Florida

SwingFest in Full Swing in Fla., Despite Police Encounters of ‘99

There are two rules at this year’s SwingFest: no public nudity at the hotel pool, and no hitting on hotel staff. But because of the failure of two 1999 raids on South Florida clubs (there were 55 arrests and no convictions), no one is worried about similar enforcement efforts at…

Aug 1, 2008 6:12 PM CDT

Akerman Partner Dies Trying to Save Wife in River Accident

A partner at Akerman Senterfitt in Miami died during a Colorado vacation when he tried to rescue his wife after she slipped on wet rock and fell into a river. Lawyer Steven Chaykin, 57, was a former federal prosecutor in the law firm’s white-collar criminal and government investigations group. As…

Aug 1, 2008 12:29 PM CDT

Lawyer Willie Gary Fights Rape Claim With Sex Tapes of Accuser

Florida trial lawyer Willie Gary has submitted two tapes to a court overseeing a civil suit alleging he raped a woman. The two DVDs show his accuser having sex with his son. Gary’s lawyer, Michael Pike, says the tapes show the accuser, Jillian Nedd, had sex with Gary’s son Kenneth…

Jul 31, 2008 2:03 PM CDT

Willie Gary Gives Up Dream of $10B in Damages in Motorola Suit

Trial lawyer Willie Gary had sought $10 billion in a suit that claimed Motorola stole his client’s idea for a vehicle tracking system, but he has settled for considerably less. Sources told the AmLaw Daily that Gary’s confidential settlement in the case for his client SPS Technologies was in the…

Jul 24, 2008 2:38 PM CDT

1000s of Criminals Worked in Florida Mortgage Industry

To work as a mortgage broker in Florida, an individual has to be licensed. But no licensing requirement applies to mortgage originators. As a result, tens of thousands of individuals helping Florida homeowners get mortgages haven’t been licensed–among them, 5,306 loan originators with criminal histories, reports the Miami Herald in…

Jul 21, 2008 6:28 PM CDT

WolfBlock & Akerman Senterfitt to Form 800-Lawyer Firm

It’s still not official. But Philadelphia-based WolfBlock and Miami’s Akerman Senterfitt are reportedly about to merge, creating an 800-plus attorney firm. “The executive committees of both firms have signed off on the deal, and votes by partners at WolfBlock and Akerman are expected shortly,” reports the Philadelphia Inquirer. The planned…

Jul 21, 2008 3:48 PM CDT

Public Reprimand Recommended for Fla. Appeals Court Judge

A Florida appeals court judge who criticized a fellow jurist in a written opinion should be publicly reprimanded, a hearing panel has recommended. It is now up to the Florida Supreme Court to decide whether to reprimand 1st District Court of Appeal Judge Michael Allen in the highly unusual case,…

Jul 18, 2008 10:06 PM CDT

Overworked Florida PDs Try to Turn Away Clients

Faced with a crushing workload of, on average, nearly 400 felony cases per attorney, the Miami public defender’s office is taking a drastic step. Like at least two other public defender’s offices in the state, it is seeking court permission to turn away clients, because the overworked lawyers in the…

Jul 17, 2008 11:18 PM CDT

Lawyer Asserts First Amendment Right to Describe Judge as a Witch

A Florida lawyer who called a judge an “evil, unfair witch” on a blog has submitted a brief with the Florida Supreme Court that contends his comments were protected by the First Amendment. Lawyer Sean Conway submitted the legal papers after the court asked him and the Florida Bar to…

Jul 16, 2008 6:23 PM CDT

Unhappy Art Buyers File Lawsuits Over Cruise Ship Art Auctions

Customers dissatisfied with their purchases in cruise ship art auctions are filing lawsuits that claim the value of the artwork was misrepresented. Class action lawsuits filed by customers who live in Florida and California name auctioneer Park West Gallery, based in Southfield, Mich., the New York Times reports. The suits…

Jul 16, 2008 5:55 PM CDT

Potential Juror Curses Judge and Lands in Jail

A potential juror in Florida ended up in a jail cell rather than the courtroom when she apparently called the judge an asshole for refusing to dismiss her from jury service. Sarah Muller told the Ocala Star Banner she was unhappy that the judge dismissed another juror but refused to…

Jul 15, 2008 4:59 PM CDT

Lawyer’s Affair Leads to Firm Breakup, $2M Verdict

In a civil theft verdict that could hit two attorneys with some $2 million in damages, a Florida jury found late last month that two longtime associates of a well-known Tampa personal injury attorney essentially stripped the owner of their former firm of much of his practice. The verdict—which was…

Jul 14, 2008 8:26 PM CDT

Boy, 12, Takes Deal in Fla. Tot’s Murder, Gets 18 Months

In a case that lawyers hope will have a happier ending than that of another Florida 12-year-old convicted of murdering a much smaller child, a boy accused of beating a toddler to death with a baseball bat while babysitting her has pleaded no contest to second-degree murder. Under the plea…

Jul 10, 2008 8:50 PM CDT

Divorce Deli Offers Menu of Marriage Dissolution Options

Rather than fighting a trend toward more individual involvement in their own legal matters, a Florida matrimonial lawyer is joining it. For those seeking an end to their marriages on a low-budget basis, Steven Miller of Plantation offers an a la carte menu of legal services and self-help options on…

Jul 10, 2008 5:26 PM CDT

Insurer GC Agrees to Reprimand for Claim of ‘Paid Off’ Judges

The general counsel for United Automobile Insurance has agreed to a public reprimand for telling a journalist that Miami-area judges are being “paid off” by plaintiffs lawyers. As part of the discipline, general counsel Charles Grimsley agreed to write a letter of apology for his comments to the Daily Business…

Jul 10, 2008 5:08 PM CDT