Florida

Hassled Homeless Men Get TRO Against Chainsaw-Wielding Tormentor

Fort Lauderdale homeless men have joined forces to get a restraining order against a city resident who they say has been harassing them and encouraging vigilantism. The resident is accused of targeting the men by affixing “wanted posters” to walls of local shops and on street corners, the Miami Herald…

Apr 8, 2008 5:10 PM CDT

Online Music Store Agrees Not to Sell Early Beatles Tape Pending Decision

An online music store has agreed to an injunction barring it from selling an early recording of a Beatles performance featuring then-new drummer Ringo Starr pending resolution of a lawsuit filed by Apple Corps Ltd., the Beatles record label. Michael Joblove, the lawyer for online music company Fuego Entertainment Inc.,…

Apr 7, 2008 7:22 PM CDT

Einstein’s Notes Sued for Publishing Prof’s Practice Questions, Lecture Notes

A lawsuit filed in a Florida federal court contends Einstein’s Notes committed copyright violations by publishing lecture notes and practice questions from a University of Florida professor. The suit (PDF) contends professor Michael Moulton took notes during his own lectures on wildlife issues in the new millennium, obtained a copyright…

Apr 7, 2008 1:04 PM CDT

Fla. Can Bar Allstate From New Biz Unless it Reveals Rate Info, Court Says

A Florida appeals court ruled today that state insurance regulators have the authority to suspend Allstate from writing new policies because the insurance giant has failed to comply with subpoenas about their rates. The state’s Office of Insurance Regulation is seeking pricing information from the Illinois-based Allstate Corp. Florida wants…

Apr 4, 2008 9:34 PM CDT

Judge Allows Lawyer to Collect $1M Fee Despite Law License Snafu

A Florida judge has ruled that a solo practitioner should be able to collect a $1 million fee for helping a wealthy widow obtain a probate settlement of more than $31 million, even though the lawyer wasn’t authorized to practice in the state. Despite the favorable ruling, solo William West…

Apr 2, 2008 4:31 PM CDT

So. Fla. Judge Barred From Courthouse Calls it Quits

Updated: A Broward County, Fla., judge abruptly resigned Monday after the chief judge inexplicably barred him from the courthouse. The Miami Herald reports that Chief Judge Victor Tobin had reassigned Judge Jay Spechler last week. Spechler, a former administrative chief of the county court, was handling traffic and parking matters…

Apr 1, 2008 9:52 PM CDT

‘Assembly Line’ Justice: Business Is Booming for So-Called Foreclosure Mills

The subprime mortgage crisis has been good news for the law firms sometimes known as “foreclosure mills.” Florida law firms that focus on foreclosure work are ramping up their hiring to cope with the big boom in business, the Tampa Tribune reports. In February alone, one law firm, the Florida…

Apr 1, 2008 4:48 PM CDT

Retired Lawyer, Worried About Mental Decline, Asks Court to Approve Suicide

A retired lawyer in Florida has filed suit asking a court to allow his doctor to assist his suicide when he reaches the point of mental incapacity. James Mahorner, 76, says small strokes are attacking his brain, and he wants to establish a right to die while he is still…

Apr 1, 2008 12:09 PM CDT

DOJ Considers Dropping Charges Against Defense Lawyer

The Justice Department is considering whether to drop charges against a prominent Miami defense lawyer accused of laundering money by accepting fees from drug dealers. A government motion (PDF) filed Monday says a new lead prosecutor is now handling the controversial case against Ben Kuehne and is undertaking a review…

Mar 28, 2008 11:51 AM CDT

‘Girls Gone Wild’ Founder Claims Judge Retaliated for Impeachment Effort

Raunchy-video king Joe Francis claims a federal judge is retaliating against him for looking into the possibility of impeachment. Francis, the founder of “Girls Gone Wild,” claims he is being targeted by U.S. District Judge Richard Smoak, the Associated Press reports. The judge oversaw a civil case filed by women…

Mar 26, 2008 1:46 PM CDT

Defense Cries Foul in Miami Attorney’s Money-Laundering Legal Fees Case

In a repeat of abuses that led Congress to enact a special legislative exemption for defense lawyers a decade ago, over-aggressive federal prosecutors are pursuing a respected Miami attorney for, essentially, representing a criminal client, his counsel contends. Attorney Ben Kuehne concluded in good faith that the $5.3 million he…

Mar 25, 2008 6:46 PM CDT

Fla. Court Responds to ‘Make My Day’ Invitation, Sanctions Lawyer

The Florida Supreme Court has sanctioned anti-pornography lawyer Jack Thompson for court filings that are “rambling, argumentative, and contemptuous.” The court, in an order (PDF) issued yesterday, required Thompson to retain qualified counsel and refused to accept any more filings from him without the signature of another Florida lawyer, the…

Mar 21, 2008 1:33 PM CDT

Zuckerman Spaeder Closes Miami Office After Partner Losses

Zuckerman Spaeder has decided to close its Miami office after four out of five partners there jumped to Carlton Fields. The decision was announced in a press release, the Daily Business Review reports. The lawyers who will be joining Carlton Fields are managing partner Walter Tache; partners Michael Pasano, Stephen…

Mar 20, 2008 4:05 PM CDT

Heir Sues Fla. City Over 147-Year-Old Promissory Note, Claiming $22.7M Due

In 1861, during the early years of the Civil War, the city of Tampa, Fla., apparently ran short of cash. So officials borrowed the then-significant sum of $299.58 from storekeeper Thomas Pugh Kennedy, giving him a promissory note in return. Now, 147 years later, Kennedy’s great-granddaughter, Joan Kennedy Biddle, 77,…

Mar 19, 2008 11:15 PM CDT

Cruise Line’s Suit Says Lawyer Should Give Up $1M in Fees

Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines claims in a lawsuit that Miami lawyer Jay Wingate should give up about $1 million in attorney fees earned in worker-injury settlements based on confidential company information. The cruise line claims investigators for Wingate’s firm paid a claims adjuster to disclose the amount of money Royal…

Mar 19, 2008 2:05 PM CDT