FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – A defense attorney has been banned from all Broward County jails after a deputy saw her apparently having sex with an inmate in an interview room at the main jail, according to the Broward Sheriff's Office.
Jessica David, 35, of Hollywood, and her client, Ysreal Granda, 26, of Opa-locka, were "engaged in what appeared to be sexual intercourse" when a jail deputy walked in on them Wednesday afternoon, according to a BSO incident report obtained Friday by Local 10 News.
According to the report, David "was bent over at the waist with her skirt raised" while Granda's body "was pressed firmly" against David's buttocks with his hands around her.
As soon as the deputy walked in, the report said, Granda quickly sat in the chair that was behind him and David immediately stood up, "causing her skirt to fall back into position covering her thighs."
David was ordered to leave the room and sit in the waiting area while Granda was escorted back to his cell.
Detectives from the BSO special victims unit interviewed David, but she was not arrested.
A BSO memorandum said David has since been "prohibited from entering any Broward Sheriff's Office facility or onto any BSO property for any reason, either personal or professional, until further notice."
David, who practices using her maiden name Mishali, was admitted to the Florida Bar in 2007, online records indicate. She is in good standing with the Florida Bar and has never been disciplined.
David's attorney, Tarlika Navarro, spoke to Local 10 News reporter Todd Tongen with her client present. She called the "completely false allegations" a fabrication by the BSO.
"We believe there's an ulterior motive," Navarro said.
David didn't speak during the interview, but her attorney said the allegations are embarrassing and hurting David's career. She said a memo asking for the ban to be overturned has been sent to the BSO.
"Her face is all over the news. She's a private attorney. She needs to see her client," Navarro said. "She's defending their rights, and their rights are being violated right now."
A BSO statement said David's physical contact has been restricted, but she is still allowed to communicate with her client.
Earlier this month, David was fired from her job at the Office of Criminal Conflict and Civil Regional Counsel because of "misconduct in the performance of her duties."
"There was an alleged incident" involving David and Granda when he was an inmate at a Miami-Dade County jail, Navarro said.
"You believe there's collusion between these two corrections officers?" Tongen asked.
"Absolutely," Navarro said.
"Really?" Tongen asked.
"There could be, yes," Navarro said.
David used to work for Broward County public defender Howard Finkelstein, who described her as a hard-working young lawyer with no complaints, but he is concerned about the allegations.
"I think you're going to see more investigations," Finkelstein told Local 10. "I think they're going to start to look to see whether or not any contraband may have been introduced into the facility. I think this is just the beginning."
Granda is in jail on multiple charges, including attempted murder.
The Florida Bar is reviewing the alleged incident. David could be reprimanded or disbarred.