Florida

Legal quirk lets struggling Florida greyhound tracks boost income with other types of gambling

Florida greyhound track owners can provide activities such as poker or slots as along as they keep running the dogs. Animal advocates and some track owners are looking to have this law scrapped.

Jan 1, 2018 3:20 AM CST

Florida lawyer is accused of recording at least 6 sexual encounters on visits with inmate

A former assistant attorney general in Florida has been accused of taping sexual encounters with an inmate he visited at least six times in an attorney visitation room at the Pinellas County Jail in Clearwater. Police arrested Tampa lawyer Andrew Spark on Sunday as he was about to begin a…

Dec 20, 2017 4:26 PM CST

Top Florida court to decide whether ticket-fighting startup engages in unauthorized law practice

The Florida Supreme Court is being asked to decide whether a ticket-fighting startup is engaged in unauthorized law practice and is misleading consumers.

Dec 20, 2017 7:45 AM CST

Pedestrian tickets lead to hundreds of suspended driver’s licenses

More than half the 2,000 people who received pedestrian tickets in Duval County, Florida, from 2012 to 2016 saw their driver’s licenses suspended or their ability to obtain one limited, according to an analysis by the Florida Times-Union and ProPublica. The tickets, which carry what can seem like a modest…

Dec 15, 2017 7:00 AM CST

Once disbarred for ignoring suspension, lawyer is permanently disbarred for continuing to practice

A Miami Beach, Florida, lawyer who was disbarred for ignoring a suspension, was permanently disbarred after he repeatedly challenged the original disbarment and filed requests to represent people in eight cases.

Dec 6, 2017 8:00 AM CST

Florida Bar says former president can’t represent startup in suit claiming anti-competitive conduct

The Florida Bar argues that a former bar president should be disqualified from representing a Florida startup in its antitrust suit against the bar. The bar filed a disqualification motion Dec. 1 along with a motion seeking dismissal of the suit, the Daily Business Review (sub. req.) reports. TIKD Services,…

Dec 5, 2017 5:04 PM CST

Can lawyers text potential clients?

Recently, a North Carolina ethics opinion explained that attorneys can advertise through a text message service that provides subscribers a choice of whether to initiate live telephone conversations.

Dec 1, 2017 1:10 AM CST

Top Florida court rejects governor’s bid to toss justice from appointments case over ‘crazy’ remark

The Florida Supreme Court on Wednesday turned down a request by the state’s governor to disqualify one of its justices in a judicial appointments case partly because of a remark caught on a live microphone. The court denied the request by Gov. Rick Scott in a one-sentence order (PDF), report…

Nov 30, 2017 2:50 PM CST

Florida governor demands justice’s disqualification for comment caught on live microphone

Lawyers for Florida Gov. Rick Scott are seeking the disqualification of a state supreme court justice in a judicial appointments case partly because of a comment she made on a live microphone after oral arguments. The lawyers contend the Nov. 1 comment by Justice Barbara Pariente raises doubts about her…

Nov 22, 2017 9:59 AM CST

Ticket-fighting startup sues the Florida Bar and a law firm for alleged anti-competitive conduct

A Florida startup that matches drivers with lawyers contends in a federal lawsuit that the Florida Bar and a competitor have launched “a coordinated attack” to drive it out of business.

Nov 13, 2017 8:00 AM CST

City attorney in Florida fears assassination attempt by police, report indicates

The city attorney in Fort Myers, Florida, has told investigators he believes he could be assassinated by members of the city’s police force because he helped expose problems in the department that led to a criminal investigation. City Attorney Grant Alley spoke with investigators looking into allegations that he was…

Nov 8, 2017 11:20 AM CST

Turtles members lose royalty battle in Florida

Florida law doesn’t protect performers seeking compensation for recordings made before 1972, the Florida Supreme Court ruled Thursday.

Oct 27, 2017 1:15 PM CDT

Police bodycams make little impact on use of force, new study says

Police-worn body cameras fall short of their promise, according to a new study. The Lab @ DC, a team of behavioral and data scientists from the office of Washington mayor Muriel Bowser released the results of one of the nation’s largest field studies of the devices. The results suggest “we…

Oct 24, 2017 2:32 PM CDT

2 law firms sanctioned $9.1M for ‘immense waste of judicial resources’ in tobacco litigation

A panel of four federal judges has sanctioned two Florida law firms $9.1 million for filing more than 1,000 baseless claims against tobacco companies accused of hiding the dangers of cigarettes.

Oct 23, 2017 7:00 AM CDT

OJ Simpson’s lawyer uses the B-word and other vulgarity to describe Florida Attorney General Bondi

A lawyer for O.J. Simpson lashed out at Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi on Monday after she opposed the former football star’s move to Florida from Nevada, where he was recently released on parole after serving nine years in prison for armed robbery. Lawyer Malcolm Lavergne said Simpson is “very,…

Oct 2, 2017 3:52 PM CDT