By Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida
TALLAHASSEE — From elections to vaccines, state and federal courts are weighing major Florida lawsuits. Here are 10 big legal issues to watch in 2022:
— ELECTIONS: With high-profile elections looming in November, Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker is slated to start a trial Jan. 31 in challenges by voting-rights groups to a controversial new elections law. Among other things, the law made it harder for Floridians to cast ballots by mail and added restrictions to drop boxes, where voters can drop off completed ballots.
— GUN PURCHASES: The National Rifle Association is asking the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to reject a 2018 Florida law that prevents people under age 21 from buying guns. The law, passed after the mass shooting at Parkland’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, was upheld by a federal district judge. The NRA argues the law is unconstitutional.
— LOCAL GUN RESTRICTIONS: The Florida Supreme Court has agreed to take up a case challenging a 2011 state law that threatens tough penalties if city and county officials approve gun-related regulations. Local governments began fighting the law after the 2018 mass shooting at Parkland’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. The 1st District Court of Appeal upheld the law.
— MARSY’S LAW: More than three years after voters approved a victims’ rights measure known as “Marsy’s Law,” the Florida Supreme Court will consider whether the law can shield the identities of police officers involved in shootings. The 1st District Court of Appeal backed two Tallahassee officers who argued they were entitled to privacy protections because they were threatened in the use-of-force incidents.
— PROTEST CRACKDOWN: The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is slated in March to hear an appeal by Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration in a battle about a law aimed at cracking down on protests. DeSantis championed the law after nationwide protests in 2020 focused on racial justice. A federal district judge issued an injunction against the law, which enhances penalties and creates new crimes in protests that turn violent.
— SOCIAL MEDIA: The state wants the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn a preliminary injunction against a law targeting social-media giants such as Facebook and Twitter. The law, in part, seeks to prevent platforms from banning political candidates from their sites and requires the companies to publish and consistently apply standards. The online industry challenged the law on First Amendment grounds.
— SPORTS BETTING: Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Seminole Tribe are looking to a Washington, D.C., federal appeals court to salvage a gambling deal that allowed sports betting in Florida. A district judge said the deal violated a federal Indian gambling law. The deal, approved in a May special legislative session, called for the tribe to control online sports betting in the state. It was challenged by two pari-mutuel facilities.
— TRANSGENDER STUDENT: In a case that is drawing national attention, the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is slated to hear arguments in February about whether a transgender male student should have been allowed to use boys’ bathrooms at a St. Johns County high school. A district judge ruled in favor of student Drew Adams, spurring the St. Johns County School Board to appeal.
— UF PROFESSORS: Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker will hear arguments Jan. 7 in a lawsuit filed against the University of Florida after it blocked political-science professors from testifying against the state in an elections case. Six professors contend that a university policy violates First Amendment rights. UF walked back the decision in the elections case, but the school has faced heavy scrutiny about the policy.
— VACCINE MANDATES: Attorney General Ashley Moody has gone to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals after a district judge refused to block a Biden administration rule requiring health-care workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Moody, backed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, also is challenging a separate federal vaccination requirement for workers at federal contractors.
10 Big Legal Issues to Watch in 2022 added by The News Service of Florida on
View all posts by The News Service of Florida →
DNA doesn’t lie and never changes!!
How did the Tallahassee Democrat miss this one? Talk about asleep at the wheel, bias, sweeping it under the rug… a major lawsuit against the Tallahassee City Manager and silence is golden?
And where are the pastors? They are exalting County Administrator Vince Long… Bless their hearts.
Where are the ethics complaints on this one?
The mayor has conspired with Reese Goad to facilitate WCOT to be used to promote his re-election campaign at the expense of a minority veteran worker.
Where is David Bellamy on this? We already know where Matlow and Porter stand. They are the only two who did the right thing months ago and tried to encourage a nationwide search for a new legitimate City Manager.
Two people, Commissioners Matlow and Porter, did the right thing and they, especially Matlow are facing pressures (harassment) from the state attorney, the mayor, and the Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce. These entities should be ashamed and perhaps the governor should look into removing the state attorney, businesses should cancel their memberships to the Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce, and voters should vote out Mayor Dailey.
However the facts shake out on the questionable hiring decision this could be the last straw that causes all those fine AKA Sisters that really run the City to rise up against their oppressors and run a few top positions out of town on a rail.
Probably a violation of conduct unbecoming a COT employee also which could void any and all retirement benefits for those few top positions.
Open question regarding our City Manager’s promotion decision:
What are the odds this younger white ‘woman’ Hope speaks of has “transitioned”? It would be in keeping with our elected and appointed Nannies wokeness to promote this one over that one you know. I understand this is a delicate question but feel the question is within local communitty standards and thus a legitimate inquiry given the open wokeness of our great leaders.
Breaking news…
New City of Tallahassee scandal featuring Reese Goad, “younger white woman”, Mayor Dailey, Drew Jones ( the mayor’s campaign manager and recipient of several City contracts)…
The Tallahassee City Manager, Reese Goad, is being sued for racism against a minority where City Manager Reese Goad showed favoritism to a younger white woman and sidelined a 26-year veteran employee with more experience. A 26 year minority employee was supposed to be the communications director, but the cozy relationship between Alison Faris and Reese Goad is culminating in a lawsuit which will begin on February 22nd.
Explains why WCOT has become the channel for the re-election campaign for Mayor Dailey ad nauseam and why Mayor Daliey refuses to do a nationwide search for a proper city manager.
Deja vu as a minority employ and her supervisor were treated the same way by former, now convicted felon, Mayor Scott Maddox.
You would think Curtis Richardson and Diane Williams-Cox would be horrified and speak out against this Injustice, but silence is golden…
It is imperative that a nationwide search is conducted for a new city manager. Until a new legitimate manager is put into place the corruption continues.
Breitbart reported on 29 December that two Washington state reps want to reduce the penalties for those convicted of performing a “drive by shooting” because the law “was targeted at gangs that were predominantly young and Black.” And there is the problem. Liberals want to mask/hide the crime instead of addressing the problem. You cannot solve the problem without knowing what the problem is.
@ Hope and Pat…… Correct. I do not believe I have never heard ANY of the Black Community Leaders (or Bill Proctor) ever say that the Crime Problems of Tallahassee stems from Blacks committing most of the Crimes. Neither have they said for them to STOP committing the Crimes, or to put their Guns away. I also believe that we never will.
Hope is right on the mark! Local Black Churches are used for Votes…i.e. “Souls to the Polls”.
Why is crime so prevalent amongst one group? Ask Pastor R B Holmes why he preaches politics in his church and exalts the local County Administrator rather than preaching the word of God and exalting our Lord Jesus Christ and savior?
Someone may want to explain to the pastor that it’s okay to step off the plantation and ignore the liberal politicians who use him as a pawn for votes.
The Governor has been talking about making Florida an open carry and a no license required concealed carry state.
That should be on everyone’s radar as the #1 Big legal Issue to Watch in 2022.
Bad actors like the “follow you home and rob you folks in California” would be out of business if they know their victims may pull out their 9mm’s and put the bad actors lights out for ever. Plus the same applies to any crime. That sweet granny may be packing heat in Florida and know how to use it.
Heck crime may even drop in “The Murder Capitol City” of Florida AKA Tallahassee!
There is no such thing as a “transgender” anything. It’s a made up word to easy the guilt and reality that there are those who suffer from a clinical, phycological, and “scientific” diagnosis known as Gender Dysphoria. They are NOT “special”, just different.
Task Tony Fraudci and the Pharmaceutical Industrial Complex with coming up with a $2000 a-shot vaccine for it, and everything would change.
What it boils down to is our elected officials have no ideas how to combat crime other than to blame the lack of gun control. Gadsden County has an excellent Clerk of the Court web site. I’ll leave you to decide if the crime being committed in Gadsden County is mostly one race or the other but it seems pretty obvious to me. In Gadsden County, a lot of “defendants” have criminal records. Typically, over a period of 5 years, a defendant is arrested (again), released on bond and provided a public defender. After a couple years of being released on bond, they are arrested and charge with another crime. Typically, their bond is revoked then reinstated. After 5 years, their day in court finally arrives. And in my opinion, they receive light sentences. Now why are most of the criminals/defendants of a certain race? Figure that out and you can solve the problem. There is a reason African-American represent the largest group in the prison system. Leon County, Gadsden County, City of Tallahassee and the Mayor have no idea how to solve that problem other than to keep the pool open later, eliminate some charges and being easy on crime in general. Can you imagine what it cost to provide a career criminal a public defender over 5 years? The defendant is typically charge $100.00 for 5 years of free legal representation. Me, if I want a simple will drawn up it is $500.00. Crime pays…don’t doubt it. Welfare pays…don’t doubt it. It is time to build more prisons. It is time to stop being easy on criminals. Judges want reelected in Gadsden County so it is in their interest to give light sentences. Help the poor but stop making it a career choice. Like the Bible says, if you do not work you do not eat.
Regardless of trangender, whatever you born with, use that bathroom. If you born a male, use men br, if born female, use women br. Case closed