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.
January 20, 2021
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The Florida Bar
BAR NAMES PRESIDENT’S PRO BONO SERVICE AWARD WINNERS
The Florida Bar | Article | January 20, 2021
The Florida Bar will recognize 21 lawyers for their work on behalf of low-income and disadvantaged clients at a Jan. 28 ceremony streamed live online by the Supreme Court of Florida. The awards are presented annually in conjunction with the Tobias Simon Pro Bono Service Award, which is given by the chief justice of the Florida Supreme Court. Awards recognizing pro bono contributions also will be presented in the categories of Voluntary Bar, Law Firm, Young Lawyers Division, Distinguished Judicial Service and Distinguished Federal Judicial Service. This year’s ceremony is scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 28, at 3:30 p.m. Watch it live on Facebook, WFSU: Gavel to Gavel and the Florida Channel, as well as on YouTube. A full version of each of the honoree’s accomplishments can be found here.
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Judiciary
SOUTH FLORIDA FEDERAL COURTHOUSES ORDERED TO CLOSE WEDNESDAY ‘IN INTEREST OF PUBLIC SAFETY’
CBS Local 4 | Article | January 19, 2021
All federal courthouses in the Southern District of Florida have been ordered to close on Wednesday [today], Inauguration Day, “in the interest of public safety.” The order, signed by Chief U.S. District Judge K. Michael Moore, says federal courthouses in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Fort Pierce, and Key West, including Bankruptcy Court and Probation, will be closed. All court staff at these locations are being asked to work from home and all video and audio hearings and trials will proceed as currently scheduled.
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Criminal Justice
FLORIDA LAWYERS ARE USING A KITCHEN KNIFE FROM PUBLIX TO UNDERPIN PREMISES LIABILITY SUIT
Daily Business Review | Article | January 19, 2021
A kitchen knife that was used in a deadly stabbing attack during a children’s sleepover is the centerpiece of litigation against Publix Super Markets Inc., which failed to dismiss allegations that it’s liable for selling the murder weapon to a minor. Three lawsuits have been filed over the attack, one of which revolves around 13-year-old Jovanni Sierra Branz, who was stabbed 32 times and died March 13, 2018, at a Palm Beach Gardens sleepover for his birthday. Corey Johnson, who was 17 at the time, is accused of committing the crime with a six-inch stainless-steel utility knife he bought at Publix hours earlier.
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Judiciary
MORE THAN $98M IN CIVIL AND CRIMINAL DEBT COLLECTED IN 2019 BY FLORIDA’S MIDDLE DISTRICT
Tampa Bay Business Journal | Article | January 13, 2021
U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announced that the Middle District of Florida (MDFL) collected $276,324,126.35 in criminal and civil actions in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2020 (FY 2020). Of this amount, $99,349,069.35 represents collections from locally handled criminal and civil actions, including $65,223,665.55 in civil actions and $34,125,403.80 in criminal actions. The MDFL’s Civil Division recovered a total of $222,965,488 on behalf of federal agencies and programs in affirmative civil enforcement cases during the last fiscal year.
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Civil Justice
INSURERS USING RICO ACT TO STRIKE BACK AGAINST ALLEGED FRAUD
Orlando Sentinel | Article | January 16, 2021
Fed up with what they say are fraudulent claims that are triggering skyrocketing costs — and ever-higher premiums — two Florida insurance companies have gone on the offensive against using a legal tool developed to help federal prosecutors fight organized crime. Lawsuits by Citizens Property Insurance Corp. and Heritage Property & Casualty claim that repair contractors and their affiliates are operating as criminal enterprises as defined by the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, or RICO.
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Wellness Wednesday
ABA RELEASES COMPREHENSIVE REPORT REVEALING KEY DRIVERS OF JUDICIAL STRESS
American Bar Association | Article | January 20, 2021
A comprehensive report released in the 2020 Journal of The Professional Lawyer surveying more than 1,000 judges across the United States suggests job stress has become a serious health concern in state judicial ranks. About one-third of those responding reported fatigue and low energy, sleep disturbance or disturbed attention and concentration. In addition to identifying sources of stress, the report also devotes a section to strategies for judges to promote self-care and enhance resiliency and makes recommendations to ease the road to better well-being.