Two Miami businessmen who last year won a damages award of more than $63 million against Miami Commissioner Joe Carollo for free-speech violations are now suing in state court to have Carollo removed from his elective office. 

William Fuller, Martin Pinilla II and a third plaintiff, businesswoman Denise Galvez Turros, filed the latest lawsuit in the 11th Judicial Circuit Court on Jan 18, arguing that the Miami City Charter requires public officials who have violated residents’ individual rights to forfeit their offices.

In June of last year, a federal jury in the Southern District of Florida ordered Carollo to pay $34.3 million to Fuller for violations of his rights to free speech or assembly. And the same jury ordered Carollo to pay Pinilla $29.2 million for free-speech violations.