Florida

Disbarred lawyer arrested in Florida after at least 18 months on the lam

A disbarred Georgia lawyer accused of stealing client money was arrested last weekend in Florida after going missing for at least 18 months. Douglas J. Mathis skipped a Georgia court appearance in December 2015 on a theft charge for allegedly transferring client money into his own account, the Florida Times-Union…

Jun 15, 2017 3:56 PM CDT

Legal startup grades lawyers on DUI case success

A Florida criminal defense lawyer and computer programmer has created a website that identifies lawyers who get the best results in cases involving those driving under the influence.

Jun 7, 2017 7:00 AM CDT

Man is jailed for failing to give police a working password to his smartphone

A Florida man accused of child abuse was jailed for failing to give police a working password to his smartphone. Christopher Wheeler, 41, of Hollywood, Florida, was found in contempt of court earlier this month and sentenced to 180 days in jail on Tuesday, report the Miami Herald and the…

May 31, 2017 12:35 PM CDT

This Florida attorney will run 6 marathons in 6 days to raise money for legal aid

Starting this Sunday, a Florida lawyer will run six marathons in six days to raise funds for legal aid. Mike Freed, a business attorney with the law firm Gunster, will be attempting this feat to support Jacksonville Area Legal Aid (JALA). Though funding legal aid is something Freed feels passionate…

May 23, 2017 7:00 AM CDT

Former Foley & Lardner partner is charged with insider trading

Federal prosecutors allege a former Foley & Lardner partner accessed confidential documents on the firm’s computer network to make stock trades that reaped him more than $320,000 in profits. Prosecutors charged 43-year-old Florida lawyer Walter “Chet” Little of Apollo Beach, Florida, along with a neighbor, 49-year-old Andrew Berke, report Reuters,…

May 12, 2017 1:12 PM CDT

Law school leader among four deans dismissed from Florida A&M

The dean of Florida A&M University’s College of Law was dismissed this week after less than 18 months on the job. Angela Feleccia Epps was replaced on an interim basis by LeRoy Pernell, a FAMU law professor who previously served as the school’s dean, the Tallahassee Democrat reports. Epps did…

May 3, 2017 3:41 PM CDT

Bank robber seeks maximum punishment at his favorite federal prison

A 65-year-old bank robber told a federal judge in Florida Thursday that he didn’t like life outside of prison and he wanted the maximum sentence. Chris Peak said he wanted to serve the time at his favorite federal prison and he hoped to die there, the Sun Sentinel reports. Peak…

Apr 7, 2017 12:56 PM CDT

Florida governor pulls 21 more murder cases from state attorney who won’t seek the death penalty

Florida Gov. Rick Scott on Monday removed 21 first-degree murder cases from a state attorney who refuses to seek the death penalty. It’s not the first time that Scott has acted because of his disagreement with Orange-Osceola State Attorney Aramis Ayala, the Orlando Sentinel and the Tampa Bay Times report.…

Apr 4, 2017 9:59 AM CDT

Florida has spent around $250 million on fees for private lawyers since 2011

Florida’s spending on outside law firms working for the state government since 2011, when Gov. Rick Scott took office, including mandatory fees paid to opponents’ private lawyers, exceeded $250 million, though no agency or official keeps a tally of all such spending, the Associated Press reports. More than $237 million…

Mar 13, 2017 11:52 AM CDT

Lawyer’s pants catch fire during arson trial

Stephen Gutierrez’s pants recently caught on fire while he was in court arguing on behalf of a defendant charged with arson. The Miami lawyer blames the unfortunate incident on a faulty e-cigarette battery. According to the Miami Herald, smoke came out of Gutierrez’ pants pocket when he was started closing…

Mar 9, 2017 12:17 PM CST

Ex-judge says Casey Anthony may have accidentally killed her daughter

A former judge who presided over the murder trial of Casey Anthony relates a theory about the death of Anthony’s 2-year-old daughter. Anthony was acquitted of murder, aggravated manslaughter and aggravated child abuse in the 2011 trial. But the former judge, Belvin Perry Jr., says the 2008 death of Caylee…

Mar 2, 2017 10:18 AM CST

Florida lawyer’s firm is dedicated to marine mammals

Natalie Barefoot might be one of the few lawyers who enthusiastically describes her work as fun. As executive director of Cet Law, Barefoot has channeled her passion for cetaceans—which include whales, dolphins and porpoises—into a nonprofit law practice with a mission to advocate on behalf of the mammals and their…

Mar 1, 2017 4:20 AM CST

Former city bar president convicted in $300M web gambling case will get new trial

A former president of the Jacksonville Bar Association in Florida will get a new trial on charges that he masterminded an internet gambling operation for a veterans charity. The Florida Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to review an appeals court decision finding that Kelly Mathis was entitled to a new…

Feb 3, 2017 8:00 AM CST

Trump’s golf club must pay $5.7M to locked-out members, judge rules

Members of a Florida golf club who claimed they were barred from using the facility after Donald Trump purchased it in 2012 are entitled to return of their money, a federal judge has ruled. U.S. District Judge Kenneth Marra ruled Wednesday that the Trump National Golf Club has to pay…

Feb 2, 2017 7:45 AM CST

Timely issues and hot topics when ABA convenes for 2017 midyear meeting in Miami

Miami is just 228 miles away from Havana. When the most tropical city on the U.S. mainland hosts the 2017 ABA Midyear Meeting, scheduled for Feb. 1-7, there will be plenty of buzz about the implications of Fidel Castro’s death and Donald Trump’s rise to the presidency on relations between…

Feb 1, 2017 12:50 AM CST