courts

Former Cape Coral council member Patty Cummings will not serve time in jail or prison after pleading guilty to three, third-degree felonies. She also will not have to pay additional fines, which could have been imposed.

Dealing a blow to teachers unions, a federal judge has refused to block part of a new Florida law that prevents union dues from being deducted from workers’ paychecks.Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker on Friday issued a 40-page ruling denying a preliminary injunction sought by the Florida Education Association, the United Faculty of Florida and unions representing employees of the Alachua County, Hernando County and Pinellas County school districts and the University of Florida.

A federal judge listened to more than two hours of arguments Tuesday about whether he should block a new Florida law that restricts people from China from owning property in the state.

The Florida Center for Government Accountability has filed an amicus or "friend of the court" brief with an appeals court to reverse a lower court’s order that allowed Governor Ron DeSantis to block the release of public records by claiming “executive privilege.”The FLCGA partnered with American Oversight, a national foundation for open records and government accountability, and several of Florida’s advocacy groups, to file the brief in the case, J. Doe v. Governor Ron DeSantis.

Fort Myers attorney Chris Crowley filed a petition with Charlotte County Court to unseal grand jury proceedings related to a 2014 Charlotte Correctional inmate's death.

The convictions and sentence of Casey David Crowther, 37, of Fort Myers, on fraud charges related to Covid relief funds have been affirmed by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit in Atlanta in one of the first federal appeals involving a fraudulent COVID-relief loan case.

Conservative political influencer and businessman Francis "Alfie" Oaks has filed a temporary restraining order seeking to prevent the Collier County School Board from entering into a contract with newly selected superintendent, Dr. Leslie C. Ricciardelli.

Four judicial appointments were announced Monday including two in the Twentieth Judicial Circuit covering Southwest Florida.Appointments were also made to the Seventh Judicial Circuit Court and one to the Putnam County Court.

Two Florida businessmen pleaded guilty yesterday to tax evasion., did not report over $3 Million in business receipts

Lawyers for Florida Agency for Health Care Administration Secretary Jason Weida went to the 11th U.S, Circuit Court of Appeals this week after U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle rejected a request to prevent Weida from being deposed by plaintiffs’ attorneys.