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.
November 04, 2024
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The Florida Bar
PUSH FOR INSURANCE LAW CERTIFICATION GAINS MOMENTUM
The Florida Bar | Article | November 04, 2024
Sponsors hope the three major hurricanes this year will help convince the Board of Legal Specialization and Education to approve an “Insurance Coverage Law” board certification program when it meets November 8. “I am very optimistic that the full BLSE will agree that there is a void in current Florida Bar board certifications when it comes to insurance,” said Tampa attorney Debbie Crockett. “That void can only be filled by the creation of the Insurance Coverage Law board certification.” Crockett, a member of Cheffy Passidomo’s litigation department for the past decade, heads a Real Property, Probate & Trust Law panel that filed the proposal in late August, after Hurricane Debby. Crockett and three colleagues, Mark Boyle, Reed Grimm, and Scott Pence presented the proposal to the BLSE Standards Subcommittee last week.
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Legal Discipline
FIVE LAWYERS DISCIPLINED BY FLORIDA HIGH COURT
Daily Business Review | Article | November 01, 2024
The Florida Supreme Court disciplined five attorneys, including one who lied in court about receiving a coronavirus vaccine, with punishments that included suspension, emergency suspension, and public reprimand. Marc Evan Brown of Fort Lauderdale received an emergency suspension following an Oct. 1 court order. He misappropriated at least $40,000 that he received to represent a client who was the lien holder in a foreclosure matter. He misled the client about its status to the client regarding the status of the interpleader and failed to produce all required subpoenaed trust records and procedures. Joseph P. George of Miami was suspended for three years, effective 30 days following an Oct. 10 court order. While he was a representative for an elderly couple with cognitive disabilities, he named himself as the sole beneficiary of the couple’s investment joint bank account. George was discharged by the court and the beneficiary designation was ultimately revoked.
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Judiciary
FLORIDA JUDGE THREATENED WITH ASSAULT, KIDNAPPING AND DEATH
Daily Business Review | Article | November 01, 2024
On Wednesday [Oct. 30] , during an initial hearing in Miami, after being transferred from Illinois, Eric James Rennert was detained on charges he threatened a federal judge in the Southern District of Florida. Prosecutors did not disclose the judge’s identity, other than stating the jurist presides in St. Lucie County. On Oct. 3, a federal grand jury indicted Rennert for allegedly threatening to assault, kidnap, and kill a judge and the jurist’s family. According to allegations in the six-count indictment, Rennert, transmitted threats to kidnap and injure a U.S. judge and the family of the federal judge.
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Civil Justice
REVAMPED LAWSUIT CHALLENGES FLORIDA’S SOCIAL MEDIA TECH LAW
News Service of Florida | Article | November 01, 2024
Four months after the U.S. Supreme Court sent the case back for further consideration, industry groups NetChoice and the Computer & Communications Industry Association on Friday [Nov. 1] filed an amended lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of a 2021 Florida law that placed restrictions on social-media platforms. In the revamped lawsuit, attorneys for the groups argued social-media sites undertake efforts “to keep out potentially harmful, offensive, and unlawful material — including terrorist propaganda, child sexual abuse material, fraudulent schemes, and bullying” to try to keep the internet safe. “Florida might disagree with some of those decisions. But the First Amendment does not permit it to ‘control the expression of ideas, promoting those it favors and suppressing those it does not,’” lawyers for the groups wrote, pointing to the Supreme Court ruling.
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Criminal Justice Issues
PRISONERS PLEAD FOR AIR CONDITIONING IN LAWSUIT AGAINST FLORIDA CORRECTIONS DEPARTMENT
Associated Press | Article | November 01, 2024
A federal class-action lawsuit filed last week by the prison reform advocacy group Florida Justice Institute says that heat at the Dade Correctional Institution has contributed to the deaths of four people there and that prison officials have failed to take “meaningful action” to mitigate the risk posed to the older and disabled inmates in their care. The lawsuit, which names the Florida Department of Corrections, the secretary of the department and the warden of Dade Correctional as defendants, argues that the conditions violate the protections of the Eighth Amendment, which bar cruel and unusual punishment, as well as the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act. The majority of incarcerated individuals in Florida are serving their sentences in cells that don’t have air conditioning, even as the state’s rising temperatures continue to break records.
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Legal Aid
FLORIDA GUARDIAN AD LITEM PROGRAM CHAMPIONS USE PERSONAL EXPERIENCES FOR ADVOCACY
CBS 12 News | Article | November 01, 2024
When a child is in the dependency court system due to abuse, neglect, or abandonment, their Guardian ad Litem is there to advocate in their best interest. The Florida Statewide Guardian ad Litem Office relies on the lived experiences of young adults who grew up in care to be “champions” and to lead the conversation to better focus on child advocacy’s best practices. One champion, Ethan Duross, relied on the guidance of his Guardian ad Litem while growing up in care and he now speaks out about what he went through so that the path can be better for others in the system. Another effort that has picked up momentum is finding mentors for teenagers. Almost one thousand teens have already been paired with mentors, but many are still in need. To learn more about the statewide guardian ad litem program visit guardianadlitem.org.