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Oral Argument Press Summaries
October 4, 7-11, 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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phone numbers of attorneys in these cases are available in Acrobat
format.
![[ETCHING: SUPREME COURT OF FLORIDA]](press1.gif)
Robert
Craig Waters, Director of Public Information
(850) 414-7641
Florida Supreme Court Ceremonial
Session
Friday, October 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 |
| Lawrence Taylor v. School
Board of Brevard County
SC01-1924
View briefs in Acrobat
format by clicking the case number(s) here |
9:00 |
Taylor sued the school board
for injuries allegedly occurring when he was working as a school bus attendant
when a wheel-chair lift fell and injured his head and body. The trial court
dismissed the claim based on its finding that Taylor's remedy was solely
through worker's compensation. The Fifth District Court affirmed. |
Brevard County |
| Ian Deco Lightbourne
v. State of Florida
SC01-553
View briefs in Acrobat
format by clicking the case number(s) here |
Approx. 9:40 |
Lightbourne was tried, convicted,
and sentenced to death for the January 1981 murder of Nancy A. O'Farrell.
His sentence was affirmed on appeal. He now challenges its validity. |
Marion County |
| Joel Diaz v. State of
Florida
SC01-278
View briefs in Acrobat
format by clicking the case number(s) here |
Approx. 10:30 |
Diaz was charged with the
October 1997 murder of Charles Shaw and related crimes. The jury found
him guilty and recommended the death penalty 9-to-3. The trial court sentenced
him to die. This is his direct appeal. |
Lee County |
| Case |
Time |
Facts & Issues |
Place of Origin |
| Allstate Insurance Co.
v. Dino Kaklamanos
SC01-2444|
SC02-198
View briefs in Acrobat
format by clicking the case number(s) here |
9:00 |
These cases involve suits
arising after Allstate declined to pay medical bills it deemed excessive
in connection with claims filed under auto insurance policies. In both
cases, the trial courts agreed with Allstate. On appeal, however, the First
District reversed while the Second District declined to review the case
based on similar facts. |
Escambia County
Pinellas County |
| Paul Anthony Brown v.
State of Florida
SC01-1275|
SC01-2713
View briefs in Acrobat
format by clicking the case number(s) here |
Approx. 9:40 |
Brown was tried, convicted,
and sentenced to death for the November 1992 murder of Roger Hensley in
Ormand Beach. His conviction and sentence were affirmed on appeal. He now
challenges its validity. |
Volusia County |
| State of Florida v. Leon
Robinson
SC01-2620
View briefs in Acrobat
format by clicking the case number(s) here |
Approx. 10:30 |
Robinson was tried and convicted
of carjacking and kidnaping when he took a car in which the driver had
left her 19-month-old child when she went into a store. The state sought
to have him declared a sexual predator even though the State conceded there
was no evidence of a sexual advance on the child. The trial court agreed,
but the Fourth District Court reversed. |
Broward County |
| Paul Fitzpatrick v. State
of Florida
SC00-2589
View briefs in Acrobat
format by clicking the case number(s) here |
Approx. 11:10 |
In 1996, Fitzpatrick was
charged with the February 1980 murder of Gerald Hollinger. The jury found
him guilty and later recommended the death penalty 8-to-4. The trial judge
imposed it. This is Fitzpatrick's direct appeal. |
Pinellas County |
| Case |
Time |
Facts & Issues |
Place of Origin |
| Ivan Martinez v. Florida
Power & Light
SC01-1505|
SC01-1955
|
SC01-1956
View briefs in Acrobat
format by clicking the case number(s) here |
10:00 |
These cases involve the
issue of whether people can sue owners of street lights after allegedly
being injured partly because those lights were not properly maintained. |
Miami-Dade County
Duval County |
| Floyd Damren v. State
of Florida
SC01-1469
| SC01-2808
View briefs in Acrobat
format by clicking the case number(s) here |
Approx. 10:40 |
Damren was tried, convicted,
and sentenced to death for the May 1994 murder of Don Miller. His conviction
and sentence were affirmed on appeal. He now challenges its validity. |
Clay County |
| Michelle Hausmann v.
L.M. & J.M.
SC01-2749
View briefs in Acrobat
format by clicking the case number(s) here |
Approx. 11:30 |
This case involves the question
of whether grandparents of a minor child, who have filed a petition for
adoption, should be allowed to intervene in an adoption petition filed
by another couple. Another issue presented is whether the grandparents
have priority in the adoption proceeding. |
Palm Beach County |
| Case |
Time |
Facts & Issues |
Place of Origin |
| Florida Industrial Power
Users Group v. Lila A. Jaber
SC02-187
View briefs in Acrobat
format by clicking the case number(s) here |
9:00 |
This case involves legal
issues surrounding the Florida Public Service Commission's regulation of
an electric utility and an affiliate unregulated merchant plant. |
Leon County |
| West Florida Electric
Cooperative Ass'n v. E. Leon Jacobs, Jr.
SC02-176
View briefs in Acrobat
format by clicking the case number(s) here |
Approx. 9:40 |
This case involves a territorial
dispute between West Florida Electric Cooperative and Gulf Power Co. over
service to a 35-acre facility operated by Florida Gas Transmission (FGT)
at Hinson's Crossroads in Washington County. The Cooperative has provided
service to FGT since 1962. In 1995, Enron Corporation expressed an interest
in a venture with FGT. Enron preferred that service to this new venture
be provided by Gulf Power. The case came before the PSC, which ultimately
ruled in favor of Gulf Power. |
Washington County
Pensacola connection |
| J.B. Parker v. State
of Florida
SC01-172
View briefs in Acrobat
format by clicking the case number(s) here |
Approx. 10:30 |
Parker was tried, convicted,
and sentenced to death for the April 1982 murder of Frances Julia Slater.
His conviction was affirmed on appeal, but later his case was sent back
for a new sentencing due to errors in the first one. At the resentencing
the jury recommended the death penalty 11-to-1 and the trial judge imposed
it. Parker appeals. |
Martin County |
| Willie Seth Crain, Jr.
v. State of Florida
SC00-661
View briefs in Acrobat
format by clicking the case number(s) here |
Approx. 11:10 |
Crain was charged with the
September 1998 murder of Amanda Victoria Brown. At trial he was found guilty,
and the jury unanimously recommended the death penalty, which the judge
imposed. This is his direct appeal. |
Hillsborough County |