Daily News Summary
An electronic digest of media coverage of interest to members of The Florida Bar compiled each workday by the Public Information and Bar Services Department. Electronic links are only active in today's edition. For information on previous articles, please contact the publishing newspaper directly.
Aug. 23, 2010
THREE NEW JUDGES AN UNCOMMON OCCURRENCE FOR 14TH CIRCUIT-- Panama City News Herald, http://www.newsherald.com, Aug. 22, 2010.
In January, two new judges will be seated on the bench of the 14th Judicial Circuit, and a third will be seated at the end of this month. That means three of the four judges who handle criminal cases in Bay County will have entered uncharted waters. This much turnover is rare, if not unprecedented. Judge Dedee Costello and Judge Don Sirmons will retire at the end of the year, and Judge Richard Albritton resigned earlier this year in the midst of an investigation into possible ethical lapses. Judge John Fishel was appointed by Gov. Charlie Crist to fill the seat Albritton vacated.
CANDIDATE PROFILES: JUDGE, FIRST CIRCUIT-- Crestview News Bulletin, http://www.crestviewbulletin.com, Aug. 21, 2010.
Profiles of the candidates for First Circuit judge. The candidates are: Kenneth Brooks Jr., Clint Davis, Michael Flowers, Mike Lawson, Alishia McDonald and Robert E. McGill III.
NEW JUDGE PATRICIA DOHERTY TAKES OATH-- Orlando Sentinel, http://www.orlandosentinel.com, Aug. 21, 2010.
New Ninth Circuit Judge Patricia A. Doherty took the judicial oath Friday [Aug. 20] during an investiture ceremony at the Orange County Courthouse. Gov. Charlie Crist appointed Doherty to the bench in May, filling a vacancy created by the death of Ninth Circuit Judge Bob Wattles earlier this year. Fellow Circuit Judge John Marshall Kest noted in his short presentation for Doherty that she was about to become Florida's 600th sitting circuit judge. Doherty leaves private practice with the firm of Wooten, Kimbrough, Gibson, Doherty & Normand P.A.
JUDGE PATT MANEY NAMED PATRIOT OF THE YEAR BY PURPLE HEART ORGANIZATION-- Northwest Florida Daily News, http://www.nwfdailynews.com, Aug. 21, 2010.
Okaloosa County Judge Patt Maney was named Patriot of the Year by the Military Order of the Purple Heart for his volunteerism. He received the award in a ceremony last Saturday. The national recognition came after his local chapter nominated him for his volunteer work with the county’s veterans. Maney helped organize the three-year-old Okaloosa County Stand Down, a community event that provides everything from dental care to clothing for veterans. Maney also helps resolve misdemeanor criminal issues for veterans at the event.
--Legal Profession--
SANSOM PROSECUTOR WILLIE MEGGS TAKES HEAT AT MISCONDUCT HEARING-- Northwest Florida Daily News, http://www.nwfdailynews.com, Aug. 21, 2010.
State Attorney Willie Meggs had a tense exchange with an ex-judge, who testified in support of misconduct allegations against the prosecutor during a hearing Friday [Aug. 20] in former Florida House Speaker Ray Sansom’s corruption case. Second Circuit Judge Terry Lewis later gave both sides a month to submit written arguments on defense motions either to dismiss the charges — including grand theft and conspiracy against Sansom and two co-defendants — or kick Meggs off the case. The defense has accused Meggs of prosecutorial misconduct for releasing secret grand jury testimony to the media and making inflammatory statements in public and during grand jury testimony from Sansom and former Northwest Florida State College President Bob Richburg. Meggs denies the allegations.
--Civil Justice Issues--
LEE COUNTY'S OIL CLAIMS MAY GO UNPAID-- The News-Press, http://www.news-press.com, Aug. 21, 2010.
Details released Friday [Aug. 20] about how claims will be paid from BP PLC's $20 billion fund show that how close geographically a person or business is to the Gulf oil spill will play a key role. That could be bad news for Lee County business owners who believe they've been negatively impacted by the spill. An official for one Fort Myers Beach hotel, the Pink Shell Beach Resort & Spa, said business is down about 20 percent from this time last year, though there is no oil on Southwest Florida's shores. Lee County said it planned to ask BP to pay for a $34,000 drop in June's bed tax collections.
--Criminal Justice Issues--
FIND THE FLAW, AND FIX IT: WORK TOGETHER TO SEE HOW ACCUSED GANG MEMBERS GOT OUT-- The Palm Beach Post, editorial, http://www.palmbeachpost.com, Aug. 23, 2010.
The editorial states: "'What we do,' Palm Beach County State Attorney Michael McAuliffe said, 'will be as important as the incident.' What he euphemistically calls 'the incident' was the mistaken release last week from the Palm Beach County Jail of three alleged BuckWild gang members accused of violent crimes. Somehow, after prosecutors revised the charges against three of the eight defendants in the racketeering case, the only word that got back to the jail was that the old charges had been dropped. Missing was the information that the defendants were not to be released. . . . So what happened?. . .The clerk's investigation will continue this week, and it's a time for cooperation, not defensiveness and turf battles."
HALEIGH'S DAD PLEADS GUILTY TO DRUG CHARGES-- The Gainesville Sun, http://www.gainesville.com, Aug. 21, 2010. [Also: WILL JAIL TIME UNLOCK SECRETS TO HALEIGH CUMMINGS' DISAPPEARANCE?-- The Gainesville Sun, http://www.gainesville.com, Aug. 21, 2010].
Ronald L. Cummings, the father of missing Putnam County girl Haleigh Cummings, pleaded guilty Friday [Aug. 20] to three counts of trafficking in hydrocodone. One of the crimes carries a mandatory minimum sentence of three years in prison. The other two offenses carry mandatory minimum sentences of 15 years. Soon, most of the key figures in Haleigh's February 2009 disappearance will be in prison doing time on unrelated drug convictions. Locked away with them will be whatever secrets they still might hold that could solve the case. However, legal experts say unraveling the mystery could hinge on classic legal tactics in which key figures already in prison feed investigators more information in the hopes that a judge might be willing to lighten their sentence.
[Revised: 08-24-2010]
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