quo warranto

Supreme Court orders argument in judicial appointments case

Published on August 25, 2017 in Statewide/Top Headlines by Jim Rosica

The Florida Supreme Court will hear oral argument in the case against Gov. Rick Scott over whether he has the authority to appoint three new justices on the last day of his term. The court on Friday set argument for 9 a.m. Nov. 1. For now, the matter will be heard by the court’s seven justices, including the three—R. Fred Lewis, Barbara Pariente and Peggy A. Quince—whose age-required retirements occasioned the suit.

Keep Reading

Groups get more time to respond in suit over Supreme Court justices

Published on July 31, 2017 in Statewide/Top Headlines by Jim Rosica

The progressive groups suing Rick Scott will get till next Thursday to respond to his request to toss out a lawsuit that aims to stop the Republican governor from appointing three Supreme Court justices on his last day in office. The Florida Supreme Court gave the League of Women Voters of Florida (LWVF) and Common Cause till Aug. 10 to file a reply, according to a Monday order.

Keep Reading

Pam Bondi ordered to respond to lawsuit over unregistered charities

Published on July 10, 2017 in Statewide/Top Headlines by Jim Rosica

Attorney General Pam Bondi on Monday was ordered to file a written response to a lawsuit claiming she forces businesses to donate millions of dollars to unregistered charities as part of settlements in consumer protection cases. Circuit Judge Charles Dodson, sitting in Tallahassee, also granted a request from Orlando entrepreneur John D. Smith to seek “discovery” in the case—that is, to get information from Bondi’s office in preparation for a possible trial.

Keep Reading

Rick Scott asked to respond to judicial appointments lawsuit

Published on June 16, 2017 in Statewide/Top Headlines by Jim Rosica

The Florida Supreme Court has asked Gov. Rick Scott to respond to a lawsuit claiming he doesn’t have authority to appoint three new justices on the last day of his term. The court on Friday gave Scott till July 5 to file a response, with the League of Women Voters of Florida (LWVF) and Common Cause having a July 17 deadline to reply to Scott’s filing. The organizations this week filed a petition for “writ of quo warranto,” a court action against government…

Keep Reading

Progressive groups sue over Rick Scott’s judicial appointment power

Published on June 14, 2017 in 2017/Top Headlines by Jim Rosica

When Gov. Rick Scott appointed a conservative jurist to the state’s Supreme Court in December, he made clear he wasn’t done. “I will appoint three more justices the morning I finish my term,” he said, referring to the mandatory retirement in early 2019 of the court’s liberal-leaning triumvirate of Justices Barbara Pariente, Peggy A. Quince and R. Fred Lewis. Now, two progressive organizations are saying to Scott: Prove you can. They say he can’t. The League of Women Voters of Florida (LWVF)…

Keep Reading

Pam Bondi says charities she helps aren’t required to register with state

Published on May 26, 2017 in Statewide/Top Headlines by Jim Rosica

Attorney General Pam Bondi’s office this week responded to a lawsuit claiming she forces businesses to pony up millions of dollars to unregistered charities as part of settlements in consumer protection cases. Deputy Solicitor General Jonathan L. Williams, writing on Bondi’s behalf, said in part that some of the organizations criticized by Orlando entrepreneur John D. Smith aren’t “require(d) … to register (with the state) before receiving contributions from governmental entities.” Rather, they need to register as charities if they…

Keep Reading

Court blocks Rick Scott from picking judge

Published on June 3, 2016 in Statewide/Top Headlines by Jim Rosica

Gov. Rick Scott won’t be able to appoint a new judge for the Palm Beach County court, the Florida Supreme Court decided Friday. The unanimous decision means Palm Beach voters get to pick a replacement for outgoing County Judge Laura Johnson. She resigned to run for a circuit judgeship. The court relied on its previous decisions to rule that state law “is an exception to the Governor’s (constitutional) power of appointment in the context of judicial vacancies.” Normally, state constitutions trump state statutes. The law in…

Keep Reading

You might be interested in

You might be interested in

You might be interested in

You might be interested in

You might be interested in

You might be interested in

You might be interested in