Former Brevard County clerk of courts Mitch Needelman has been ruled competent to stand trial for a second time on charges including bribery, conspiracy, bid tampering and official misconduct.
Needelman, 72, was found guilty at trial of those charges in 2017. As he awaited sentencing, a judge threw out his conviction due to a juror’s misconduct, ordered a new trial, and granted his release from jail on bond in March 2018. Before Needelman could stand trial again, his attorney moved successfully in 2021 to have him declared mentally incompetent due to memory issues.
At a hearing June 20, State Attorney William Scheiner presented a report from a recent neuropsychological evaluation of Needelman that found no significant mental issues including any that would prevent him from assisting in his defense. Circuit Judge Melissa Souto signed an order finding that Needelman “has been restored to competency.”
“The State Attorney’s Office remains committed to the pursuit of justice for all — in this case the citizens of Brevard County who were taken advantage of by the criminal conduct of Mr. Needelman,” Mr. Scheiner said after the hearing. “This ruling from Judge Souto will allow the prosecution of Mr. Needelman to move forward and, I hope, restore some of the public trust that was stolen by Mr Needeman and his co-conspirators.”
The charges stem from Needelman’s relationship with a software company that received millions of dollars in contracts from the clerk’s office in exchange for contributions to Needelman’s campaign, as arranged by a political consultant.
The consultant, Matthew W. Dupree, pleaded guilty in 2018 to being a principal to bribery and was sentenced to two years in prison followed by 12 years supervised probation. The software company’s CEO, Rose M. Harr, was convicted at trial in 2018 of being a principal to bribery and bid-tampering and was sentenced to three years in prison followed by 12 years supervised probation.
The full list of charges against Needelman:
- Bribery, a second-degree felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000
- Conspiracy to commit bribery, a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years in prison and/or a $5,000 fine
- Bid tampering, a second-degree felony
- Entering a contract resulting from bid tampering, a second-degree felony
- Official misconduct, a third-degree felony
- Unlawful campaign contributions in excess of $500, a third-degree felony
Needelman did not attend the June 20 hearing at the Seminole County courthouse in Sanford. His case has been prosecuted in Seminole County to avoid conflicts of interest in Brevard County. Brevard and Seminole form the 18th Judicial Circuit. Judge Souto scheduled a status hearing on Needelman’s case for July 9.
