Michael Carroll News
Judge temporarily bars Florida officials from restricting high school teacher's pronoun use
A federal judge has sided with a Hillsborough County transgender high school teacher by barring Florida education officials from enforcing a section of a state parental rights law on pronoun use against the teacher.
Massachusetts federal judge releases DeSantis from lawsuit over 2022 migrant flight
A Massachusetts federal judge has dismissed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and several other Florida defendants from a lawsuit filed on behalf of immigrants who were flown to Martha’s Vineyard in an immigrant-relocation program funded by the state.
North Carolina judge rejects FSU's bid to dismiss lawsuit aimed at validating ACC agreements
Dueling lawsuits related to Florida State University’s quest to leave the Atlantic Coast Conference to seek more lucrative sports deals are continuing on separate legal tracks in two states.
Social media firms brace for lawsuits after Florida enacts law banning kids from platforms
Gov. Ron DeSantis’ decision to sign legislation that bans children under 14 years old from social media platforms – and puts in place new online restrictions on 14- to 15-year-olds – may spark litigation over the new law, critics say.
Florida high court allows state abortion-rights initiative to go on November ballot
A constitutional amendment limiting government interference with the practice of abortion will go before state voters this fall as a result of a 4-3 Florida Supreme Court decision approving the measure’s ballot wording.
DeSantis appointees, Disney settle state lawsuits over governing board actions
Walt Disney Parks and Resorts and its Florida oversight board have agreed to a settlement that ends state litigation filed by the parties over governance and development of the company's Orlando-area theme parks.
Suspended Florida attorney who filed over 3,000 tobacco industry claims loses bid for reinstatement
The Florida Supreme Court has declined to reinstate an attorney who was suspended in 2022 for filing more than 3,000 claims from smokers against tobacco firms without properly investigating the cases.
Florida driver sues General Motors, alleging his driving data was illegally shared with insurer
A Palm Beach County driver is suing General Motors, OnStar LLC and LexisNexis Risk Solutions Inc. in federal court, alleging that his auto insurance costs soared after the defendants shared his driving data without his permission.
Gambling firms challenging Seminole Tribe gaming compact lose round before state's high court
The Florida Supreme Court has rejected a petition by parties involved in the gaming industry that challenges the state`s multibillion-dollar compact with the Seminole Tribe, citing procedural grounds to deny the motion.
Florida blocked from enforcing its restrictions on 'woke' workplace training
A federal appeals court has blocked a provision of a new Florida law barring employers from holding mandatory workplace training sessions that embrace race, sex and equity concepts the state deemed offensive.
Parties reach settlement in lawsuit over Florida law restricting instruction about gender issues in schools
Plaintiffs and Florida education officials have agreed to a settlement in the litigation over the 2022 Parental Rights in Education Act, which the Governor’s Office said aimed to keep “radical gender and sexual ideology” out of young children’s classrooms.
Litigation financing transparency bill fails to pass Florida Legislature
Tort reform supporters are expressing disappointment over the failure of the Florida Legislature to pass a bill that would have shed more light on third-party litigation financing agreements and their potential relationships with foreign entities.
Florida lawmakers stop short of passing bill that would have made it harder to sue businesses that pollute
This year’s Florida legislative session ended on Friday with lawmakers declining to pass a bill that would have restricted lawsuits seeking economic damages or damages for personal injuries under the provisions of a state water-quality law.
Florida local government officials sue to overturn new financial disclosure law
Scores of elected local government officials in Florida are suing members of the state Commission on Ethics in a bid to block stricter financial disclosure rules that the officials say would impair their privacy rights under the state’s constitution.
Federal judge sides with Florida over legality of 2021 election law after being reversed by appeals court
Federal District Judge Mark Walker has effectively ended efforts by voting rights groups to overturn parts of a 2021 Florida election law after an appeals court rejected Walker’s previous decision concluding the law violated the rights of Black voters.
Florida woman's death after colon cancer surgery prompts lawsuit over robotic medical device
A Florida man whose wife died after undergoing colon cancer surgery using a multi-armed, remote-controlled robotic device is suing the manufacturer, alleging that the California-based company designed and marketed a defective and dangerous product.
Appeals court blocks Florida from enforcing property restrictions against 2 Chinese citizens
Two plaintiffs who are challenging the constitutionality of a Florida law that restricts Chinese citizens from owning property in the state won a temporary injunction earlier this month barring state officials from enforcing the law against them.
New kind of patent lawsuits soaring in Southern District of Florida, new analysis finds
Federal patent-infringement lawsuits aimed at defendants whose identities are kept hidden have shot up 167% from 2022 to 2023 in the Southern District of Florida, raising due-process concerns for the businesses and individuals affected by such filings.
Florida lawmakers table plan to use public funds to help pay for Trump's legal bills
A proposal that would allow Florida officials to provide up to $5 million in public funds to former President Donald Trump to help finance his legal bills has been sidelined in the current legislative session.
Florida lawmakers propose banning youth under 16 from social media
The Florida House of Representatives recently passed a measure barring minors under 16 years of age from having social media accounts, but a tech industry association predicts the bill would face litigation if signed into law.