The fallout from a recent Tallahassee Democrat story, which implied a principal at a local charter school was forced to resign due to an art lesson that included Michelangelo’s nude sculpture of “David”, made it all the way to Italy before the truth was discovered. The implication of the story – which was that parents […]
By Samuel R. Staley The recent request by private developers for a $7 million loan to support workforce housing in Tallahassee should be a wake-up call for local public officials. If workforce housing is unprofitable in the private market, it may be well past time to cast a hard eye on local policies that push […]
By Jay Revell There’s never a cobbler around when you need one. At least that seems to be the case here in Tallahassee. Recently, I tried to take a pair of leather shoes in for what I thought would be a quick repair. I stopped in at one of our local shoe fix shops and […]
On Monday, the Executive Committee of the Leon County Children’s Services Council (CSC) will consider recommending a staffing proposal to the full governing body that will allocate $819,858 in tax dollars to seven positions for the upcoming fiscal year, 2023-24. In my view, the Executive Committee should put the proposal on hold. Here’s why. First, […]
Q. Judge Smith, what is a default judgment? Does a default judgment end the case? Thank you, Dee. A. Due process of law requires notice and an opportunity to be heard.Plaintiffs begin lawsuits by filing complaints against defendants. The purpose of a complaint is to tell a defendant what he did, how it damaged the […]
Everyone knows Florida has an insurance problem, but few realize that there is a lack of transparency in damages in our state courtrooms that is a major contributor to inflated premium costs. Property insurers foot the lawsuit bill for most cases regarding damages, and so objectivity matters when plaintiffs file claims. If a plaintiff sues […]
After a recent shooting incident on West Pensacola Street, Reverend R.B. Holmes held a summit to address the continuing problem in our community with gun violence. One of the first remarks at the summit by Rev. Holmes was “we are not anti-law enforcement.” That simple statement should not be newsworthy, but it is due to […]
Dear Editor, It was no surprise to see that the rising cost of property insurance was one of the key topics of the gubernatorial debate last week between Governor Ron DeSantis and Charlie Crist. Florida’s insurance marketplace was already suffering due to a variety of reasons, and more and more consumers were being hit with […]
Q. Judge Smith, did you always aspire to be a lawyer? Sally A. No, I did not. Allow me to explain how it happened. My late father, Frank D. Smith, was a hard worker and a problem solver. When he graduated from high school, he aspired to go to college. However, his parents couldn’t afford […]
Q. Judge Smith, doing your job takes a lot of patience. What is your key to being polite and having an even keel? On or off the bench, is there anything that annoys you? Tanner A. Being patient is part of a judge’s job description. It helps to like people and to empathize with their […]