Florida Supreme Court Oral Argument Press Summaries

Oral Argument Press Summaries
April 1-5, 2002

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.

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Names & phone numbers of attorneys in these cases are available in Acrobat format.

[ETCHING: SUPREME COURT OF FLORIDA]
Robert Craig Waters, Director of Public Information
(850) 414-7641

Florida Supreme Court Oral Arguments
Monday, April 1, 2002
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 arguments scheduled

Florida Supreme Court Oral Arguments
Tuesday, April 2, 2002
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
Glen James Ocha v. State of Florida SC00-2507 View briefs in Acrobat format by clicking the case number(s) here	9:00	Ocha was charged with the murder of Carol Skjerva in Kissimmee. He waived his right to a jury trial in the guilt and penalty phases, and the trial judge subsequently sentenced him to death. This is his direct appeal.	Orange County
Thomas Parker v. State of Florida SC01-1013 View briefs in Acrobat format by clicking the case number(s) here	Approx. 10:00	Parker was charged with offenses occurring when he allegedly tried to flee from police officers. He was released on bond pending trial. Soon thereafter he was arrested on drug charges, and the trial court revoked his bond in the earlier charge based on a Florida statute. Parker argued that the statute unconstitutionally infringed on his right to bail, but the trial court and the Fourth District Court rejected this argument.	Broward County
Rolando Villazon v. Prudential Health Care Plan, Inc. SC01-1397 View briefs in Acrobat format by clicking the case number(s) here	Approx. 10:40	Villazon sued Prudential, his deceased wife's HMO, for vicarious liability based upon her alleged negligent treatment by member physicians. The trial judge ruled that the suit was barred by the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), and the Third District Court affirmed.	Dade County
Danny Harold Rolling v. State of Florida SC01-625 View briefs in Acrobat format by clicking the case number(s) here	Approx. 11:20	Rolling was tried, convicted, and sentenced to death for the murders of Sonia Larson, Christina Powell, Christa Hoyt, Manuel Taboada, and Tracey Paules near the University of Florida campus in August 1990. His sentences were affirmed on appeal. He now challenges their validity.	Alachua County

Florida Supreme Court Oral Arguments
Wednesday, April 3, 2002
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
Micah Louis Nelson v. State of Florida SC00-876 View briefs in Acrobat format by clicking the case number(s) here	9:00	Nelson was charged with the November 1997 murder of Virginia Brace. At trial, he was convicted, and the jury recommended the death penalty 9-to-3. The trial judge sentenced him to die. This is Nelson's direct appeal.	Polk County
Richard Harold Anderson v. State of Florida SC01-24 View briefs in Acrobat format by clicking the case number(s) here	Approx. 10:00	Anderson was tried, convicted, and sentenced to death for the May 1987 murder of Robert Grantham. His sentence was affirmed on appeal. He now challenges its validity.	Hillsborough County
Lenard James Philmore v. State of Florida SC00-1706 View briefs in Acrobat format by clicking the case number(s) here	Approx. 10:40	Philmore was charged with the 1997 murder of Kazue Perron. At trial, the jury convicted him and recommended the death penalty 12-to-0. The judge imposed it. This is Philmore's direct appeal.	Martin County

Florida Supreme Court Oral Arguments
Thursday, April 4, 2002
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
Amendments to Rules of Judicial Administration SC01-2343 View briefs in Acrobat format by clicking the case number(s) here	9:00	In 2000, the Court directed a Florida Bar Committee to review the Rules of Judicial Administration with particular concern for prioritizing time-sensitive cases such as those involving children. The Court will hear arguments on the committee's recommendations.	Statewide impact
Thomas Solomos v. Sheriff Ken Jenne SC01-510 View briefs in Acrobat format by clicking the case number(s) here	Approx. 9:40	Starting in 1996, Jenne began collecting fees from county jail inmates as part of a program to partially recoup costs of their incarceration. The fees were a one-time $10 assessment to help pay for uniforms and a daily $2 fee to help pay for subsistence. Inmates sued and argued that the fees were unconstitutional. The trial court ruled against them, and the Fourth District Court affirmed.	Broward County
State of Florida v. Daniel C. Atkinson SC01-1775 View briefs in Acrobat format by clicking the case number(s) here	Approx. 10:30	Atkinson was sentenced to prison time for sexual offenses. He was in prison when the Jimmy Ryce Act took effect, but a court later determined he should have been released earlier. Nevertheless, the State evaluated him and determined that he was a sexually violent predator likely to reoffend. He then was civilly committed under the Jimmy Ryce Act. He challenged his commitment, but the trial court denied his claim. The Second District Court reversed but certified the issue to the Supreme Court.	Polk County
Jonathan Huey Lawrence v. State of Florida SC00-1827 View briefs in Acrobat format by clicking the case number(s) here	Approx. 11:10	Lawrence was charged with the May 1998 murder of Jennifer Robinson. He pled guilty, and a jury recommended 11-to-1 that he be sentenced to death. The trial judge agreed. This is his direct appeal.	Santa Rosa County

Florida Supreme Court Oral Arguments
Friday, April 5, 2002
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

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