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.
March 04, 2026
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The Florida Bar
THE FLORIDA BAR AND THE BIRTH OF THE DISTRICT COURTS OF APPEAL
The Florida Bar | Article | March 04, 2026
As The Florida Bar marks its 75th year, the News is revisiting pivotal moments that helped define the profession Florida lawyers know today. Few reforms reshaped Florida’s judicial system more profoundly than the 1956 creation of the District Courts of Appeal. By the mid-1950s, Florida’s rapid growth had overwhelmed the state’s appellate structure. The Supreme Court in Tallahassee faced mounting backlogs, and concerns about cost and delay in obtaining justice were increasingly voiced by lawyers and lay leaders alike. The solution would come in the form of Constitutional Amendment No. 1 — a sweeping revision of Article V that proposed creating three regional appellate courts to relieve the logjam. The campaign to modernize the courts was led in large measure by the Bar. Then-President J. Lance Lazonby urged lawyers to embrace their ethical duty not only to improve the law, but to strengthen the administration of justice.
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Judiciary
DESANTIS PROMOTES POLK JUDGE TO CIRCUIT COURT, NAMES NEW COUNTY JUDGE
Lakeland Ledger | Article | March 04, 2026
Gov. Ron DeSantis has promoted Polk County Judge Rachelle Williamson of Winter Haven to serve on the Circuit Court for the 10th Judicial Circuit. Williamson’s appointment fills a vacancy created by an act of the Florida Legislature. She was first appointed to the bench in 2024, and she previously served as an assistant state attorney in the 10th Judicial Circuit. DeSantis also appointed Sarah Corbett of Lakeland to a position as a judge on the Polk County Court. Corbett has served since 2022 as director of central staff for the Sixth District Court of Appeal, based in Lakeland. She was previously a senior staff attorney for the Second District Court of Appeal.
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Civil Justice Legislature
SENATOR HOPES CHAMBERS CAN COME TOGETHER ON SOVEREIGN IMMUNITY CHANGES
Florida Phoenix | Article | March 03, 2026
Florida Sen. Jason Brodeur said Tuesday [March 3] that he hopes the House and Senate can come together in what’s left of the 2026 session to increase payouts to people injured by the government. As amended, Brodeur’s bill, SB 1336, would waive the state’s sovereign immunity for negligence claims against agencies and local governments up to $350,000 for single injuries and $500,000 per incident. While the caps are the highest the Senate has considered this session, they remain substantially lower than what the House has proposed in HB 145. That bill, which passed the House Jan. 15 by a 104-7 vote, increases the caps to $500,000 for single injuries and $1 million per incident for claims that occur between Oct. 1 this year and Sept. 30, 2031. After five years, the House bill would increase the caps to $600,000 and $1.2 million, respectively.
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Criminal Justice Legislature
HOUSE APPROVES BILL INCREASING PENALTIES FOR CHILD SEXUAL PREDATORS
Florida Politics | Article | March 03, 2026
The Florida House has unanimously passed a measure designed to increase prison sentences for child sex offenders. The bill (HB 1159) sponsored by Rep. Berny Jacques, a Seminole Republican, increases mandatory sentences for those committing crimes against children. Repeat offenders will see minimum sentences increased from 10 years in prison to 15. Sentences for sexual performance with a child would jump from 20 years in prison to 30. And those convicted of buying or selling children would see minimum sentences increased from 20 years to 30. The measure also covers offenders who possess pornographic images of children under 12 years old involving “sadomasochistic abuse” of a child, “sexual battery” or “sexual bestiality” involving a child, or any film, video or computer-generated images involving children. A similar bill (SB 1750) is set to be reviewed on the floor of the Senate.
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Criminal Justice United States Supreme Court
RIGHT TO APPEAL CONVICTIONS FOR ILLEGAL SENTENCES GETS SUPREME COURT HEARING
Miami Herald | Article | March 03, 2026
The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday [March 3] on what limitations should exist for defendants who waive their right to appeal if their sentence would otherwise be deemed illegal. Courts generally uphold two exceptions to appellate waivers: either the defendant claims ineffective assistance of counsel or the sentence exceeds the statutory maximum. The outcome of Hunter vs. U.S., for which the high court heard arguments, will determine if defendants should have more flexibility to appeal unreasonable sentences even if they had previously waived that right. The case stemmed from Munson P. Hunter III pleading guilty to aiding and abetting wire fraud in 2024. As part of the deal, Hunter waived his right to appeal the sentence, which is common. During sentencing, the court ordered Hunter to take mental health medication while in supervised release. Hunter objected to this mandate, but the court rejected his arguments.
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Legal Education
U.S. FOLLOWS FLORIDA EVALUATING LAW SCHOOL ACCREDITATION
Jacksonville Daily Record | Article | March 04, 2026
The Florida Supreme Court on Jan. 15, based on a workgroup’s report, amended its Rule of the Supreme Court Relating to Admissions to the Bar to end the rule’s reliance on the American Bar Association as the sole accrediting agency for law schools whose graduates are eligible to sit for Florida’s General Bar Examination. Now, about six weeks later, a similar evaluation is underway on a larger scale. The Conference of Chief Justices and the Conference of State Court Administrators have established a joint working group to examine law school accreditation and its role in Bar admission requirements nationwide. The creation of the new working group derives from one of the nine initial recommendations proposed by Committee on Legal Education and Admissions Reform (CLEAR), a standing committee of both conferences, in July 2025. They will submit a draft report of findings and recommendations to the CLEAR committee no later than December 2026.