Michael Carroll News
Florida attorney general sues vaping firm, alleging products were marketed to children
Florida’s attorney general is suing Juul Labs in state court, alleging that the electronic cigarette company has been illegally targeting children in its marketing campaigns to the point that Florida is now in the midst of an “underaged vaping epidemic.”
Florida attorney general sues Biden administration over potential loss of transit funds
Florida is suing multiple Biden administration officials, alleging they are threatening to withhold hundreds of millions in federal transportation dollars unless the state waives provisions of a new Florida law restricting collective bargaining rights.
Florida company sues X Corp., formerly Twitter, over alleged trademark violation
A Florida company has filed a federal lawsuit against billionaire Elon Musk’s X Corp., formerly Twitter Inc., alleging that its use of the “X” name infringes on X Social Media LLC’s trademark and violates Florida’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act.
U.S. Supreme Court places temporary hold on Seminole Tribe's Florida gaming deal
Chief Justice John Roberts has temporarily placed a hold on a lower court ruling affirming the legality of the multibillion-dollar gaming agreement between the Seminole Tribe and the state of Florida.
Proposal to consolidate Florida circuit courts draws opposition
State justice system stakeholders in recent weeks have become more vocal in their criticism of a proposal to consolidate Florida’s system of circuit courts, which often serve as the entry point for civil litigation and criminal prosecutions.
Federal appeals court urged to block Florida law restricting Chinese nationals from owning property
Several Chinese citizens and a real estate brokerage are appealing a federal district judge’s decision not to issue a preliminary injunction against a new Florida law restricting people from China from owning property in the state.
Appeals court affirms injunction blocking Florida law that bans children from attending drag shows
A Florida law that bars children from attending drag shows depicting simulated nudity or certain sexual activities remains unenforceable as a result of a federal appeals court decision handed down earlier this month.
Lawsuit filed on behalf of Moms for Liberty accuses federal agencies of refusing records requests
A federal lawsuit filed on behalf of Florida-based Moms for Liberty accuses the Biden administration of not responding to records requests about whether agencies are monitoring the parental rights organization after it was designated an “extremist” group.
U.S. Supreme Court to review Florida law limiting social media companies' ability to moderate content
The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear arguments on whether a 2021 Florida law that limits social media companies’ ability to moderate and edit content on their platforms violates the First Amendment.
Judge dismisses lawsuit filed by Florida churches seeking to split from United Methodist Church
A state circuit judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by scores of United Methodist churches in Florida seeking to separate from the larger network of places of worship that make up the United Methodist Church.
Disney sues DeSantis, other officials for 'retaliation,' violations of constitutional rights
Disney World on Wednesday filed a federal lawsuit against Gov. Ron DeSantis and other state and local officials for allegedly engaging in “a relentless campaign to weaponize government power against Disney in retaliation for expressing a political viewpoint.”
Florida Senate passes bill allowing cities to recover attorney costs in lawsuits over local development plans
A bill that would allow prevailing parties to recover attorney fees and court costs in lawsuits challenging certain local government development plans cleared the state Senate this week despite concerns raised by environmental groups.
Florida bill to stop lawyers from exploiting auto glass law passes state Senate
A Florida Senate on Wednesday approved a bill designed to reduce abusive auto-glass claims lawsuits and protect consumers from substandard repairs.
New Florida court filings soared to 280,122 in March in runup to signing of tort reforms
A record number of civil cases – 280,122 – were filed in Florida courts in March during the runup to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ decision to sign a comprehensive tort-reform measure, according to a new tally of civil lawsuits.
Florida attorney general sues activists who allegedly vandalized crisis pregnancy centers
Two federal lawsuits have been filed against a pair of abortion-rights activists accused of being part of a shadowy group called Jane’s Revenge, vandalizing Florida pregnancy crisis centers and intimidating medical staffs.
Governor orders probe into whether Disney 'usurped' special district's powers
Gov. Ron DeSantis has ordered Florida’s chief inspector general to investigate whether a now-defunct board controlled by the Walt Disney Co. broke any laws by transferring key regulatory powers over to Disney.
Bill to restrict 'over-the-top' legal ads advances in Florida Legislature
A Florida Senate bill would place new restrictions on certain attorney advertisements that critics say can encourage consumers to discontinue their medications and cause lawyers to pocket higher contingency fees.
Florida Supreme Court justice steps down, takes new job with Citizens Insurance
Florida Supreme Court Justice Ricky Polston, who announced his resignation from the bench last week, will become the new general counsel and chief legal officer of the state-run Citizens Property Insurance Corp.
Tens of thousands of civil suits flooded Florida courts just before tort reforms took effect
Plaintiffs’ attorneys have been filing tens of thousands of civil lawsuits more than usual in the runup to the signing of a comprehensive tort reform bill by Gov. Ron DeSantis, according to multiple court system observers.
Florida's senior living facilities have 2nd highest legal claims rate in U.S., study finds
Florida’s senior living facilities recorded the second highest average claims losses among the 50 states in 2022, amounting to $1,250 per occupied residential unit, according to a new study from the insurance services company WTW.