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.
August 03, 2022
-
The Florida Bar
YLD PLANS A YEAR OF SERVICE AND CONSTITUENT OUTREACH
The Florida Bar | Article | August 03, 2022
Describing the Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division board as hard-working and passionate, President Iris Elijah laid out some of the YLD’s plans for the year when she reported to the Board of Governors on July 29 in Palm Beach. Elijah highlighted plans for the division’s Affiliate Outreach Conference, enhancements being made to the Practicing with Professionalism program, an upcoming seminar on student loans, and plans to better connect with its affiliate young lawyer groups. Elijah said the next Affiliate Outreach Conference, set for February 1-5 in Daytona Beach, will include more robust educational sessions and opportunities for engagement with young lawyer leaders.
-
Legal Discipline
DID A FLORIDA LAWYER USE PPP LOAN MONEY TO HELP COVER A $288,000 TRUST ACCOUNT SHORTAGE?
Miami Herald | Article | August 02, 2022
Orlando attorney Bradley Laurent’s emergency suspension goes into effect Aug. 13 after a Florida Bar audit of 2018-2022 said he had a $288,852 trust account shortage. The Bar also said money movement between accounts indicates Laurent used some of the COVID-19 Paycheck Protection Program loan money he received to shore up his trust account. Laurent argued in a March application for disciplinary revocation, which he pulled in April, that “no client has complained or suffered any harm.” The state Supreme Court’s emergency suspension, handed down July 14, prevents Laurent from taking on any more clients since that day. He is required to withdraw from representing clients and bring pending cases to a close by Aug. 13.
-
Judiciary
FAITH-BASED GROUPS SUE TO OVERTURN FLORIDA’S 15-WEEK ABORTION BAN
Politico | Article | August 02, 2022
A collection of faith groups filed a lawsuit against the state of Florida on Monday [August 1] in Miami-Dade County Court over the state’s 15-week abortion ban, the third legal challenge to the state’s controversial new abortion law. The lawsuit argues that the new law, passed by lawmakers during the 2022 legislative session and signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis, violates constitutional freedom of speech, the free exercise of religion and the constitutional separation of church and state. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of multiple religious groups, including Reform Judaism, Buddhism, the Episcopal Church, the United Church of Christ and the Unitarian Universalist Church.
-
Judiciary
PROSECUTORS TAKE EXTRA STEPS TO PROTECT WITNESSES FROM TRAUMATIC PARKLAND SCHOOL SHOOTING EVIDENCE
WLRN 91.3 FM | Article | August 03, 2022
After a few especially tough moments on the first day of the sentencing trial for confessed school shooter Nikolas Cruz, judges and lawyers began taking extra steps to protect the mental health of people in the courtroom, including allowing victims to leave before displaying graphic videos. Even before the trial began, prosecutors had arranged for therapy dogs to be available to witnesses, victims and families because they knew it would be a difficult trial to sit through. Lawyers realized it was going to be worse than they had even imagined, though, when two former Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School students took the witness stand on that first day.
-
Civil Justice
FLORIDA TAKES AIM AT ILLEGAL ROBOCALLS AND THE PHONE PROVIDERS THAT ALLOW THEM
10 Tampa Bay | Article | August 02, 2022
Attorney General Ashley Moody on Tuesday [August 2] announced the formation of the Anti-Robocall Litigation Task Force. Moody is part of the executive committee for the task force, which she said would investigate international scammers who target Americans. The panel includes 50 attorneys general who say they’ll work to shut down phone service providers that don’t take steps to prevent illegal robocall traffic because they’re turning a profit.
-
Criminal Justice
CENTRAL FLORIDA ‘GHOST’ CANDIDATE CONSULTANT PLEADS NOT GUILTY
Orlando Sentinel | Article | August 02, 2022
Eric Foglesong, the political consultant who helped put a “ghost” candidate on the ballot in a 2020 Central Florida state Senate race, pleaded not guilty to campaign finance-related charges Tuesday [August 2], during his first court appearance in the case. Foglesong faces five charges, including three felonies, in connection with the scheme, which helped clear Republican Sen. Jason Brodeur’s path to victory in the competitive race. Foglesong helped independent candidate Jestine Iannotti, who has also been charged, get her name on the ballot. Iannotti did not campaign for the position but was promoted in an advertising blitz as a progressive alternative in an apparent attempt to siphon votes from Brodeur’s main opponent, Democrat Patricia Sigman.
-
Civil Justice
$1.3M SETTLEMENT REACHED WITH HOLLYWOOD, DESPITE SOVEREIGN IMMUNITY DEFENSE
Daily Business Review | Article | August 02, 2022
On Tuesday [August 2], attorneys for Lindsey Mancur announced they had reached a $1.3 settlement with the City of Hollywood, after Mancur sued for damages stemming from a case in which an officer—while providing a courtesy ride—ran a red light and caused a collision. Municipalities with sovereign immunity protection rarely pay beyond their six-figure limits without a verdict and claims bill, Coral Gables attorneys said. However, an exception was made in this case in which Mancur sustained “catastrophic and permanent injuries in the instant collision,” some of which will last a lifetime, according to the amended complaint. Mancur’s attorney Michael Goldfarb held off on a settlement agreement with the city, with the understanding that governmental defendants typically resolve cases with significant damages before a jury hears it. On the first day of the three-week trial period, the defendant met his demands.
-
Wellness Wednesday
MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS RESOURCES FOR FLORIDA BAR MEMBERS
The Florida Bar | Article | August 03, 2022
The Florida Bar’s Mental Health & Wellness of Florida Lawyers Committee is working to destigmatize mental illness, recommend best practices and remedies, and help bring more balance into members’ daily professional lives. You can find all the wellness resources on the Health and Wellness Center webpage and download the committee’s new flyer.