A.G. Gancarski
The city of Jacksonville filed a motion Monday for the disqualification of trial judge Adrian Soud in a court case challenging the city’s Human Rights Ordinance.
A day later, the Liberty Counsel retorted, filing its own motion impeaching the credibility of the city’s arguments.
The HRO was expanded to include the LGBT community on Feb. 14.
Soon thereafter, what the city calls an “instant lawsuit” was filed by the Liberty Counsel.
And that case challenging the expanded HRO was referred to Judge Soud, whose mother — a former Jacksonville City Council member — was among the most active opponents of the HRO, even holding a press conference on the steps of City Hall expressing opposition.
Ginger Soud and Liberty Counsel lawyer Roger Gannam are directors of a non-profit: the “Jacksonville Alliance,” a pressure group promoting the “application of traditional Christian values.”
Gannam was also presented as a “legal expert” warning against the HRO by Mrs. Soud.
The First Baptist Church opposed HRO expansion — and the Souds are prominent members, with the judge and his father holding trustee positions.
The city fears that Soud cannot, given his associations and his philosophical orientation, rule fairly on the case — thus meriting disqualification.
The Liberty Counsel has a different view, as its own motion indicated.
The city’s motion “identifies no disqualifying relationship between Judge Soud and any person in connection with the matter before the Court, which is the validity of the HRO based on the process of its adoption by the Jacksonville City Council.”
The city filing, claims the Liberty Counsel, “flounders about for rationale, ultimately betting on two relationships as ostensible grounds for disqualification … contortion and misrepresentation to make something out of nothing.”
“With respect to Judge Soud’s mother, the Motion falls far short of establishing any legally cognizable grounds for disqualification. The Motion shows no identifiable economic or legal interest of Ms. Soud that could be substantially affected by this case. The Motion does not contain a single allegation of involvement by Mrs. Soud with the Plaintiff, or in the filing or maintenance of the lawsuit, and does not contain any allegation that Mrs. Soud could receive or lose any remuneration, office, position, or other benefit depending on the outcome of the lawsuit,” the Liberty Counsel asserts.
As well, the Liberty Counsel asserts that allegations of a Ginger Soud/Roger Gannam axis are overblown: “they show only that Ginger Soud and the undersigned were both directors for a Christian nonprofit—not a business—and not more recently than 2014.”
The Liberty Counsel also questions the timeliness of the city’s objection, framing it as a desperate attempt to undermine a judge who should not be precluded from hearing the case.
6 comments
Avery
April 5, 2017 at 6:23 am
WHY HE CAN’T THAT’S THE PERFECT person for the job his chain values are need LGBT is not right for Jacksonville HRO AND THAT NEEDS TO BE DEALT WITH IN A BIGGER LEVEL NOT HERE THE BIBLE TELLS YOU THAT NOW WHAT IS FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OBJECTIONS THE BIGGEST CROOKS IN DUVAL MAC BRONSON TRYING TO HAVE A BLOGGER KILLED MUST WE NOT FORGET 🤔
Malvern
April 5, 2017 at 9:43 pm
Where did you get this FAKE NEWS? Where is your proof? You are a LIAR
The issue in relation to TITHES is FAKE NEWS. An again I will call another person a LIAR!
DO you prescribe to IGNORANT Daily?
Aredirect any of you members of First Baptist Church of Downtown Jacksonville of course not!
Before you all show how ultimately IGNORANT be a member not “CUPCAKES and WHINERS outside of First Baptist Church of Downtown Jacksonville.
State all of your RESPONSIBLE NEWS SOURCES!
Avery
April 5, 2017 at 6:28 am
His Christian values are perfect for the job as well respected as he is everybody should say no TO LGBT THINK ABOUT IT MUCH AS I’VE BEEN STEPPED ON BY DUDES SISSIES JUST FOR TRYING TO RESPECT THEM THEY WILL USE THAT AGAINST AMERICA AND ANYBODY CHANCE THEY GET AS LEVERAGE OR AN ADVANTAGE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE SYSTEM EVEN OF UNDERSTANDING
Avery
April 5, 2017 at 6:31 am
First Baptist church BEEDS TO GIVE ALL THEM PEOPLE THERE ACCOUNTS BACK AND LET THEM TITHE WHEN NEEDED NOT WHEN A DICTATOR WANTS THEM TO OR FOR HIS FINANCIAL GAIN.ILLEGAL HE BEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED EVERYBODY WANTS TO BE THE BIGGER PREACHER🤔 I’M FUCKING PISSED
Kevin
April 5, 2017 at 11:36 am
FACTS:
~ Jax was, until the recent vote, the largest US city w/o an HRO.
~ That was known, and noted, by the business community in and outside of Jax.
~ I owned a biz with 1200 employees and Did Not relocate its HQs here when I moved here… because I Could Not.
~ Top national talent would not follow me to here.
~ Our reputation was/is that of a regressive community, hostile to human rights. Passage of the HRO has been noted and is helping to change that view.
~ The hostility toward the LQBTQI community is Interpreted by others, right or wrong, as hostility to Women and Minorities ALSO, as human rights are human rights.
The HRO is good for business and employment.
Further, I have clergy in my family, and respect religion in Places Of Worship (which includes synagogues, mosques, and churches) and in Homes. It, however, has no place in public policy or the practices or positions taken by governmental bodies. Erosion of the separation of church and state is Always a bad idea. Christians who advocate for religious intrusion into public life will realize this in time as “Protestant Christians sometime between 2000-2010 became Less than 50% of Americans” (exact year unknown because the big, reliable surveys done only every 10 years; they’re expensive to do). As that segment of the population continues to decline in size and influence those in it will not then themselves want public policies hostile to Christian faith to prevail. Walk in other’s shoes for a moment, be careful what you wish for it could boomerang on yourself, be inclusive now and always, be kind.
David Vandygriff
April 5, 2017 at 3:44 pm
Oh my to see the City of Jacksonville call out prejudice and discrimination against a Soud. Guess by the Attorney for the City of Jacksonville asking for Judge Sound to be removed one can say he believes there would prejudice against the HRO by a sitting Judge in Jacksonville when dealing with LGBTQIA. Who would’ve thought such. Even Rep Kim Daniels voted yesterday to support LGBT Rights on Ride Share Programs through-out the State of Florida.
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