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.
September 22, 2023
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The Florida Bar
FLORIDA JUDGES MAY PARTICIPATE IN ORAL ARGUMENTS
The Florida Bar | Article | September 22, 2023
The Florida Supreme Court Judicial Ethics Advisory Committee in an opinion issued September 1 that judges may participate in oral argument before the Florida Supreme Court in a matter relating a proposed rule change. The panel wrote in Opinion 2023-08 that the judicial canons, the committee’s past opinions, and prior practice before the Florida Supreme Court lead the panel to conclude there is no prohibition against a judge offering oral arguments and comments to the Florida Supreme Court in connection with a proposed rule amendment.
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Criminal Justice
FAMU LAW PROFESSOR HONORED FOR PARTICIPATION IN BROWN V BOARD OF EDUCATION CASE
Florida Courier | Article | September 22, 2023
Florida A&M University (FAMU) College of Law Professor Ronald Griffin is honored on a mural commemorating those linked to the historic Brown v. Board of Education case, ending school segregation in 1954. Over the summer, Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas, unveiled this mural alongside figures like Thurgood Marshall. Griffin, part of Washburn’s faculty in 1979, volunteered with colleagues to file a case known as Brown II, focusing on incomplete desegregation. Their efforts contributed to ensuring compliance and enforcement of desegregation, including busing children to previously all-white schools in Topeka. Griffin credited his parents for inspiration in this endeavor. He expressed deep gratitude for the recognition and considered it a special legacy to pass on to his family.
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Legal Profession
NO MONEY IN BROWARD BUDGET FOR TENANT RIGHT TO COUNSEL PROGRAM, DESPITE ACTIVISTS’ PLEAS
WLRN Miami | Article | September 22, 2023
Broward County Commissioners approved an $8.6 billion budget on Tuesday [Sept. 19], omitting funds for a proposed tenant right to counsel pilot program, claiming the request was submitted too late in the budgeting process. Despite the county allocating $23 million for affordable housing projects and supporting a legal aid organization, activists argue that soaring rents and evictions necessitate a tenant right to counsel program. A 2022 report on housing affordability report found approximately 62% of Broward renters are cost-burdened, spending over 30% of their income on rent. Broward’s average rent reached $2,503 by 2021, further straining residents. Free legal aid, such as Coast to Coast Legal Aid, has aided many tenants, but over 95% still lack legal representation when facing eviction. Activists continue to press for funding.
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Criminal Justice
FLORIDA PRISONS USING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TO SURVEIL CALLS
Florida Courier | Article | September 22, 2023
Florida has implemented artificial intelligence from Leo Technologies to monitor and transcribe phone conversations of its 80,000-plus inmates since August, investing $2.5 million in the program called Verus. This system scans calls, including those with inmates’ friends and family, using keywords specified by prison officials and the technology company’s employees. It relies on Amazon-powered speech-to-text technology for transcription. The contract, running until June 30 next year, allows up to 50 million minutes of conversation monitoring. Exemptions include calls with lawyers, doctors, and spiritual advisers. Information collected is shared with local, state, and federal law enforcement and prosecutors. Concerns arise regarding the technology’s application, as it has been programmed to monitor conversations in other states, such as those involving the Spanish words for “lawyer” and instances discussing prison conditions or COVID-19. The program’s transparency and effectiveness are under scrutiny.
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Criminal Justice
JOHNATHAN QUILES FOUND GUILTY OF MURDER IN DEATH OF HIS PREGNANT 16-YEAR-OLD NIECE, IYANA SAWYER
News4Jax | Article | September 21, 2023
Johnathan Quiles was found guilty Thursday [Sept. 21] of first-degree murder, sexual battery, and first-degree murder of the unborn child of his pregnant 16-year-old niece, Iyana Sawyer. The verdict came on the sixth day of the trial, following about an hour of deliberation. The trial included emotional testimony and reams of evidence against Quiles, who was accused of murdering his niece by marriage who was five months pregnant when she disappeared in December 2018. The prosecution alleged the child Sawyer was carrying was Quiles’. The state is seeking the death penalty and the jury will reconvene Monday to begin the penalty phase.