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Daily News Summary

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.

January 17, 2025

  1. The Florida Bar

    EXPERTS DISCUSS IMPACT OF FLORIDA’S SWEEPING CIVIL JUSTICE REFORMS AT PACKED ABOTA FT. LAUDERDALE CLE

    The Florida Bar | Article | January 17, 2025

    A free ABOTA Ft. Lauderdale lunchtime CLE regarding the Supreme Court’s new civil justice reforms nearly crashed the Zoom platform Wednesday [Jan. 15], attracting more than 3,000 concerned judges, lawyers, and paraprofessionals. “Practical Aspects of the New and Revised Florida Rules of Civil Procedure,” featured 17th Judicial Circuit Administrative Judge Carol-Lisa Phillips, veteran West Palm Beach appellate attorney Kara Rockenbach Link, and veteran Palm City civil trial lawyer Paul Regensdorf. ABOTA Ft. Lauderdale President and moderator Tammy Alvarez urged viewers to let colleagues know a recorded version will appear on the group’s website at Abotaftl.org as early as Monday. Regensdorf, a Civil Procedure Rules Committee member, said the rule revisions that took effect January 1 represent the biggest procedural change to Florida’s civil justice system in more than 50 years. The Civil Procedure Rules Committee and the Rules of General Practice and Judicial Administration Committee are weighing more refinements, Regensdorf said, and lawyers should remain alert.

  2. Legal Discipline

    HUSBAND AND WIFE SUSPENDED AS LAWYERS. THE PROBLEM: WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE BABYSITTER

    Miami Herald | Article | January 16, 2025

    Married Florida attorneys Gabriel and Sarah Warren have been disciplined by the Florida Supreme Court over their behavior with their regular babysitter in March 2023. Both have received interim felony suspensions as attorneys from the state Supreme Court after their no contest pleas in Leon County Circuit Court. They were charged with one count each of unlawful use of a two-way wireless communications device to facilitate or further the commission of any felony. The Warrens received 15 days in county jail followed by four years on state probation. According to arrest paperwork, the Warrens returned to their home following a date night in March 2023 and made unwanted sexual advances on their long-term, regular babysitter. The babysitter said when she tried to free herself from the situation, Gabriel, Sarah or both would block her or push her back down to the couch, putting demand force behind their requests.

  3. Judicial Discipline

    BROWARD CIRCUIT JUDGE COULD FACE REPRIMAND FROM FLORIDA SUPREME COURT

    News Service of Florida | Article | January 16, 2025

    Broward County Circuit Judge Stefanie Moon could face a reprimand for actions such as reminding an attorney in court that he had not returned a phone call related to her re-election campaign, according to documents posted Thursday [Jan. 16] on the Florida Supreme Court website. The Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission (JQC) recommended that the Supreme Court reprimand Moon. The JQC cited Moon’s questioning of an attorney during a court hearing about an unreturned voicemail she had left the attorney requesting his help with her re-election campaign, which the JQC said was inappropriate and violated judicial canons. In a separate incident, the commission said Moon violated a judicial canon by contacting a witness in a case appearing before her without disclosing the “ex parte” communication to the parties. Moon reached an agreement with the commission that said she did not dispute the findings of the investigation and accepted the recommended discipline.

  4. United States Supreme Court

    U.S. SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS LAW BANNING TIKTOK IF IT’S NOT SOLD BY ITS CHINESE PARENT COMPANY

    Associated Press | Article | January 17, 2025

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday [Jan. 17] unanimously upheld the federal law banning TikTok beginning Sunday unless it’s sold by its China-based parent company, holding that the risk to national security posed by its ties to China overcomes concerns about limiting speech by the app or its 170 million users in the United States. A sale does not appear imminent and, although experts have said the app will not disappear from existing users’ phones once the law takes effect on Jan. 19, new users won’t be able to download it and updates won’t be available. That will eventually render the app unworkable, the Justice Department has said in court filings.

  5. Other

    WHO IS THE NEW ATTORNEY GENERAL OF FLORIDA? HERE’S WHO WILL REPLACE ASHLEY MOODY

    USA Today Network – Florida | Article | January 16, 2025

    Now that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has selected Attorney General Ashley Moody to replace Marco Rubio in the Senate, the state soon will need a new chief state legal officer. That person will be DeSantis’ chief of staff, James Uthmeier, DeSantis said. His appointment, however, will wait until Moody actually takes office in Washington. Answering questions after a Thursday, Jan. 16, press conference in Orlando, DeSantis said he expected that move will happen Monday afternoon, or soon after Rubio is confirmed by the Senate as President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to be the next U.S. Secretary of State.

  6. Civil Justice

    JUDGE HALTS CHALLENGE TO NEW FLORIDA AGE VERIFICATION LAW. HERE’S THE LATEST

    News Service of Florida | Article | January 16, 2025

    With the U.S. Supreme Court considering a similar Texas case, Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker a federal judge Thursday [Jan. 16] put on hold a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of a new Florida law requiring age verification for access to websites with adult content. The decision means the Florida law will remain in effect in the coming months as the Supreme Court weighs the Texas case. The Supreme Court heard arguments Wednesday in the Texas case, which is known as Free Speech Coalition, Inc. v. Paxton, and Judge Walker said in a five-page order that the outcome likely will affect key issues in the Florida lawsuit. The Free Speech Coalition, an adult-industry organization, is leading challenges to both laws, arguing, in part, that they violate the First Amendment.

  7. Criminal Justice Issues

    REPORT: FLORIDA LEADS NATION IN LIFE SENTENCES WITHOUT PAROLE AS ADVOCATES PUSH FOR REFORMS

    Public News Service | Article | January 16, 2025

    Florida holds the highest number of people serving life sentences without parole in the country, with nearly 11,000 individuals behind bars indefinitely. Advocates are now raising concerns about the state’s reliance on extreme sentencing practices. A new report from The Sentencing Project calls for legislative reforms to reduce the use of life sentences. Celeste Barry, report co-author, said nearly three-quarters of those serving life sentences in Florida have no chance for parole. “The numbers in Florida grew from 2020 to 2024. We’re hoping to see an expansion of the reforms that we’re seeing in some other states, such as the Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act,” she explained. That’s in Oklahoma, where incarcerated individuals can seek reduced sentences by proving that abuse played a role in their crime. Barry also advocates for relief for individuals younger than 25 during their offenses.

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