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 06, 2024
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The Florida Bar
FLORIDA VOTERS RETAIN SUPREME COURT JUSTICES AND 23 APPELLATE JUDGES IN NOVEMBER 5 ELECTION
The Florida Bar | Article | November 06, 2024
Voters retained Supreme Court Justices Renatha Francis and Meredith Sasso and 23 district court of appeal judges up for retention on the November 5 general election ballot and they also settled contests in three circuit and eight county court judicial races. Voting in the district court of appeal retention races followed the pattern of recent elections. All the judges were retained by comfortable margins. All results are based on unofficial results from the Secretary of State’s website for the circuit court races and from individual supervisor of elections’ websites for county court contests.
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Civil Justice
FLORIDA COURT’S REVERSAL OF ATTORNEY FEES TRIGGERED BY CLIENT’S DEATH
Daily Business Review | Article | November 04, 2024
Florida’s Second District Court of Appeal reversed a trial court’s award of attorney fees because, upon the death of a party, “there was no longer a proper party having entitlement to the award of attorney’s fees before the court.” Jason Giller, a partner at Giller in Miami and an independent attorney fees expert, said about the rare ruling, “If a party passes away during litigation, a suggestion of death must be filed.” In 2018, John Wheeler and his ex-wife filed a civil action against their daughter, Jennifer Dovey, seeking to partition and sell jointly owned real property. The trial court granted Dovey’s motion for summary judgment and awarded her entitlement to the reimbursement of her attorney fees. However, before the issue was resolved, Wheeler alleged that Dovey died and filed a notice of voluntary dismissal. Yet, counsel for Dovey proceeded with the claim for reimbursement of attorney fees.
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Judiciary
JUDGE MATTHEW FOXMAN RESIGNING TO FOCUS ON HIS HEALTH
Jacksonville Daily Record | Article | November 05, 2024
The 7th Judicial Circuit announced Nov. 5 that Circuit Judge Matthew Foxman will resign and retire effective Nov. 29 to focus on his health. The 7th Judicial Circuit encompasses Flagler, Putnam, St. Johns and Volusia counties. “Judge Foxman has been a great friend to me personally and to many of my colleagues on the bench,” Chief Judge Leah Case said in a news release. Judge Foxman was admitted to The Florida Bar in 1999 and elected to a circuit judgeship in 2010. He was reelected in 2016 and 2022 without opposition. Foxman served in the Family Law and Felony divisions in Volusia and Flagler counties. Before joining the court, Foxman was an assistant state attorney. Foxman’s seat will be filled by gubernatorial appointment.
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Legal Aid
FREE POST-DISASTER LEGAL CLINIC IN FORT MYERS
ABC 7 News | Article | November 05, 2024
The Lee County Legal Aid Society will host a free clinic on Wednesday, Nov. 13, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. to help seniors by providing free limited legal advice. The clinic will take place in the Fort Myers Regional Library meeting room, where a panel of local attorneys will discuss some of the legal issues around post-disaster insurance claims and contractor fraud. The 30-minute presentation will be followed by an audience question-and-answer session and then 20-minute individual appointments on any legal issue. Registration is required for the clinic. To register, email [email protected] with contact information, a brief description of the legal advice being sought, and any relevant documents.