FJI and the ACLU of Florida, on behalf of Luis Lebron, filed a lawsuit challenging a state law requiring drug testing of all applicants for Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) benefits. We alleged that this requirement, which was to be conducted without any suspicion whatsoever, violated the Fourth Amendment as an unreasonable search. District […]
FJI, FILS, Holland & Knight Achieve Historic Victory for Incarcerated People with Mental Illnesses
This case resulted in one of the most significant victories for prisoners’ rights in Florida, and allowed FJI to collaborate with the law firm of Holland & Knight, as well as Florida Institutional Legal Services. The three firms filed suit on behalf of eight incarcerated people with serious mental illnesses who were being sprayed with […]
FJI & ACLU File Lawsuit to End Suspicionless Drug Testing of TANF Applicants
FJI and the ACLU of Florida, on behalf of Luis Lebron, filed a lawsuit challenging a state law requiring drug testing of all applicants for Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) benefits. We alleged that this requirement, which was to be conducted without any suspicion whatsoever, violated the Fourth Amendment as an unreasonable search. All […]
FJI Achieves $500,000 Settlement for Parents of Incarcerated Woman Who Committed Suicide
FJI sued the FDOC, as well as two private health care companies, for negligence and deliberate indifference to serious medical need, after Aleshia Napier committed suicide while incarcerated at Broward Correctional Institution. She was 18 years old. Despite suffering from serious mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder and having attempted suicide in the past, FDOC […]
FJI & LSGMI Achieve Policy Change and $254,000 Payout from Hialeah Housing Authority
The eight courageous plaintiffs in this case all attempted to apply for Section 8 housing vouchers from the Hialeah Housing Authority (HHA), but encountered numerous obstacles. The HHA refused to make accommodations in the application process for people with disabilities, requested decades-old documents that they were not permitted to request, and otherwise made it difficult […]
Judge Declares Invalid an FDOC Rule Requiring the Opening of an Estate Before Family Members Can Obtain Medical Records
Co-counseling with Carlton Fields, P.A., FJI represented the Christies in an administrative rule challenge to a proposed rule by the FDOC that would have served to limit access to medical and mental health records. Mr. and Ms. Christie attempted to get the medical records of their daughter, who had recently passed away in FDOC custody, […]
FJI & Carlton Fields P.A. Settle Medical Malpractice Case for $400,000 Against Bureau of Prisons
Co-counseling with Carlton Fields, P.A., FJI filed a Federal Tort Claims Act case against the Federal Bureau of Prisons for failing to meet the standard of care in treating his chest pains and eventual congestive heart failure. The plaintiff was seen multiple times in the days leading up to his eventual hospitalizations, however the Bureau […]