|
The following summaries are drawn from briefs and lower court judgments. They are meant to provide a general idea of facts and issues presented in cases, and should not be considered official court documents. Facts and issues presented in these summaries should be checked for accuracy against records and briefs, available from the Court, which provide more specific information.
Via Satellite: Check with Rick Potrikus WFSU Television (800) 322-WFSU for further satellite information.
Some local cable systems in Florida usually carry our broadcasts live or tape-delayed.
See the partial list of these systems.
Watch us on the Web in Flash video at http://wfsu.org/gavel2gavel/
If you miss a live case, view it from our archive at http://wfsu.org/gavel2gavel/archives/index.html
Names & phone numbers of attorneys in these cases are available in Acrobat format.
Questions, comments? publicinformation@flcourts.org
Florida Supreme Court Oral Arguments
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Arrive early. Times & order of appearance are tentative and subject to change with no notice. Cases may be postponed due to exigent circumstances.
Case |
Time |
Facts & Issues |
Place of Origin |
Thad Altman v. Hon. Rick Scott, Governor
SC11-396
View briefs in Acrobat format by clicking the case
number(s) here
|
3:00 |
Two Florida state senators sued Gov. Rick Scott over his decision to reject federal
funding for a high-speed rail system in central Florida. The Florida Supreme
Court has expedited the case and scheduled arguments.
|
|
Florida Supreme Court Oral Arguments
Monday, March 7, 2011
Arrive early. Times & order of appearance are tentative and subject to change with no notice. Cases may be postponed due to exigent circumstances.
Case |
Time |
Facts & Issues |
Place of Origin |
David Byron Russ v. State of Florida
SC09-923
View briefs in Acrobat format by clicking the case number(s)
here
|
9:00 |
Mr. Russ pled guilty to the first-degree murder of Madeleine Leinen, who was
fatally stabbed in 2007. He waived a penalty hearing before a jury and the trial
court condemned him. This is Mr. Russ' direct appeal. He raises two points. |
Seminole County |
Paul Christopher Hildwin v. State of Florida
SC09-1417
View briefs in Acrobat format by clicking the case number(s)
here
|
Approx. 10:00 |
Mr. Hildwin was convicted of the first-degree murder of Vronzettie Cox, who
was strangled in 1985. His first death sentence was overturned by this Court and,
after a second penalty hearing, the jury voted 8-4 to recommend a death sentence.
The trial court again condemned Mr. Hildwin to death. This Court upheld the
second death sentence on direct appeal and Mr. Hildwin filed a post-conviction
challenge in trial court attacking his sentence of death. It was denied and this
appeal followed. |
Hernando County |
James Earl Rippy v. James Shepard
SC09-1677
View briefs in Acrobat format by clicking the case number(s)
here
|
Approx. 10:40 |
Mr. Rippy sued Mr. Shepard, alleging he was liable for injuries that Mr. Rippy
sustained when he was struck by a farm tractor owned by Mr. Shepard. The trial
court dismissed the lawsuit, holding that Mr. Shepard was not liable because a
farm tractor was not covered by Florida's "dangerous instrumentality" doctrine.
Mr. Rippy appealed to the First District Court of Appeal, which upheld the trial
court. This appeal followed. |
Levy County |
John K. Vreeland v. Danny Ferrer
SC10-694
View briefs in Acrobat format by clicking the case number(s)
here
|
Approx. 11:20 |
Jose Martinez, a passenger in an aircraft leased by Mr. Ferrer, was killed in a
crash in 2005. Mr. Vreeland, the personal representative of Mr. Martinez's estate,
filed a wrongful death action alleging that the plane's owner, Aerolease of
America, was vicariously liable under Florida's "dangerous instrumentality"
doctrine. The trial court ruled that federal law preempted Vreeland's vicarious
liability claim against Aerolease. The Second District Court of Appeal agreed.
Chief Justice Canady is recused.
|
Polk County |
Florida Supreme Court Oral Arguments
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Arrive early. Times & order of appearance are tentative and subject to change with no notice. Cases may be postponed due to exigent circumstances.
Case |
Time |
Facts & Issues |
Place of Origin |
Michael Joseph Griffin v. State of Florida
SC09-1 | SC09-1894
View briefs in Acrobat format by clicking the case
number(s) here |
9:00 |
Mr. Griffin pled guilty to the first-degree murders of Thomas and Patricia
McCallops, who were shot in 1995. He waived a penalty hearing before a jury
and the trial court condemned him. This Court upheld the death sentences on
direct appeal and Mr. Griffin filed a post-conviction challenge in trial court.
The court denied his motion to withdraw his guilty plea but vacated the death
sentences, granting the motion for a new penalty hearing. Both sides appealed
to this Court. |
Pinellas County |
Harrel Franklin Braddy v. State of Florida
SC07-2174
View briefs in Acrobat format by clicking the case
number(s) here
|
Approx. 9:40 |
Mr. Braddy was convicted of the first-degree murder of Quatisha Maycock, a
5-year-old who suffered a fatal head injury in 1998. The jury voted 11-1 to
recommend a death sentence and the trial court condemned him. This is Mr.
Braddy's direct appeal. He raises various issues. |
Miami-Dade County |
West Florida Regional Medical Center, Inc. V. Lynda S.
See
SC09-1997
View briefs in Acrobat format by clicking the case
number(s) here
|
Approx. 10:40 |
Mrs. See sued West Florida Regional Medical Center for negligence after she
was injured in surgeries at the hospital. She asked the hospital to supply records
under a section of the state constitution that grants patients access to documents
about adverse incidents. The hospital argued that this state provision violated
the U.S. Constitution but the trial court disagreed. The hospital appealed to the
First District Court of Appeal, which upheld the trial court's ruling. This appeal
followed. |
Escambia County |
Tiara Condominium Association, Inc. V. Marsh &
McLennan Companies, Inc.
SC10-1022
View briefs in Acrobat format by clicking the case
number(s) here
|
Approx. 11:20 |
After sustaining severe damages from two hurricanes in 2004, Tiara
Condominium Association filed a federal lawsuit against Marsh, its insurance
broker, alleging negligence, breach of fiduciary duty and three other counts.
The federal trial court rejected all the counts. On appeal, the 11th U.S. Circuit
Court of Appeals said the scope of Florida law concerning lawsuits against
insurance brokers was unclear. The federal appeals court certified the issue to
this Court to be answered.
|
South Florida |
Florida Supreme Court Oral Arguments
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Arrive early. Times & order of appearance are tentative and subject to change with no notice. Cases may be postponed due to exigent circumstances.
Case |
Time |
Facts & Issues |
Place of Origin |
Gary Bernand McCray, II v. State of Florida
SC08-2434
View briefs in Acrobat format by clicking the case
number(s) here
|
9:00 |
Mr. McCray was convicted of the first-degree murders of John Ellis Jr., John
Whitehead, Phillip Perrotta and Robin Selkirk, who were fatally shot in 2004.
The jury voted unanimously to recommend death sentences and the trial court
condemned him. This is Mr. McCray's direct appeal. He raises various issues. |
Clay County |
Victor Marcus Farr v. State of Florida
SC08-1406 | SC09-1010
View briefs in Acrobat format by clicking the case
number(s) here
|
Approx. 10:00 |
Mr. Farr pled guilty to the first-degree murder of Shirley Bryant, who was
fatally injured in a 1990 car collision caused by Mr. Farr. Mr. Farr waived his
right to a penalty hearing before a jury and the trial court condemned him to
death. This Court overturned that death sentence. Mr. Farr was sentenced to
death a second time. This Court upheld the second sentence on direct appeal
and Mr. Farr filed a post-conviction challenge in trial court. It was denied and
this appeal followed. |
Columbia County |
Banco Industrial de Venezuela C.A. Miami Agency v.
Esperanza de Saad
SC10-21
View briefs in Acrobat format by clicking the case
number(s) here |
Approx. 10:40 |
The trial court ordered Banco Industrial de Venezuela to pay Ms. de Saad $4.5
million to cover her expenses in defending herself against federal
money-laundering charges relating to her actions as a manager of the bank. The
court rejected arguments by the bank that Florida's indemnity law did not apply
to Ms. de Saad because she later pled guilty to lesser charges. The Third
District Court of Appeal upheld the trial court and this appeal followed. |
Miami-Dade County |
Donald Wendt v. La Costa Beach Resort Condominium
Association, Inc.
SC09-1914
View briefs in Acrobat format by clicking the case
number(s) here
|
Approx. 11:20 |
Mr. Wendt and others, who were unit owners and board directors of La Costa
Beach Resort, sought to be compensated after defending themselves against
allegations of negligence and misconduct by La Costa Beach Resort. The trial
court dismissed their lawsuit and the Fourth District Court of Appeal upheld
that ruling. This appeal followed.
Justice Pariente is recused.
|
Broward County |
Florida Supreme Court Oral Arguments
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Arrive early. Times & order of appearance are tentative and subject to change with no notice. Cases may be postponed due to exigent circumstances.
Case |
Time |
Facts & Issues |
Place of Origin |
| Derrick Tyrone Smith v. State of Florida
SC09-2063
View briefs in Acrobat format by clicking the case
number(s) here
|
9:00 |
Mr. Smith was convicted of the first-degree murder of Jeffrey Songer, who was
fatally shot in 1983. Mr. Smith was condemned but this Court overturned his
conviction. He was again convicted and condemned to death. This Court
upheld the second sentence on direct appeal and Mr. Smith filed a
post-conviction challenge in trial court. It was denied and this Court upheld that
ruling. The trial court denied another post-conviction challenge and this appeal
followed.
Justice Quince is recused. |
Clay County |
Roy Phillip Ballard v. State of Florida
SC08-2041
View briefs in Acrobat format by clicking the case
number(s) here
|
Approx. 9:40 |
Mr. Ballard was convicted of the 2006 first-degree murder of Autumn Traub.
The jury voted 9-to-3 to recommend a death sentence and the trial court
condemned him. This is Mr. Ballard's direct appeal. He raises various issues. |
Polk County |
State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. V. Gilda
Menendez
SC10-116
View briefs in Acrobat format by clicking the case
number(s) here
|
Approx. 10:40 |
Ms. Menendez sued State Farm for a declaration that it would provide coverage
for claims made on her auto insurance policy by her daughter and son-in-law,
who were hurt when they were passengers in her car during a 2006 collision.
State Farm argued the injuries were not covered because of the policy's
"family/household exclusion section." The trial court ruled the claims were
valid because the policy was ambiguous. The Third District Court of Appeal
upheld that ruling. |
Miami-Dade County |
Chemrock Corp. V. Tampa Electric Co.
SC09-2263
View briefs in Acrobat format by clicking the case
number(s) here
|
Approx. 11:20 |
Tampa Electric asked the trial court to dismiss a lawsuit Chemrock had filed
against it in 2002, based on lack of record activity in the case. Chemrock
challenged the motion but the trial court agreed with Tampa Electric. On
appeal, the First District Court of Appeal upheld that ruling based on its
interpretation of an amended rule of civil procedure. This appeal followed. |
Duval County |
Florida Supreme Court Oral Arguments
Friday, March 11, 2011
Arrive early. Times & order of appearance are tentative and subject to change with no notice. Cases may be postponed due to exigent circumstances.
Case |
Time |
Facts & Issues |
Place of Origin |
No cases scheduled
|
|
|
|
|
