Michael Carroll News
Florida school districts appeal opinion affirming parental choice in student mask wearing
Several Florida school districts are appealing an administrative law judge’s decision upholding the state Department of Health’s rule that allows parents to send their children to school without masks intended to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Florida petitions 11th Circuit to stop OSHA's private-sector vaccine mandate
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody has petitioned a federal appeals court to stop the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) from requiring private employees to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
Professors file federal lawsuit over University of Florida's policy on faculty's outside activities
Three University of Florida political science professors have filed a federal lawsuit challenging a university policy that allowed administrators to initially bar the plaintiffs from testifying against the state’s new voting rights law.
Senator will push for more property insurance reforms in coming Florida legislative session
State Sen. Jim Boyd (R-Brandenton) is vowing to push for further property insurance reforms in Florida in the next legislative session after a federal court issued a preliminary injunction against part of an insurance bill signed into law this year.
Florida files lawsuit challenging federal vaccine mandate for contractor workforce
Florida last week filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for millions of employees who work for federal government contractors, calling the federal plan an unlawful application of administrative law.
UF bars three professors from being paid expert witnesses in election law challenge
Three University of Florida professors have secured legal counsel in the wake of the university’s decision to deny their requests to act as paid expert witnesses in a lawsuit challenging the state’s new voting rights law.
Pensacola jury in military earplugs trial finds 3M not liable for veteran's injuries
A Pensacola jury last week found that 3M Corp. bears no liability in the case of a U.S. Army veteran who alleged that the company’s military earplugs caused her hearing loss and tinnitus.
State attorney general backs first-responders fighting Orange County vaccine mandate
The Florida attorney general has sided with first-responders in Orange County who filed a lawsuit this month challenging a local policy that requires county employees to get the COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of employment.
Jury sides with Pembroke Pines in dispute over cancellation of detention facility
A Broward County jury sided with the city of Pembroke Pines in its decade-long legal battle with the town of Southwest Ranches over the town’s allegation that city torpedoed plans for a federal immigration detention facility to be built in the town.
Florida lawmakers want redistricting records subject to open-records statutes
In a bid to head off any potential partisan gerrymandering, two state lawmakers have introduced legislation that would broaden Florida’s open-records laws to cover lawmakers’ records and communications relating to redistricting.
Palm Beach judge dismisses COVID-19 patient's petition to get ivermectin
A Palm Beach circuit judge has denied a seriously ill COVID-19 patient’s request for a court order to obtain the drug ivermectin, but her husband’s attorney has vowed to appeal the case.
Florida's high court pulls the plug on traffic-ticket app
In a 4-3 decision, the Florida Supreme Court concluded a company that operated an app which connected traffic ticket defendants to attorneys had engaged in an unauthorized practice of law.
Florida officials look toward codifying governor's orders on mask, vaccine mandates
If Gov. Ron DeSantis gets his way, a key part of the 2022 Florida legislative session will involve putting his executive orders banning local mask and vaccine mandates into law.
Florida insurers score assignment-of-benefits wins in appeals courts
Florida property insurers won a pair of recent appeals court decisions that found the companies didn’t have to pay policy benefits to third-party contractors, offering some good news for an industry that suffered $1.5 billion in losses last year.
Judicial panel calls for expansion of appellate court districts in Florida
A judicial panel has recommended expanding the number of appellate court districts in Florida from five to six as a way to improve public perceptions of the judiciary and encourage more diversity on the bench.
Florida judge gives green light to lawsuit alleging Zantac products contained carcinogens
A federal judge in Florida has turned down a motion by several drug makers to dismiss a class action alleging that plaintiffs consumed doses of the heartburn drug Zantac containing cancer-causing impurities.
Local governments spar over city of Port St. Lucie's developer fee system
St. Lucie County officials are hoping to avoid litigation with the city of Port St. Lucie over a new plan to impose developer fees to offset the transportation effects of regional growth.
Voter-approved minimum wage hike seen as potential job killer in Florida
Florida’s minimum wage rose to $10 per hour Sept. 30 as provisions of last year’s minimum-wage initiative began to kick in, prompting business groups to warn that small firms would likely try to get by with fewer employees.
Trump files motion in federal court to reinstate his Twitter account
Former President Donald Trump has filed a motion in a Florida federal court for an injunction directing Twitter to reinstate his social media account after it was suspended in the wake of the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Federal judge backs City of South Miami, blocks ban on sanctuary policies
A federal judge has blocked enforcement of key components of a 2019 Florida law that required state and local government agencies to cooperate with federal immigration officials and not to enact sanctuary policies.