingly began in 2000.
In addition to being involved in a long divorce, Carollo has been in the news in the past for some rather eye-catching headlines. After losing to Xavier Suarez in a bitter race for mayor in 1997, Carollo was installed as mayor in 1998 when it became known that absentee ballots in favor of Suarez had been tainted. Carollo and Suarez both ran for mayor in 2000, but lost to current Mayor Manny Diaz. Carollo was also accused of battering his wife that year when he allegedly threw a cardboard tea container at her face; however, that charge was later dropped. Carollo added another chapter to his intriguing life when he filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy in 2003.
