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 04, 2024
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The Florida Bar
DEADLINE FOR REPORTERS’ WORKSHOP NOMINATIONS IS SEPTEMBER 6
The Florida Bar | Article | September 06, 2024
Nominations are open for the 33rd Annual Florida Bar Reporters’ Workshop in Tallahassee on October 7-8. The two-day course, designed for 24 journalists new to Florida or legal reporting, is organized by The Florida Bar Media & Communications Law Committee and the Florida Supreme Court. Editors, publishers, or news directors must submit nominations via a specific form. Selected reporters will receive scholarships covering two nights’ hotel stay and meals, but travel costs are the reporter’s responsibility. The workshop includes legal reporting sessions, a Florida Supreme Court tour, and dinner with justices. The nomination deadline is Friday, September 6 at 5 p.m.
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Civil Justice
SUIT ALLEGES OWNER OF POLK COUNTY LAW FIRM STOLE $1.8M FROM CLIENT’S TRUST, LOST IT GAMBLING
The Lakeland Ledger | Article | September 04, 2024
A civil lawsuit filed in Polk County on August 21 accuses Jason Penrod, owner of Family Elder Law, of diverting nearly $1.8 million from a client’s trust fund for personal gambling at Tampa’s Seminole Hard Rock Casino. The plaintiffs, Charles Anderson and Sherry Prevoznik, children of the late David D. Anderson, allege Penrod depleted the trust after Anderson’s 2021 death. The firm, with offices in Lake Wales, Lakeland, and Sebring, abruptly closed in July. Penrod confessed in letters and to the plaintiffs’ lawyers, prompting a pending Florida Bar disciplinary case. Penrod seeks disciplinary revocation from the Florida Supreme Court. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office is investigating.
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Civil Justice
FLORIDA URGES APPEALS COURT TO UPHOLD GUN AGE LAW
News Service of Florida | Article | September 03, 2024
Florida’s lawyers are urging an Atlanta-based appeals court to uphold a law that prevents individuals under 21 from purchasing rifles and long guns. The law was enacted following the February 2018 Parkland shooting, where 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. The NRA challenged the law, arguing it violates the Second Amendment. A U.S. District Judge and a three-judge panel of the 11th Circuit upheld the restriction, but the NRA requested a full court review. Florida’s brief, filed on Friday, argues that the law aligns with historical firearm regulations. The NRA contends the law is unconstitutional.
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Civil Justice
TEXAS RESIDENT SUES FLORIDA COMPANIES OVER ALLEGED NEGLIGENCE LEADING TO EXTENSIVE WATER DAMAGE
Florida Record | Article | September 02, 2024
Robert Alpert, a Texas resident, filed a lawsuit on August 20, 2024, in the Circuit Court of the 15th Judicial Circuit in Palm Beach County, Florida, against CA Lindman, Inc., and CA Lindman of South Florida, LLC. The complaint alleges negligence after a February 28, 2023 incident where an employee of the defendants allegedly broke a water pipe while working on a condominium above Alpert’s unit at 2000 South Ocean Blvd., Palm Beach, causing extensive water damage. Alpert claims significant property damage, loss of rental income, and incurred repair expenses. He seeks damages exceeding the court’s jurisdictional limits, attorney fees, and a jury trial. The case is represented by Kenneth E. Zeilberger of Poliakoff Backer LLP.