Nov
12
Miami prosecutor wins award
Filed Under Awards, Miami-Dade, U.S. District Court | Leave a Comment
Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Gregorie has been named the country’s most outstanding federal prosecutor by the National Association of Former U.S. Attorneys (We figure their membership rolls have spiked since George W. Bush has been in office), according to a story in the Miami Herald. Gregorie, who is prosecuting the Liberty City Seven, was the prosecutor who indicted Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega. [Link via Southern District Blog]
Nov
12
Broward courts opens online self-service
Filed Under Broward | Leave a Comment
Broward residents can now file their divorce papers, small claims actions and tenant evictions online, according to a story in the Sun-Sentinel. The automated service is aimed at people who can’t afford an attorney. Officials are hoping to eventually expand the service to include other types of legal matters.
Nov
9
Families sue diaper maker
Filed Under Miami-Dade | Leave a Comment
Two South Florida families are suing Proctor & Gamble for using pictures of their children for the company’s Luvs diaper packages, according to a report on MSNBC.
Miami attorney David Shenkman is representing both of the families. One of the mothers didn’t know that her child’s photo had been used until she saw a picture of him on a package of diapers while grocery shopping, the story said. Her son, Malik Lubin, had participated in an open casting call but the family had never heard back.
“What’s interesting is that the two families don’t know each other, they’ve never met before, the children have never met before and some people have referred to them as the Luv brothers,” Shenkman said.
According to a story in the Detroit News the families have asked for $500,000 each to settle. The suit alleges unjust enrichment and invasion of privacy.
Nov
8
Family sues to get school records
Filed Under Settlements, Miami-Dade | Leave a Comment
The Miami-Dade School Board has to turn over its school security records as part of a lawsuit filed this week by the parents of a boy stabbed to death in a school bathroom in 2004, according to a story on CBS4.com.
Greg Schwartz, attorney for the parents of Jamie Gough, says the school board has 48 hours to turn the records over to a special master, the story said.
The parents reached a $1.7 million settlement with the school board in 2005 and have been paid $200,000 from the district and $500,000 from the board’s insurer. They need the records to get the rest of the money from the Legislature through a special claims bill, according to the CBS report.
Nov
8
Court overturns Ford Explorer verdict
Filed Under Torts, Product Liability, Miami-Dade | Leave a Comment
Ford Motor Co. scored a victory Wednesday when the 3rd District Court of Appeal threw out a $60 million jury verdict, citing an error by Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Roberto Pineiro, according to a story on Law.com.
Pineiro should not have allowed testimony alluding to previous rollover accidents during the trial over a fatal crash involving a Ford Explorer, the story said. Lance Crossman Hall, 17, was killed during a 1997 accident when he was thrown out of his vehicle after it rolled over four times.
The appeals panel set aside the jury’s verdict and remanded the case for a new trial.
Pineiro “never inquired into the general characteristics of the other accidents,” [Judge Angel A. Cortiñas]wrote. “Here, throughout the trial, numerous references were made to other cases without laying a foundation for substantial similarity.”
Plantation attorney Richard M. Mogerman, who represents Hall’s father, told Law.com: “Everybody always likes the opportunity to do something a little better the second time around, but this is a little disappointing.”
More on the case, including a link to the DCA opinion, at South Florida Lawyers.
Nov
8
Wage-and-hour suits on the rise
Filed Under Miami-Dade, U.S. District Court | 1 Comment
Miami attorney Jared Beck has an interesting post on wage-and-hour lawsuits at his blog, Magic City Harvard Lawyer.
Beck wonders what is behind the increase in these suits. The Southern District of Florida now leads the nation in these suits, according to a Daily Business Review article cited in the blog post. Beck writes:
The bottom line is that in an overheated economy, regulatory compliance typically takes a back seat for businesses keen on rapidly seizing perceived opportunities and muscling out would-be competitors looking to get in on the action. “Overheated” surely describes the Florida real estate market in the past few years, and perhaps it describes the Florida economy more generally as well, but looking back a decade or two.
Nov
7
Boca lawyer killed in crash
Filed Under Obits, Palm Beach | Leave a Comment
Eric Glatter, a Boca Raton attorney with a family law and bankruptcy practice, died Sunday in the Bahamas when he crashed a rented scooter, according to a story in The Palm Beach Post.
His fiancée, Kathy Warne, was on the back of the scooter and was injured in the crash.
Nov
7
State’s conflict attorneys get no love
Filed Under Broward | Leave a Comment
A state agency set up to represent poor clients in cases in which the public defender has a conflict isn’t getting a very warm reception in Broward County, according to a story in the Miami Herald.
The Office of Criminal Conflict and Civil Regional Counsel had asked Broward County for free space in or near its downtown courthouse. Broward commissioners told the agency tough luck.
Besides having an already crowded courthouse, county officials aren’t happy with the state over some budget cuts.
The agency is expected to start taking cases in January, though it still faces a lawsuit filed by the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
Nov
7
A Fort Lauderdale cosmetics company is suing Dreamworks Animation SKG and Paramount Pictures in U.S. District Court for trademark infringement, according to a story in the International Herald Tribune.
Beecueticals says it tradmarked the slogan “Give bees a chance,” which is used in the Bee Movie’s advertisements.
Entertainment attorney Elliot M. Zimmerman, who represents Beecueticals, said the movie’s use of the slogan has cost his client money.
“It’s his mark. They can’t use it,” Zimmerman said. “They damaged us and cost us some people who would have bought from us … It’s not right what they did.”
The animated film, which features the voice of comedian Jerry Seinfeld, opened in theaters last week.
Additional coverage in the Sun-Sentinel.
Nov
7
Police-shooting settlement in danger
Filed Under Palm Beach, Settlements | Leave a Comment
A $1 million settlement between Delray Beach and the family of a teen shot and killed by a rookie police officer may fall apart because the dead boy’s biological father has refused to sign off on it, according to a story in The Palm Beach Post.
But Patrick Cousins, attorney for Terry Glover who stepped forward after the shooting to say he was Jerrod Miller’s biological father, called the settlement offer an insult, according to the Post.
“Put the corks back in the bottle and take the party hats off, because it’s not over yet,” Cousins said.
Stuart attorney Willie Gary is representing the plaintiffs.
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