The Florida Bar News Updates http://www.flabar.org 11/15/2009 www.floridabar.org Sun, 15 Nov 2009 -0400Court kicks off One Campaign‘One Client. One Attorney. One Promise.’By Annie Butterworth JonesAssociate Editor Legal services advocates flocked to the Supreme Court to kick off Florida’s Pro Bono Week with the official unveiling of a campaign promoting pro bono work among Florida lawyers. “We can do better,” said Chief Justice Peggy Quince as she introduced the premise of the highly anticipated One Campaign on October 26. “We hope through this program that we can link one lawyer with one client. We know . . . ...http://www.flabar.org/DIVCOM/JN/jnnews01.nsf/RSSFeed/B85D55B761540218852576620058A4E8Sun, 15 Nov 2009 -0400Judge tosses Red Flags Rule for lawyers A federal judge has ruled that the Federal Trade Commission exceeded its authority by applying its “Red Flags Rule” to practicing lawyers. Acting on a request from the ABA, U.S. Judge Reggie B. Walton of the District of Columbia granted a motion for partial summary judgment finding that Congress did not intend lawyers to be considered “creditors” under the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act. “This ruling is an important victory for American lawyers and the clie. . . ...http://www.flabar.org/DIVCOM/JN/jnnews01.nsf/RSSFeed/50291EC6C43D0B728525766200718012Sun, 15 Nov 2009 -0400E-discovery group to introduce rule language in 2010 E-discovery rules for Florida are expected to be proposed next year, according to Lawrence Kolin, who chairs the Civil Procedure Rules Subcommittee on Electronic Discovery. Kolin’s group, consisting of attorneys in diverse areas of practice and members of the judiciary, has been studying the application of the federal rules amendments in this area since their passage. “Recognizing the strain on resources, we want to incentivize the parties to work . . . ...http://www.flabar.org/DIVCOM/JN/jnnews01.nsf/RSSFeed/A1E3D02CFE3823DF852576620070B746Sun, 15 Nov 2009 -0400The long wait for justiceWrongly incarcerated for 27 years, Dillon still believes in the systemBy Jan PudlowSenior Editor More than 28 years since lying to a jury to save his own skin, a jailhouse snitch wiped away tears and apologized to William Dillon, who was freed from prison last year for a murder he insists he did not commit. “I’m very sorry for what’s happened,” Roger Dale Chapman, a mechanic from Bonifay, testified, after detailing how a detective removed him from the bull pen cell of the Brevard Co. . . ...http://www.flabar.org/DIVCOM/JN/jnnews01.nsf/RSSFeed/305B0B9C325DB12285257663004D1FA0Sun, 15 Nov 2009 -0400State attorneys, PDs fear further budget reductions A reduction of 250 to 260 assistant public defenders, plus 525 fewer assistant state attorneys. Around 2,000 fewer children represented by guardians ad litem. Those were some of the dire projections made November 3 at the House Criminal and Civil Justice Appropriations Committee. The committee was conducting the annual budget exercise of asking state agencies how they would meet a demand of reducing their budgets by a certain amount. The target for this ye. . . ...http://www.flabar.org/DIVCOM/JN/jnnews01.nsf/RSSFeed/38AA404C0DB7D0A88525766400748C9DSun, 15 Nov 2009 -0400Court grapples with how best to handle foreclosuresBy Annie Butterworth JonesAssociate Editor A staggering number of foreclosure cases are currently pending statewide; 95 percent of Floridians losing their homes have no legal representation; and the courts can’t solve the emergency alone, according to the chair of the Task Force on Residential Foreclosure Cases during oral arguments at the Florida Supreme Court. On November 4, 11th Circuit Judge Jennifer Bailey, task force chair, presented the findings o. . . ...http://www.flabar.org/DIVCOM/JN/jnnews01.nsf/RSSFeed/FC7EEBA5A5E069DF852576650053CF5CSun, 15 Nov 2009 -0400Courts, clerks told to work out their e-portal differencesBy Gary BlankenshipSenior Editor Florida clerks of court and the court system had better work out a dispute about who will control the Internet portal to the mandated new statewide e-filing system for the courts or the Legislature will, a top state senator has warned. Sen. Victor Crist, R-Tampa, gave that caution November 5 after listening to 11th Circuit Judge Judith Kreeger, chair of the Florida Court Technology Commission, outline what the courts . . . ...http://www.flabar.org/DIVCOM/JN/jnnews01.nsf/RSSFeed/E5E873F19358269685257665006B8940