That means he gets two years of probation and pays $50,000 toward the investigation that took almost 61/2 years to get the case so close to a trial. Citizens remain so far from answers that are best delivered in an open courtroom in full public view.
As lawyer for the short-circuited Stadium Naples golf development and the inner circle of developers and investors at its core, Salvatori had a special perspective. Racketeering and unlawful compensation charges pertained to his handling of the core deals -- former Collier County Commissioner John Norris being offered a no-money-down stake in a project by developers he was elected to regulate, and former Commissioner Tim Constantine's unsecured $100,000 business loan to make and market early-childhood education videos.
The potential witness list was a who's who of local development and government. Several weeks of courtroom time were set aside for trial. A jury had been seated.
But no trial.
The prosecution says at least Salvatori won't be able to walk around saying he did nothing wrong. Still, a close look at the plea finds scant trace of Stadium Naples -- only an unreported transfer of $300,000 cash from one Salvatori client to another.
It is hard to see what is in this for citizens whose taxes fueled a rigged government.
For a glimpse of those inner workings the public will have to wait until January, when Norris and a Salvatori client, Paul Hardy, are set for trial in Sarasota. It's then or never.
Catch of the Day: May 24, 2012
Collier County arrests 05-23-2012
Editorial Cartoons: May 23, 2012
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
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