Former Lakeland Police Chief Lisa Womack has sent a letter to Governor Rick Scott asking him to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate State Attorney Jerry Hill.
Womack resigned in January after a very tough year in 2013. LPD was embroiled in a wide ranging sex scandal and there had been allegations that Womack misused her position to get a relative hired at LPD.
Womack now contends that she resigned to spare LPD of more what she viewed as mistreatment by Hill. She claims in the letter to the governor that Hill has a gender bias and targeted her because of that. In the letter she wrote: "I am a female and not part of the "good ol' boy network."
Jerry Hill responded to Womack's allegations during a press conference in his Bartow office Wednesday morning. A large group of his female employees, including attorneys, stood behind him as he said he had a strong track record of hiring and promoting women.
"We have a high regard for talent and Lord knows if it’s a female that has that talent we respect it,” he said.
Womack contends in her letter that Hill committed an act of extortion by pressuring her to resign in exchange for not prosecuting her on nepotism charges he knew to be false.
Hill said offering people options other than prosecution is a common practice and he could have gotten a conviction.
"I think we could have successfully prosecuted her and convicted her,” he said.
Former Lakeland Mayor Gow Fields believes that Womack was mistreated as chief. He said it would only be fair to have her allegations investigated.
"The question is will it be investigated or by virtue of who he is and where he sits, will it just summarily be dismissed," said Fields.
The governor’s officer offered the following response;
"State Attorneys are accountable to the families of their district. Ms. Womack can explore her options through the court system.”