State Seeks Protective Order To Block Deposition Of Prosecutor In Key West City Hall Case
Filing argues subpoena for Assistant State Attorney seeks privileged work product; deposition was set for Feb. 23.
Monroe County prosecutors on Friday, Feb. 6, asked Judge Mark Jones to block defense attorneys from deposing an Assistant State Attorney Joseph Mansfield in the criminal case against three former Key West officials, arguing the subpoena seeks privileged and irrelevant information and would improperly probe prosecutorial decision-making.
In a motion filed in Monroe County Circuit Court, the State Attorney’s Office objected to a defense subpoena commanding Mansfield to appear for a deposition Feb. 23 and testify about the investigation and his role in it.
Prosecutors asked the court for a protective order limiting any testimony to a single phone call Mansfield had with a defendant on Aug. 22, 2024, regarding compliance with a subpoena.
Assistant State Attorney Colleen Dunne filed the motion on behalf of State Attorney Dennis Ward in the 16th Judicial Circuit. The filing cites Florida criminal discovery rules and case law protecting prosecutors from being compelled to disclose work product, internal deliberations and other privileged information, including the deliberative process privilege.
“Requiring testimony in this cause from ASA Mansfield beyond the facts of his Aug. 22, 2024, telephone conversation with Defendant would invite disclosure of confidential and privileged information regarding the filing and prosecutorial decisions of the State Attorney,” the motion states.
The filing is lodged in the criminal cases against Ronald Ramsingh, Rajindhar “Raj” Ramsingh and James J. Young, under case numbers 2025-CF-431-A-K, 2025-CF-429-A-K and 2025-CF-430-A-K. Prosecutors argued the subpoena is outside the scope of discovery, seeks confidential material and would cause “annoyance, embarrassment, oppression” and undue burden.
The State also argued that Florida courts have recognized state attorneys as quasi-judicial officers and have held that judges and officials acting in quasi-judicial capacities generally may not be deposed. The motion asks the court to prohibit attempts to enforce the subpoena beyond the limited topic prosecutors say was previously agreed to by the parties.
The cases are part of what has become known locally as the “Bubba Bozo Trio” investigation, a long-running City Hall scandal that grew out of subpoenas for texts and emails and allegations that requested communications were not fully produced. A Monroe County grand jury later issued a scathing presentment tied to the Corradino Report, and the political fallout included the public ouster of former City Manager Al Childress after he pushed back on what he described as potential criminal conduct flagged in the findings.
Court records show the three defendants collectively face 26 felony counts across multiple case numbers, including allegations of evidence tampering and other public corruption-related offenses. All three defendants have pleaded not guilty and are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt by a jury.
A hearing date on the State’s request for a protective order had not been scheduled as of Tuesday.