Weeks after telling trooper 'I run the county,' Flagler County Chair Joe Mullins loses race
UPDATE: Flagler County Commission Chairman Joe Mullins suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Leeann Penningtonin the Republican primary on Aug. 23. The previous story is below.
When Flagler County Commission Chairman Joe Mullins was stopped for speeding June 19 in a red Ferrari, he told a Florida Highway Patrol trooper, “I run the county,” as heard on a dash cam video.
Mullins was driving a 2013 Ferrari convertible sports car when he was pulled over on northbound Interstate 95 at mile marker 287 in Flagler County. Mullins' Ferrari was traveling 92 mph in a 70-mph zone, according to the citation.
It’s hard to hear everything on the audio. But the trooper was explaining the process to Mullins when he pauses and says “I’m sorry?”
“I run the county,” Mullins said.
“You run the county?” the trooper said.
The trooper then said he just has to explain things to Mullins before telling him his options for the citation.
After the trooper told him he was free to go, Mullins quickly drove away, as seen in the dash cam footage.
It was the second time in two weeks that FHP had stopped 51-year-old Mullins for speeding.
Two troopers stopped Mullins on June 2 when he was ticketed for driving a gray 2018 Mercedes Benz SUV 89 mph in a 60-mph zone in the express lane eastbound on Interstate 4 around mile marker 91, according to the citation, which said Mullins' actual speed was 91.7 mph.
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A career-ending decision?
The FHP report described Mullins as a “county commissioner” and “extremely condescending, belligerent, illogical and disrespectful,” and noted that he “flashed his business card to get out of ticket.”
The trooper who spoke to Mullins is heard in the dash cam footage warning him that if he gets out of the SUV, he will be arrested.
According to the dispatch notes from FHP, Mullins “stated it would be a carrer [sic] ending move if I arrested him for failing to obey a lawful order.”
The dispatch notes also stated that Mullins accused the troopers of putting “everybody’s lives at risk to pull him over.”
The audio on the dash cam is difficult to hear because of the noise from passing vehicles.
After walking back to one of the patrol cars after the initial contact with Mullins, the trooper tells his colleague that Mullins "said he was a county commissioner."
"Yeah, well, he's getting a ticket," the other trooper said, later asking, "What county?"
"Flagler" the other said.
The troopers return to Mullins’ car and there is more discussion.
"Ready to leave?" a trooper asks.
The trooper tells Mullins if he stays he will get a parking ticket.
"If you get out this car, you're going to jail" the trooper says moments later.
There are some more words exchanged between them. The trooper tells Mullins that their interaction is being audio and video recorded.
"You ready to leave?" the trooper asks.
Mullins then drives away.
In the June 19 incident involving the Ferrari, Mullins wrote an undated letter filed June 20 addressed to the Flagler County magistrate judge asking that no points be assessed on his license and his record “not be noted if possible.”
He continued: “On Father’s Day while preparing for family to come into town and running behind in my work schedule rushing between meetings, I was pulled over on I-95 for speeding. I lost track of time while and while taking calls and dealing with traffic knowing I was behind schedule, I was not paying attention to my speed nor the limit.”
Mullins was ordered by traffic hearing officer Thomas Pycraft to take a four-hour driver improvement course. Pycraft withheld adjudication on the traffic citation, which means no points would be assessed against Mullins' driving record.
In the June 2 incident, Mullins paid $256 and completed a four-hour basic driver improvement course, according to records at the Seminole County Clerk of Courts office.
Adjudication was withheld on June 30 against Mullins by the clerk, according to Seminole County Clerk of Court records.
Mullins wrote a letter dated June 6 and filed June 24 in Seminole County Court to the magistrate judge saying that when he was stopped for speeding he had been on a conference call, behind schedule and was not paying attention to his speed. Mullins incorrectly wrote the incident happened on Interstate 95.
“I am asking for lenience as I am gladly to pay in full the amount owed but would like the assessed points and my record not to be noted if possible,” Mullins wrote.
Mullins also wrote: “I commit in the future to pay more attention to my speed and be aware of my time so it will not put me in a rush situation.”
Mullins, who is running for reelection to his District 4 seat, had not returned a request for comment from The News-Journal as of press time.