by Monica Chamness
Staff Writer
It’s been 17 weeks since Paul Perez took office as the new U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida and he’s already established his top priorities.
“I feel humbled and honored [to be chosen]; I’m very blessed,” he said Tuesday following his address to the Federal Bar Association at the Omni. After his appointment, U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft briefed Perez on the concerns paramount to the office.
His first priority is establishing a special prosecution unit to handle terrorism. Lesser crimes such as credit card fraud and identity theft are included in the unit because of possible connection to terrorist activities.
Next on his list is the reduction of gun violence. Part of his plan is to implement Project Safe Neighborhood, a multi-faceted, federal program to deter crime through training, enforcement and community/educational components.
“The whole idea is to use our existing gun laws to take felons in possession of guns off the street,” he said.
Third on the list is the war against drugs.
“Now we will emphasize structures at the top, worldwide,” said Perez. “The roots [of the drug trade] stem from producers. There is going to be a hit list. We are going to treat this nationally and internationally. The new drug unit will combine experienced OCDEFT [Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force] prosecutors with new attorneys coming in.”
According to Perez, the General Crimes Unit will maintain its current strength to battle white collar health care fraud, which is prevalent in Florida because of the large elderly population.
Juggling 107 lawyers, a $27 million budget and the needs of eight million residents is no small task. He must administrate and manage the office in addition to setting policy and direction. Covering the Middle District requires a great deal of travel for Perez and his assistant. He logs as many as three days a week on the road.
“I’m the first resident of Jacksonville to be a U.S. Attorney since the late 1970s,” said Perez. “I told everyone that I would take 45 days to transition before making any changes. I asked everyone to give me memos about where they were and where they are supposed to be going. I met with judges and client agencies [i.e. federal law enforcement agencies]. In different districts there were perceptions we had to face, both good and bad.”
Following the 45-day evaluation period, major changes in personnel and departmental organization were implemented.
Perez retained the civil and appellate division chiefs, but replaced Tampa’s chief. The Criminal Division will be revamped to match individual strengths with the needs of the district. Thirteen new staff members are also being hired. Perez has localized hiring decisions for the government entity and established new protocols to delegate complaints appropriately.
Formerly a clerk for Judge John Moore II, Perez expects to serve between three and seven years as U.S. attorney.
Perez practiced bankruptcy law at the firm of Smith, Hulsey & Busey, operated his own firm for almost a decade and acted as assistant U.S. attorney for the Middle District from 1989-1992. His background in private practice stressed criminal defense in federal courts.
“Having been in the office [of the U.S. Attorney], I thought this would be something I would love to do,” said Perez. “I came in with eyes wide open. We’re getting the structure in place. To see any statistical improvement, we’ll have to wait longer than three months.”