Florida Bar News articles from May 2003

Florida Bar News archives from May 2003

Gift of land brings hope of home for 'forgotten children: protecting rights, pursuing justice, promoting professionalism. (Florida Lawyers).
May 15, 2003... In the dusty yard behind his senile grandparents' shack, they found Jose Miguel chained to cement blocks. The 13-year-old boy's mother wanders the streets homeless, in a fog of mental illness. His poor, uneducated grandparents did the best...

Court funding plan left budget limbo.
May 15, 2003... Collateral damage from the stalemate of the Florida House and Senate over the 200304 state budget has apparently also derailed bills needed to implement a state take-over of trial court funding next year. The actions in the closing days of...

Fee statements are on the way: members asked to support 'Challenge for Children'.
May 15, 2003... Florida Bar members soon will receive their 2003-04 fee statements, reflecting no increase in annual fees and only minor modifications to the form. The fees are payable July 1 and are late after August 15, according to Bar Finance Director...

Letters.
May 15, 2003... Bar Exam In light of the Supreme Court's order raising the passing standard of the bar exam, I think all judges and lawyers should retake the exam with the new higher pass rate. As a former prosecutor, public defender, judge of...

Time to update your Bar records. (Including Your e-mail Address).
May 15, 2003... Moved? Got a new phone number or email address? Now would be a good time to take a few moments to update your Bar member records. Occasionally, the Bar president or the Florida Supreme Court's chief justice sends out important e-mail...

Silverstein elect to the Board of Governors. (Including Your e-mail Address).
May 15, 2003... Murray B. Silverstein has been elected to The Florida Bar Board of Governors, and Garrett Biondo has been elected to the Young Lawyers Division board. Silverstein defeated Raleigh W. Greene III in a runoff election 503 to 479 for the Sixth...

Board set to take up the budget, discuss MJP issues.
May 15, 2003... Final 2003-04 budget action and an initial vote on a multijurisdictional practices report will top the Bar Board of Governors agenda when it meets May 30 in Key West. It will be the last meeting of the Bar's 2002-03 fiscal year. The budget...

Grier petitions for Bar reinstatement.
May 15, 2003... Pursuant to Rule 3-7.10, Robert Edwin Grier has petitioned the Supreme Court of Florida for Bar reinstatement. Pursuant to a December 23, 1993, order from the Supreme Court, Grier was suspended from practice of law for three years,...

17th JNC seeks judicial applicants.
May 15, 2003... Applicants are now being sought to fill a judicial vacancy on the Broward County bench due to the retirement of Judge Zebedee W. Wright, effective June 30. Applicants must be registered voters, a member of the Bar in good standing for the...

Titone applies for Bar readmissions.
May 15, 2003... Joseph John Titone of Margate has submitted an application with the Florida Board of Bar Examiners for readmission to The Florida Bar. Titone was disbarred pursuant to a June 4, 1992, Supreme Court order due to his felony arrest for perjury...

Evans petitions for Bar reinstatement.
May 15, 2003... Pursuant to Rule 3-7.10, William Earl Evans, Jr., has petitioned the Florida Supreme Court for Bar reinstatement. Evans was suspended from the practice of law for three years, effective May 2, 1997, for conspiracy to possess and distribute...

YLD seat available.
May 15, 2003... The Young Lawyers Division is now seeking applications to fill a 17th Judicial Circuit seat on its board of governors due to the resignation of Cleveland Ferguson III. The appointment is for a full two-year term ending in June 2005....

Stetson University's Dean Vause steps down.
May 15, 2003... Gary Vause, dean and vice president of Stetson University College of Law and a renowned legal scholar who has authored numerous books and articles, told a campus-wide gathering April 23 he will retire July 31 because of ill health. Vause...

Butterworth to lead St. Thomas.
May 15, 2003... Former Florida Attorney General Bob Butterworth has been named the new dean of St. Thomas University Law School. Butterworth will assume the post May 19 and succeeds Dean John Makdisi, who will remain on the faculty as a law professor. ...

18th JNC seeks judicial applicants.
May 15, 2003... The 18th Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission is now accepting applications to fill a seat on the circuit bench, created by the retirement of Judge Thomas G. Freeman. Applicants must be registered voters, members of the Bar in good...

Free report shows lawyers How To Get More Clients.
May 15, 2003... CA.--Why do some lawyers get rich while others struggle to pay their bills? The answer, according to California lawyer David M. Ward, has nothing to do with talent, education, hard work, or even luck. "The lawyers who make the big...

Bus riding judge bring the court to the people.
May 15, 2003... Eleventh Judicial Circuit Judge Joel Brown of the Family Division recently took. the bench to the people. In late April, Judge Brown jumped on Miami's "Go Bus" and traveled to the Joseph Caleb Center on NW 22 Avenue, where he presided over...

Foundation fellow to assist women farmworkers.
May 15, 2003... Migrant women farm workers in Florida now have someone to turn to if they fall victim to gender discrimination, thanks to The Florida Bar Foundation and Equal Justice Works, a national public interest organization. Monica Ramirez, who...

Nonprofits rely on pro bono help.
May 15, 2003... When it comes to needing legal advice Florida's nonprofit community relies largely on pro bono rather than paid, legal counsel, according to results of a joint survey conducted by The Florida Bar, and the Florida Association of Nonprofit...

Josephs, Jack & Miranda donates $5,000 to the G. Kirk Hass Fund.
May 15, 2003... Lewis N. Jack and Mike Josephs of the Law Offices of Josephs, Jack & Miranda in Miami have contributed $5,000 to the G Kirk Haas Fund, money set aside, for an annual Bar award that both recognizes the outstanding service of a lawyer in the...

11th JNC seeks judicial applicants.
May 15, 2003... The 11th Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission is now accepting applications to fill a Dade County court vacancy, created by the resignation of Judge A. Leo Adderly. Applicants must be registered voters, member of the Bar in good standing...

Criminal Law Section to host criminal justice symposium.
May 15, 2003... How involved should judges be in plea bargains? Is it fair for the same judge who approves a plea offer, and even nudges the defendant to go for it, to turn around and sentence the defendant to a much harsher sentence because he chose to go...

UF leads the way on the bar exam.
May 15, 2003... Graduates from the University of Florida got the highest passage rate for those taking the February Florida bar exam. Better than 82 percent of UF law students taking the exam in February for the first time passed, making it the ninth time...

South Dade Senior High wins mock trial crown.
May 15, 2003... "Objection your Honor!" Those words rang through the Orange County Courthouse recently, but they were not the words of experienced trial attorneys, but those of high school students participating in the 2003 Florida High School Mock Trial...

LSC announces availability of grants.
May 15, 2003... The Legal Services Corporation has announced the availability of competitive grant funds. to provide civil legal services to eligible' clients during calendar year 2004. In accordance with LSC's multi-year funding policy, grants are...

Making a UPL complaint. (UPL Update).
May 15, 2003... I often get questions about how to file a complaint against a nonlawyer you believe is engaging in the unlicensed practice of law. I hope to address some of the common questions regarding unlicensed practice of law investigations in a...

Section plans Russian symposium. (UPL Update).
May 15, 2003... The International Law Section is cosponsoring a Russian International Legal Symposium in Moscow and St. Petersburg, Russia, July 5-13. The focus of the CLE event will be Russian international business law and coincides with St....

DOR gives tax e-filing break.
May 15, 2003... The Florida Department of Revenue recently announced that taxpayers will not be penalized if they are unable to file unemployment tax reports and pay unemployment tax electronically this year. "We understand that electronic filing...

Stetson, AARP launch a journal.
May 15, 2003... Stetson University College of Law has joined forces with the AARP to establish an academic journal and conference to focus on international issues of aging and law. "We are extremely excited to work with AARP," said Stetson Professor...

In Memoriam.
May 15, 2003... John Stone Crompton, Tampa Admitted 1979; Died October 31, 2001 Roland H. Eastwood, Ft. Myers Admitted 1948; Died November 5, 2002 Richard W. Groner, Sarasota Admitted 1972; Died March 27, 2003 Vadd Alan Karnes,...

The unified family court system--a team approach. (In Practice).
May 15, 2003... General Master Lawrence Samuel Pivacek As circuit court judges assigned to Collier County in and for the 20th Judicial Circuit, Judge Cynthia Ellis and I have been provided with the opportunity to form a unified family court system and been...

FSU students volunteer for Innocence Project.
May 15, 2003... More than 30 law students at Florida State University are eager to help free wrongly convicted prisoners by doing research for the Innocence Project's new office in Tallahassee. "You have a chance to make a huge difference in people's...

Justice Shaw to be honored in Orlando.
May 15, 2003... The Florida Supreme Court will meet in ceremonial session May 30 at the Orlando City Hall for an oral history program honoring recently retired Justice Leander Shaw. The oral history program -- presented by the Supreme Court Historical...

Concerns raised about posting domestic violence records online.
May 15, 2003... Now that the big job of balancing privacy and public right to access issues with online court records is back at the Florida Supreme Court, Robin Hassler Thompson hopes her concerns about domestic violence victims will be heard. Thompson,...

Fowler White Boggs Banker. (News and Notes).
May 15, 2003... Robert H. Waltuch, a shareholder with Fowler White Boggs Banker, has been elected to the board of directors of Weinberg Village, an assisted living facility.

State Courts Administrator. (News and Notes).
May 15, 2003... Bruce A. Blitman, of Ft. Lauderdale, has been re-approved by the Office of the State Courts Administrator as a primary teacher in certified family mediation training programs and certified circuit civil mediation training programs. He also...

Central Florida ACLU. (News and Notes).
May 15, 2003... Scott R. Rost, of Doran, Wolfe, Rost & Ansay, Daytona Beach, was recently elected chair of the board of the Central Florida Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union. He spoke on behalf of the Central Florida ACLU on the state of civil...

The American Jewish Committee. (News and Notes).
May 15, 2003... Michael H. Gum, partner in Hodgson Russ, LLP, BocaRaton, was presented the 2003 Judge Learned Hand Award by The American Jewish Committee, Palm Beach County Chapter.

Florida State University. (News and Notes).
May 15, 2003... Barbara O'HoroBenton, an associate with Lowndes, Drosdick, Doster, Kantor & Reed, was appointed to the alumni board of directors for Florida State University College of Law.

National Government Users Technology Conference. (News and Notes).
May 15, 2003... Sharon R. Bock, chief deputy clerk of court services, clerk of the circuit court, 15th Judicial Circuit, was the keynote speaker at the National Government Users Technology Conference in Tampa. She spoke on Leveraging Resources & Measuring...

2002 Community Service Award. (News and Notes).
May 15, 2003... Deehi & Carison, P.A., has been awarded the 2002 Community Service Award by the International Society of Primerus Law Firms.

Corporate Investigation of the Nursing Home. (News and Notes).
May 15, 2003... Alexander M. Clem, of Morgan, Colling & Gilbert, RA., Orlando, spoke at an ATLA meeting in Austin, Texas on the topic of Corporate Investigation of the Nursing Home.

The Central Florida Tax Discussion Group. (News and Notes).
May 15, 2003... Scott Tufts, a partner with Lowndes, Drosdick, Doster, Kantor & Reed, has joined the Central Florida Tax Discussion Group.

The Asia Society. (News and Notes).
May 15, 2003... Taylor Ward, a partner with Lowndes, Drosdick, Doster, Kantor & Reed, has been re-elected president of the Asia Society of Central Florida.

Cryo-Cell International, Inc. (News and Notes).
May 15, 2003... Beth Houghton, chair of the board of directors for Signature Bank in St. Petersburg, has been appointed to serve, on an interim basis, as Cryo-Cell International, Inc.'s president and chief operating officer.

The Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra. (News and Notes).
May 15, 2003... Norma Stanley, a partner with Lowndes, Drosdick, Doster, Kantor & Reed, has been re-elected to the board of directors for a member of the marketing committee for the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra.

Dade County Bar Association. (News and Notes).
May 15, 2003... David J. Federbush, of Bethesda, Maryland, presented a seminar for the Dade County Bar Association's County Court Committee on Current Issues in Litigation Under Florida's Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act, in Miami.

Florida Academy of Health Care Attorneys. (News and Notes).
May 15, 2003... Paul Mandelkern, of counsel with Lowndes, Drosdick, Doster, Kantor & Reed, was re-elected to the board of directors of the Florida Academy of Health Care Attorneys.

Dade County Bar Association. (News and Notes).
May 15, 2003... Ricardo L. Carmona, an associate with Richman Greer Weil Brumbaugh Mirabito & Christensen, P.A., has been elected to the board of directors of the Dade County Bar Association Young Lawyers Section.

St. Joseph's Baptist Health Care. (News and Notes).
May 15, 2003... Ronald L. Weaver, of Stearns Weaver Miller Weissler Alhadeff & Sitterson, P.A., Tampa, has been appointed chair of the long-range planning committee of St. Joseph's Baptist Health Care.

PACE Center for Girls. (News and Notes).
May 15, 2003... Allison Turnbull, an associate with Lowndes, Drosdick, Doster, Kantor & Reed, has been elected to the board of directors for the PACE Center for Girls.

Hillsborough County Bar Association. (News and Notes).
May 15, 2003... Anthony J. Fantauzzi III, of Fowler White Boggs Banker, has been selected cochair of Law Week by the Hillsborough County Bar Association's Young Lawyer Division.

American Conference Institute. (News and Notes).
May 15, 2003... Michael S. Greene, a partner with Blank Rome, LLP, was a presenter at the American Conference Institute's Fifth National Forum on Toxic Mold Litigation. He spoke on emerging concepts for damages from toxic mold exposure and contamination.

Greater Seffner Area Chamber of Commerce. (News and Notes).
May 15, 2003... David W. Magann, of Brandon, has been appointed president of the Greater Seffner Area Chamber of Commerce.

American Folk Art Friends, Inc. (News and Notes).
May 15, 2003... James Hoctor, a partner with Lowndes, Drosdick, Doster, Kantor & Reed, has been re-appointed as treasurer of the Mennelloi Museum of American Folk Art Friends, Inc.

Akerman Senterfitt. (News and Notes).
May 15, 2003... Cecilia Bonifay, a shareholder of Akerman Senterfitt, spoke at the Land Use Law Update in Florida, on the topic of Negotiating the Maze of Land Division Regulation and Ethics in Land Use Law: A Lawyer's Responsibility. She also spoke at a...

American College of Tax Counsel. (News and Notes).
May 15, 2003... Stephen R. Looney, a shareholder at Dean, Mead, Egerton, Bloodworth, Capouano & Bozarth, P.A., was elected as a fellow of the American College of Tax Counsel.

Power Couples by the November 2002 issue of Orlando Magazine. (News and Notes).
May 15, 2003... John Lowndes and Larry Hames, partners with Lowndes, Drosdick, Doster, Kantor & Reed, along with their spouses, were named two of the "Power Couples" by the November 2002 issue of Orlando Magazine.

National Pest Management Association. (News and Notes).
May 15, 2003... Dan Gerber, of Rumberger, Kirk & Caldwell, spoke about liability issues involved with mosquito control at the National Pest Management Association Mosquito Control Symposium.

Truex and Earnest, P.A. (News and Notes).
May 15, 2003... Tom Truex, of Truex and Earnest, P.A., was elected Mayor of Davie, and will serve a three-year term.

Orange County Bar Association. (News and Notes).
May 15, 2003... R. Gavin Mackinnon, of Fisher, Rushmer, Werrenrath, Dickson, Talley & Dunlap, P.A., has been elected to board of directors of the Orange County Bar Association Young Lawyers Section.

Holland & Knight, LLP. (News and Notes).
May 15, 2003... Edward F. Korcn, Jr., a partner with Holland & Knight, LLP, was honored as the Gerald T. Hart Outstanding Tax Attorney for 2002-03, during The Florida Bar's Tax Section Annual Meeting in Orlando.

Carlton Fields. (News and Notes).
May 15, 2003... Sylvia H. Walbolt, of Carlton Fields, was reelected for her fifth term as chair of the firm's board of directors at its shareholders meeting.

Yeshiva Toras Chaim/Toras Emes Academy of Miami. (News and Notes).
May 15, 2003... Michael Chesal, of Kluger, Peretz, Kaplan & Berlin, P.L., was honored by Yeshiva Toras Chaim/Toras Emes Academy of Miami during the 18th Annual Scholarship Dinner in Miami. Along with his wife Jana, he was recognized as a chesed awardee, for...

Holland & Knight, LLP. (News and Notes).
May 15, 2003... Steven Sonberg, of Holland & Knight, LLP, Miami, has been named chair of the firm's business law department. Another partner, Jose E. Sirven has been elected to serve a third term on the firm's directors committee, and has also been appointed...

International Trade Network. (News and Notes).
May 15, 2003... Cathryn A. Mitchell, founding shareholder with MillerMitchell PC, spoke at the meeting of the International Trade Network regarding the Madrid Protocol, a system that will change the manner of obtaining worldwide intellectual property...

Structure of Group Practice. (News and Notes).
May 15, 2003... Stephen H. Siegel, a partner with Ruden, McClosky, Smith, Schuster & Russell, P.A., addressed health care attorneys from around the state at the 2003 Health Law Certification Examination Review Course, held in Tampa. His topic was titled...

Haggard & Bologna. (News and Notes).
May 15, 2003... Jeannete Lewis Bologna, a partner of Haggard, Parks, Haggard & Bologna, Coral Gables, spoke at the 37th Annual Southern Methodist University Air Law Symposium. She spoke on the topics of forum non conveniens and personal jurisdiction.

Hector & Davis, LLP. (News and Notes).
May 15, 2003... Richard Celler, of Steel, Hector & Davis, LLP, Miami, has been named chair of the board for ArtsAlive Miami.

Department of Transportation. (News and Notes).
May 15, 2003... Steven E. Taylor, of the Department of Transportation's general counsel's office, District Four in Ft. Lauderdale, has been appointed to the City of Lauderhill, Florida Planning and Zoning Board.

National Client Protection Organization. (News and Notes).
May 15, 2003... Mark J. Ragusa, a partner with Ruden, McClosky, Smith, Schuster & Russell, P.A., Tampa, and current chair of The Florida Bar's Clients' Security Fund, has joined The National Client Protection Organization.

Holland & Knight, LLP. (News and Notes).
May 15, 2003... Kelly Ann Cartwright, a partner with Holland & Knight, LLP, Miami, has been appointed a member of the Ad Hoc Committee on Attorney Admissions, Peer Review, and Attorney Grievance for the United States District Court, Southern District of...

Florida Real Estate Appraisal Board. (News and Notes).
May 15, 2003... Julie Feigeles, a shareholder with Adorno & Yoss, was elected chair-elect of Hands on Miami. Jay W. Small, of Wilson, Garber & Small, P.A., Orlando, has been appointed by Coy. Jeb Bush to serve as a member, of the Florida Real Estate Appraisal...

11th Judicial Circuit in Miami. (News and Notes).
May 15, 2003... Bronwyn C. Miller, assistant state attorney and training director for the 11th Judicial Circuit in Miami, has been named to the advisory board for Witness Justice, a nonprofit organization aimed at empowering survivors of violent crimes with a...

Association of Defense Trial Attorneys. (News and Notes).
May 15, 2003... Gerald W. Weedon, of Marks Gray, P.A., Jacksonville, has been elected president of the Association of Defense Trial Attorneys for the 2003-04 year.

American Bar Association. (News and Notes).
May 15, 2003... Karen M. Buesing, of Zinober & McCrea, P.A., Tampa, served as management co-chair for the annual mid-winter meeting of the Equal Employment Opportunity Committee of the Labor & Employment Section of the American Bar Association, in Hollywood.

Orlando's Downtown Arts District, Inc. (News and Notes).
May 15, 2003... James R. Lussier, a shareholder with Mateer Harbert, was named president of Orlando's Downtown Arts District, Inc.

Holland & Knight, LLP. (News and Notes).
May 15, 2003... Nibaldo J. Capote, of Holland & Knight, LLP, Miami, has been appointed to serve as general counsel to the board of Amigos Together For Kids.

Brown Security & Law Group. (News and Notes).
May 15, 2003... Alvin K. Brown, of Brown Security & Law Group, P.A., gave a presentation on negligent security to the Tampa Bay chapter of the American Society for Industrial Security.

Florida International Bankers Association. (News and Notes).
May 15, 2003... Nancy Van Sant, of Sacher, Zelman, Van Sant, Paul, Beiley, Hartman, Terzo & Waldman, P.A., addressed the Florida International Bankers Association at the association's most recent meeting of international bankers, private bankers, and brokerage...

Pineiro, Wortman & Byrd, P.A. (On the Move).
May 15, 2003... Barry B. Byrd has become a shareholder with Pineiro, Wortman & Byrd, P.A., with offices at 7108 Fairway Dr., Ste. 225 Palm Beach Gardens 33418, telephone (561) 799-9280. He practices in real estate, banking, and general business and corporate...

Tenth Judicial Circuit's Public Defender's Office. (On the Move).
May 15, 2003... Judith Ellis, formerly of the Law Office of Rex Golden, St. Petersburg, has joined the Tenth Judicial Circuit's Public Defender's Office with offices in Polk, Hardee, and Highlands counties. She joins the office's appellate division.

Zarco, Einhorn & Salkowski, P.A. (On the Move).
May 15, 2003... Jonathan Meltz, former assistant public defender with the Law Offices of Bennett H. Brummer, has joined Zarco, Einhorn & Salkowski, P.A., with offices at 100 S.E. Second St., Ste. 2700, Miami 33131, telephone (305) 374-5418. He concentrates in...

Brooks & Smith, LLC. (On the Move).
May 15, 2003... Yohama Calles Gould has joined Constangy, Brooks & Smith, LLC, with offices at 100 W. Kennedy Blvd., Tampa 33601, telephone (813) 223-7166. She concentrates in labor and employment law, representing management exclusively.