Michael Carroll News
State representative fires latest legal salvo against Florida high court pick
A state representative who’s trying to overturn the nomination of Judge Renatha Francis to the Florida Supreme Court lacks standing in her lawsuit and misreads clear constitutional wording, Gov. Ron DeSantis said in a Supreme Court filing.
Class action accuses Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line of holding crew members without pay
A Miami law firm has filed a federal class-action lawsuit against the Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line, alleging that the firm coerced crew members on its ships to work without pay and failed to promptly repatriate them to their home countries.
Surveys divided on giving coronavirus legal immunity to Florida businesses
Nearly six in 10 Florida voters oppose guaranteed immunity for corporations and businesses from lawsuits involving COVID-19 infections, according to a poll carried out on behalf of the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Florida presses U.S. Supreme Court for water-sharing decree
In the latest salvo in a two-state water war, Florida filed a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court that forecasts environmental and economic doom unless the court issues a decree capping Georgia’s Apalachicola River water consumption.
Orange County school district sued over COVID-19 reopening plans
The union representing 14,000 local educators is suing Orange County Public Schools and its superintendent to halt the district’s reopening plans, arguing that the current risks of coronavirus outbreaks is too high.
DeSantis remains silent on coronavirus legal liability protections
Florida’s Ron DeSantis opted not to sign a letter bearing the signatures of 21 other Republican governors last month that urged congressional leaders to provide legal liability protections to health care workers, enterprises and schools during the coronavirus pandemic.
11th Circuit judges rebuff moves to disqualify them from felon voting case
Two federal appeals court judges rebuffed calls by 10 Democratic U.S. senators that they recuse themselves from a closely watched case involving felon voting rights in Florida.
Pandemic taking a bite out of Florida court funding
Revenue outlooks for trust funds that help to fund Florida’s judicial system are nearly $50 million below fiscal-year estimates made in December of 2019 as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
278 coronavirus-related lawsuits filed in Florida, law firm reports
Coronavirus-related lawsuits filed in Florida since the beginning of the year now number 278, the third highest litigation count nationwide behind California and New York, according to a tracking system set up by the law firm Hunton Andrews Kurth.
DeSantis' pick for Florida Supreme Court called unqualified in lawsuit
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is standing by his appointment of Palm Beach County Circuit Judge Renatha Francis to the state Supreme Court in the wake of a lawsuit filed by a state lawmaker that challenges Francis’ qualifications for the position.
Florida felons' voting status unclear in the wake of federal court actions
The voting status of hundreds of thousands of Floridians who have served sentences for felony convictions remains uncertain as a result of two recent federal court actions.
Court referee rejects Florida attorney's bid to overturn suspension order
A court referee has rebuffed efforts by Coral Gables attorney Scot Strems to dissolve a suspension order alleging he engaged in a “vast campaign of unprofessional, unethical and fraudulent conduct.”
Jacksonville residents, businesses sue to stop GOP convention
Several Jacksonville residents and business owners are suing to cancel or scale down the scheduled Aug. 24-27 Republican National Convention due to coronavirus health concerns.
Environmental group sues governor over ban on 'rights of nature'
An Orange County environmental group is suing Gov. Ron DeSantis over his signing of a bill that bars local governments from conferring “rights of nature” on waterways and other parts of the natural environment.
Fontainebleau not required to pay for laid-off workers' health care coverage, lawsuit says
Miami’s Fontainebleau Hotel is suing the local hospitality workers union in federal court, arguing that the resort is not required to pay millions of dollars for health care coverage of laid-off employees.
Coronavirus spike forces Florida bar exam to go online
Florida’s planned in-person July 28-29 bar exam has been delayed three weeks and rescheduled in an online format due to rising coronavirus cases in the state.
Appeals court ruling affirms legality of Florida cities' red-light camera operations
Florida cities likely won’t have to pump the brakes on their automated red-light camera operations, thanks to a decision just handed down by the state’s Third District Court of Appeal.
U.S. 11th Circuit panel rejects challenge to Confederate monument relocation
A group that advocates for Southern heritage has vowed to appeal a federal appeals court panel’s decision that rejected arguments challenging the city of Lakeland’s relocation of a Confederate monument.
Local mask laws increase need for liability protection, Florida NFIB warns
As Florida’s local governments increasingly turn to variations of mask ordinances to deal with the coronavirus pandemic, small businesses worry that they’ll be drawn into new legal entanglements.
Amended lawsuit challenges Florida sugar producers' pre-harvest burning; 'Claims misleading,' industry spokesperson says
Plaintiffs’ attorneys have retooled a previous environmental lawsuit targeting the practice of pre-harvest burning by the sugar industry in southern Florida, this time arguing that resulting air pollution also heightens the risk of COVID-19 deaths.