The purpose of this summary provided by the Communications Department of The Florida Bar is to present media coverage that may be of interest to members. Opinions expressed in the articles are attributable solely to the authors. The Florida Bar does not adopt or endorse any opinions expressed below. For information on previous articles, please contact the publishing newspaper directly.
October 10, 2024
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The Florida Bar
DOAH TRIAL ACADEMY ENHANCES LITIGATION SKILLS FOR 60 ATTORNEYS
The Florida Bar | Article | October 10, 2024
The 2024 Division of Administrative Hearings (DOAH) Trial Academy took place from September 16 to 20 at DOAH’s Tallahassee headquarters, gathering 60 attorneys for an intense week-long course designed to simulate formal administrative hearings and teach essential litigation skills. Sponsored by the Administrative Law Section, the academy offered lawyers practical experience through mock hearings, coaching sessions, and personalized feedback — all at no cost to attendees. Participants who completed the program earned 50 hours of Continuing Legal Education credit. At the start of the week, attendees were divided into 10 teams of six lawyers, each assigned three coaches. Coaches included Administrative Law Judges (ALJs), Judges of Compensation Claims (JCCs), and seasoned administrative law attorneys. The core of the academy comprised 20 separate mock hearings on Wednesday and Thursday, allowing participants to apply their newly acquired skills in simulated legal proceedings.
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Legal Discipline
JACKSONVILLE ATTORNEY SUSPENDED
Jacksonville Daily Record | Article | October 10, 2024
In recent court orders, the Florida Supreme Court disbarred one attorney, suspended three, emergency suspended one and revoked the license of one. Among these six recently disciplined attorneys, Preston Hall Oughton is the only one who practiced in Jacksonville. Oughton was suspended for 91 days effective immediately following a Sept. 16 court order. Oughton was also ordered to attend Ethics School. The court found that Oughton engaged in three separate acts of misconduct involving three different clients. In the first matter, he took no steps to move a client’s legal matter forward despite a five-year long representation. In the second matter, he pursued a cause of action with no possible chance of a favorable result and charged unnecessary fees. In the third matter, he failed to provide competent representation and charged excessive fees.
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Legal Profession
FLORIDA LAW FIRMS BRACE FOR CATEGORY 5 HURRICANE MILTON
Daily Business Review | Article | October 09, 2024
Forecasters are predicting that Hurricane Milton will be one of the most destructive storms on record, and law firms and courts have heeded their warnings. “We are thinking about all of Florida and the Tampa and Sarasota areas as we prepare for this historic hurricane,” said Chantal Pillay, partner in charge of Tampa law firm Adams and Reese. The firm is in Milton’s projected path, and just endured another storm, Hurricane Helene, which struck Florida Sept. 24. Pillay said Adams and Rees closed its physical offices in Tampa and Sarasota. More than 50 counties in the state closed the courts Wednesday and Thursday. Many firms in Central Florida have boarded up and are taking shelter or have evacuated. Many courts have plans to stay shuttered on Friday in observance of Yom Kippur.
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Civil Justice
JUDGE REJECTS REOPENING VOTER REGISTRATION DUE TO HURRICANE MILTON
News Service of Florida | Article | October 10, 2024
U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle on Wednesday [Oct. 9] rejected a request from the League of Women Voters of Florida and the Florida NAACP to reopen voter registration for the November election because of Hurricane Milton. Floridians faced a Monday deadline to register to vote in the election, and the groups argued that Hurricane Milton evacuations and other factors, including lingering problems from last month’s Hurricane Helene, prevented people from registering. The groups filed a lawsuit Tuesday contending the registration period should be reopened for 10 days. But with Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration opposing the request, Judge Hinkle held a hearing Wednesday and said the “problem is not something that is going to be solved by the court.” “The solution is not a constitutional reworking of the deadline that the Florida Legislature set,” Hinkle said. The judge also said people could have registered to vote online Monday before the deadline.
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Judiciary
DESANTIS APPOINTS JEREMY GRINER TO THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY COURT
Plant City Observer | Article | October 09, 2024
Governor Ron DeSantis announced the appointment of Jeremy Griner to the Hillsborough County Court. He will fill the seat created by the resignation of Judge John Conrad. Griner has focused his 11-year career on civil litigation. Since 2016, he has operated his own firm in Plant City, where he has represented more than 800 clients with their legal claims. Prior to opening his own practice, he was a senior associate at Wood, Smith, Henning & Berman, LLP. His appointment starts Oct. 28. In the meantime, he is in the process of closing his law firm. He will begin his time on the bench at the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit in Downtown Tampa and serve as a judge in the County Civil Division. This division hears civil cases wherein the amount in controversy does not exceed $50,000 including, but not limited to, small claims cases, landlord-tenant disputes, insurance claims and other civil matters.