VERO BEACH, Fla. — Two former Sebastian council members have been found guilty of violating Florida's Sunshine Law.
Damien Gilliams and Pamela Parris were convicted by a six-member jury Thursday at the Indian River County Courthouse in Vero Beach.
Gilliams and Parris were removed from office after a special election last fall.
A third former council member, Charles Mauti, took a plea deal in exchange for cooperating during the trial, which began last week.
The former City Council members were accused of holding an illegal meeting during which they voted to remove Mayor Ed Dodd and fire the city manager, city clerk and city attorney.
Florida law requires that all meetings of any state, county or municipal board or commission be open to the public.
After the city's April 22, 2020, public meeting was postponed, Gilliams, Parris and Mauti used their own keys to get inside the locked City Hall building to hold their own meeting.
