He told the commissioners, “What was written in the South Miami News was not accurate.” Alexander also demanded in an email that we retract the story. 6 Commission meeting, Alexander was critical of the story we ran on the closed-door meeting. He stated that it would be a fait accompli, and that the Commission would have no say over when Alexander drew the $75,000 from the city treasury.Īt the Nov. 22 Alexander told the Commission that the city would be paying the $75,000 deductible. That being said, Kuehne is also expensive and probably charges way more than what the insurer’s approved counsel charges.Īt the time this report was written, he hadn’t yet submitted his proposal, according to the City Manager Steve Alexander.īased on sources, we reported that on Oct. Stoddard’s attorney is Benedict Kuehne, a lawyer who has a positive reputation in the community. Additionally, he wants to hire his own attorney and have the city and the insurance company pay for it, rather than the assigned lawyer that the insurance company would choose. Stoddard made a claim on the city’s insurance policy that requires the city to pay $75,000. By the summer, the sentiment on the Commission had changed and the resolution saying the city would foot the bill was repealed. In April, the City Commission initially approved paying for Stoddard’s legal fees. The Ethics Commission had lots to say about this case, when it said among other things… “Having found probable cause that Mayor Philip Stoddard violated the Citizens’ Bill of Rights when he refused, twice, to let a member of the public speak…” At that point, Stoddard could have admitted his guilt or he could fight it. The facts leading up to the October 22 meeting have been reported by this news- paper since February of this year.