|
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
Monday, May 3, 2010
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 |
Andrew Krause v. Textron Financial Corp.
SC09-881
View briefs in Acrobat format by clicking the case number(s)
here
|
9:00 |
Mr. Krause and others sued Textron in state court seeking to recover proceeds
from sale of their country club memberships. The state court ruled that the
lawsuit was barred because it was filed after Florida's five-year statute of
limitations expired. Mr. Krause and others appealed, arguing that federal law
suspended the statute of limitations while the case was in bankruptcy court. The
Second District Court of Appeal upheld the trial court. This appeal followed. |
Collier County |
Clarence Dennis v. State of Florida
SC09-941
View briefs in Acrobat format by clicking the case number(s)
here
|
Approx. 9:40 |
Mr. Dennis was convicted of felony battery and sentenced to five years in prison.
Before his trial, he argued the case should be dismissed under Florida's "Stand
Your Ground" law because he was defending himself from an attack. Prosecutors,
however, disputed that was true. Citing that dispute, the trial judge denied Mr.
Dennis' motion. The Fourth District Court of Appeal upheld that ruling but also
certified conflict with a ruling by the First District Court of Appeal. |
Okeechobee County |
Zenaida Gomez v. City of Pinecrest
SC09-1401
View briefs in Acrobat format by clicking the case number(s)
here
|
Approx. 10:30 |
The village of Pinecrest seized a rental property owned by Ms. Gomez after
discovering marijuana growing in the house. She argued that she had no
knowledge of the illegal activity. The trial court ruled the village had probable
cause under Florida's Contraband and Forfeiture Act to seize the house. The Third
District Court of Appeal upheld the trial court, concluding that knowledge of
illegal activity was not required to seize the property; knowledge would have to
proven at the second stage of the forfeiture proceedings. The Third District
acknowledged its decision was in conflict with other DCAs on the issue of
whether knowledge was required to seize the property. This appeal followed.
|
Miami-Dade County |
Charles Mendenhall v. State of Florida
SC09-400
View briefs in Acrobat format by clicking the case number(s)
here
|
Approx. 11:10 |
Mr. Mendenhall was sentenced to 35 years in prison with a 35-year mandatory
minimum for attempted second-degree murder with a firearm under Florida's
10-20-Life law. He challenged the sentence, arguing that the harshest penalty
allowed in his case was 30 years with a 25-year mandatory minimum. The trial
court agreed. The Fifth District Court of Appeal later ruled that the trial court
erred when it reduced the original sentence because the harshest penalty allowed
by the law was life imprisonment. |
Lake County |
Florida Supreme Court Oral Arguments
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
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 |
Khalid Ali Pash v. State of Florida
SC08-1129
View briefs in Acrobat format by clicking the case
number(s) here
|
9:00 |
Mr. Pasha was convicted of the first-degree murders of his wife, Robin Canady,
and step-daughter, Reneesha Singleton, who were fatally stabbed and beaten in
August 2002. The jury voted 7-5 to recommend a death sentence for each murder
and the trial court condemned him. This is his direct appeal. He raises two issues. |
Hillsborough County |
Katherine Kaaa v. Joseph Kaaa
SC09-967
View briefs in Acrobat format by clicking the case
number(s) here
|
Approx. 10:00 |
Katherine and Joseph Kaaa lived in a home that the husband purchased before
their marriage. When they divorced after 27 years of marriage, the trial court concluded that the home remained a nonmarital asset, and the wife was entitled to
none of the market-driven appreciation in the home's value. The Second District
Court of Appeal upheld the trial court. The Second District certified that its
decision conflicts with a decision from the First District Court of Appeal. |
Hillsborough County |
Wayne Atkinson v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
SC09-1956
View briefs in Acrobat format by clicking the case
number(s) here
|
Approx. 10:40 |
Mr. Atkinson and others sued Wal-Mart, seeking to recover life insurance benefits
Wal-Mart was paid after the deaths of their relatives, who had worked for
Wal-Mart as rank-and-file employees. The company had received $66,048 after
the death of Rita Atkinson and $72,820 after the death of Karen Armatrout. A
federal judge ruled the women's families did not have the right to sue under
Florida law. The U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals has asked this Court whether
state law allows such a lawsuit. |
Central Florida |
Dean Kilgore v. State of Florida
SC09-257 | SC09-1552
View briefs in Acrobat format by clicking the case
number(s) here
|
Approx. 11:20 |
Mr. Kilgore was convicted of the first-degree murder of Emerson Jackson, a
fellow prison inmate who was fatally stabbed in 1989. The jury voted 9-3 to
recommend a death sentence and the trial court condemned him. This Court
upheld the sentence on direct appeal and Mr. Kilgore filed a post-conviction
challenge in trial court. It was denied and this appeal followed. He raises various
issues.
Chief Justice Quince is recused.
|
Polk County |
Florida Supreme Court Oral Arguments
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
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 |
In re: Standard Jury Instructions (Products Liability)
SC09-1264
View briefs in Acrobat format by clicking the case
number(s) here
|
9:00 |
The Committee on Standard Jury Instructions in Civil Cases recommends changes
to the jury instructions to be used in product liability lawsuits. The proposed
changes include both new instructions and revised instructions intended to update,
clarify and more clearly express the instructions in plain English.
|
Statewide impact |
Kenneth Louis Dessaure v. State of Florida
SC09-393 | SC09-1551
View briefs in Acrobat format by clicking the case
number(s) here
|
Approx. 10:00 |
Mr. Dessaure was convicted of the first-degree murder of Cindy Riedweg, who
was fatally stabbed in 1999. He waived his rights to have a sentencing hearing
before a jury and to present mitigating evidence and argument in favor of a life
sentence. The trial court condemned him. The death sentence was upheld by this
Court on direct appeal and Mr. Dessaure filed a post-conviction challenge in trial
court. It was denied and this appeal followed. He raises various issues. |
Pinellas County |
Oscar Ray Bolin v. State of Florida
SC08-1963
View briefs in Acrobat format by clicking the case
number(s) here
|
Approx. 10:40 |
Mr. Bolin was convicted of the first-degree murder of Teri Lynn Matthews, who
was fatally beaten and stabbed in 1986, after two earlier convictions were reversed
on appeal. He waived a penalty hearing before a jury and the trial court
condemned him. This Court upheld the third conviction and death sentence on
direct appeal and Mr. Bolin filed a post-conviction challenge in trial court. It was
denied and this appeal followed. Mr. Bolin raises various issues.
Chief Justice Quince is recused.
|
Pasco County |
Florida Supreme Court Oral Arguments
Thursday, May 6, 2010
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 |
|
|
|
|
Florida Supreme Court Oral Arguments
Friday, May 7, 2010
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 |
|
|
|
|
