Daily News Summary
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.
May 25, 2022
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The Florida Bar
185 APPOINTED TO BAR COMMITTEE LEADERSHIP POSITIONS
The Florida Bar | Article | May 25, 2022
Florida Bar President-elect Gary Lesser has appointed 185 members to committee leadership positions for the 2022-23 Bar year. In all, more than 2,000 Bar members serve on 74 standing committees.
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Judiciary
APPEALS COURT REJECTS GUN RIGHTS FOR UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS IN TAMPA CASE
News Service of Florida | Article | May 24, 2022
In a case stemming from a man brandishing a gun in Tampa, a three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday [May 23] rejected a challenge to a federal law that bars undocumented immigrants from having firearms, saying the law does not violate the Second Amendment. “None of this, of course, is to suggest that illegal aliens in the United States have no constitutional rights whatsoever,” said the 17-page opinion, written by Judge Kevin Newsom and joined by Judges Elizabeth Branch and Andrew Brasher. “But consistent with the Second Amendment’s text and history, they do not enjoy the right to keep and bear arms.”
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Judiciary
TALLAHASSEE JUDGE DISMISSES PINELLAS LAWSUIT CHALLENGING STATE ELECTION LAW
Tampa Bay Times | Article | May 24, 2022
On Monday [May 23], Leon County Circuit Judge John Cooper dismissed Pinellas County’s lawsuit challenging a provision in Florida’s new election law that will require two county commissioners to run for their seats in November, halfway through their terms. Judge Cooper ruled that the county’s lawsuit was barred by the public official standing doctrine, which prohibits local governments from challenging the constitutionality of state law. The disputed provision requires county commissioners in single-member districts to run again for their seats following redistricting, which Pinellas completed in December following the once-in-a-decade release of U.S. Census numbers.
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Civil Justice
SURFSIDE COLLAPSE PROPERTY OWNER SETTLEMENT BUMPED UP TO $96M, JUDGE RULES
Sun Sentinel | Article | May 24, 2022
People who owned condominiums in the Champlain Towers South building in Surfside but did not suffer a loss of life will share at least $96 million from a court settlement, Circuit Judge Michael Hanzman said Tuesday [May 24]. The initial amount for property owners — as opposed to families of the 98 victims of the condo building that collapsed in June 2021— was set at $83 million, but Judge Hanzman agreed at a hearing that the higher amount was proper.
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Criminal Justice
AT HIS SENTENCING, ANOTHER AGGRIEVED WEEKS DUELS WITH A JUDGE: ‘THIS ISN’T GOING TO WORK FOR ME’
Flagler Live | Article | May 24, 2022
On Monday [May 23], Duane Weeks Jr., the son of former Elections Supervisor Kim Weeks, argued with Circuit Judge Terence Perkins over the plea agreement he had just signed. It is almost unheard of for a defendant tendering a plea to attempt to re-negotiate the plea agreement before the judge, with the defendant’s attorney at his side, and with the sort of supercilious language Weeks used about the handling of his case.
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Legal Profession
LEGAL MALPRACTICE CLAIMS ARE SOARING: HERE ARE THE MOST VULNERABLE PRACTICE AREAS
Daily Business Review | Article | May 24, 2022
The 12th annual Lawyers’ Professional Liability Insurance survey found that malpractice claims have become increasingly complex and expensive to defend, which is a major concern for the 11 insurance companies who provide coverage to about 80 percent of the Am Law 100 firms. In the survey, these insurers expressed concerns about the surge in cost to cover legal malpractice claims, despite the frequency of these lawsuits remaining flat in recent years. Insurers, to hedge against large malpractice rulings, projected they will raise premiums on law firms this year.
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Legal Profession
DIVERSITY ON STATE SUPREME COURTS SHOWS LITTLE IMPROVEMENT, REPORT FINDS
ABA Journal | Article | May 24, 2022
State supreme courts still fail to reflect the diversity of the communities they serve, according to an update published Friday [May 20] by the Brennan Center for Justice at the New York University School of Law. The percentage of justices of color on state supreme courts increased only slightly since April 2021, increasing from 17 percent to 18 percent, according to the center’s May update. In 20 states, all the high court justices are white, a decrease from 22 states in 2021. In 12 of those 20 states, people of color make up at least 20 percent of the population.
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Wellness Wednesday
WELL-BEING WEEK IN LAW ACTIVITY PLANNING GUIDE: GET MOVING!
The Florida Bar | Article | May 25, 2022
Because physical and mental health are closely intertwined, our wellbeing practices should include behaviors to protect physical health. Regular physical activity can prevent and improve symptoms of depression and anxiety and can improve memory, attention, learning, and cognitive processing. The Get Moving activity guide can help even the busiest lawyers improve their physical and mental well-being by providing a one-week plan to enhance motivation for engaging in physical activity.