Press Coverage

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Joined by a former state Supreme Court justice, attorneys for the poor are trying to raise annual Florida Bar dues by up to $100 to address what they call a fiscal crisis. The attempt to hike the annual dues, which have not increased since 2001, from the current $265 has sparked an […]

PALM COAST — An old policy of restricting mail sent and received by Flagler County jail inmates officially ended Thursday with an agreement reached between the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office and the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida. The ACLU, along with the Florida Justice Institute, filed a class-action lawsuit in early 2013 against Flagler […]

A partially paralyzed man is receiving legal help from the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida in an alleged abuse lawsuit against the Santa Rosa Correctional Institution. Richard Allen Jackson, 56, is suing the prison for being denied the use of a wheelchair in his prison cell. Jackson, who cannot walk because of partial paralysis […]

A group of Florida lawyers is preparing a petition to the Supreme Court seeking authority to have Bar annual membership fees raised up to $100, with the extra funds earmarked for financially strapped legal aid programs. Bar President Eugene Pettis reported on the effort at the Board of Governors January 31 meeting and said he […]

ORLANDO — A federal judge has ruled that a 2011 law requiring welfare applicants to undergo drug tests is unconstitutional, striking a blow to Gov. Rick Scott’s administration over the controversial tests. Scott quickly said he would appeal U.S. District Judge Mary Scriven’sTuesday ruling, the latest defeat for the governor in a drawn-out battle over […]

KEY WEST, Fla. — A federal judge on Tuesday struck down as unconstitutional a Florida law that required welfare applicants to undergo mandatory drug testing, setting the stage for a legal battle that could affect similar efforts nationwide. Judge Mary S. Scriven of the United States District Court in Orlando held that the testing requirement, […]

A new federal lawsuit is challenging the mail policy for inmates at a county jail in South Florida. According to the lawsuit, the jail’s policy requiring all incoming and outgoing mail to fit on a postcard-size letter is unconstitutional. The lawsuit was filed against St. Lucie County Sheriff Kenneth J. Mascara in the Southern District […]

Dan Gelber says Charlie Crist got automatic restoration of felon rights for 1st time in Florida history As former Gov. Charlie Crist tries to gain supporters in his quest to unseat Republican Gov. Rick Scott, he wants to portray himself as the hero of voter access and Scott as a leader who restricted voting. Dan […]