Jacksonville Bold for 5.14.25: Legal issues

Jacksonville, Florida, USA downtown city skyline at dusk.

While the 2025 Legislative Session languishes in limbo, court dockets and investigations are much livelier.

That’s one takeaway from recent events, including the vindication of a member of Congress in a defamation case.

At the same time, the sitting Jacksonville Mayor continues to play semantics over the responsibility for a controversial (and possibly illegal) gun registry at two Jacksonville buildings.

Last year, Maleana Gay accused Randy Fine of defamation.

Gay claimed that Fine accused her of having an “unabashed Nazi” as a running mate in a race for Republican State Committeewoman in August 2024. Gay also alleged Fine said she had “endorsed an avowed bigot” and supported an “unrepentant antisemite,” and that he sent an email “that implied she was an antisemite.”

GrayRobinson, Fine’s law firm, noted that the alleged comments were protected by Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPP) statutory language, which “precludes any person from filing a lawsuit arising from the exercise of free speech in connection with a public issue.”

In the end, Gay’s team couldn’t successfully process serve Fine, and the case is now closed, with Gay looking to dismiss with prejudice.

Meanwhile, Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan’s curious defense in the ongoing imbroglio over a gun registry maintained for most of her term at City Hall and the Yates Building continues to raise questions, including about who’s minding the store in the St. James Building.

In an interview with WJCT on Tuesday, she said she wasn’t aware of the issue, claiming that a “city employee” was somehow empowered to compel the security team to keep records of people carrying guns into government buildings.

“It wasn’t a policy, necessarily. It was a, you know, ‘This is the step that we’re going to take to comply with this new law.’ I think that was my supposition from simply what I know, what I’ve seen is that this new law was going to go into place. I guess there was a response from the security folks of, ‘Here’s how we’re going to try to keep people safe.’”

The “directive” may cost a lot of money.

Florida Statutes 790.335 bans registries under threat of criminal and civil penalties, including potential “felony of the third degree” charges and “a fine of not more than $5 million” via a civil action from the Attorney General.

Gov. Ron DeSantis sees this as a bigger issue than the Mayor’s Office does. He says he wants “consequences” for the “unlawful” registry.

Stay tuned, as the Governor often says, to see what those consequences look like.

Bench bound

DeSantis has picked Lauren Blocker to fill the vacant seat on the 7th Circuit bench.

Here’s the Governor’s Office framing — if you need a refresher for her resume.

“Blocker has served as a County Judge for St. Johns County since 2021. Previously, she was Corporate Counsel for Fidelity Information Services, LLC. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida and her Juris Doctor from Florida Coastal School of Law. Blocker fills the judicial vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Matthew Foxman.”

Foxman stepped down for health reasons late last year.

Blocker, who comes from a family tradition of litigants, had been appointed St. Johns County Judge after a third judgeship was created in 2021, as the St. Augustine Record reported.

Her husband is former St. Johns County Commission Chair Jeremiah Blocker.

Fraudsters foiled

Attorney General James Uthmeier has ridden local streets of two alleged Medicaid fraudsters.

Per a press release: “The Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) is charging Hector Luis Sanchez Gonzalez and Juan Carlos Vilchez Montiel, who were both arrested for their roles in a coordinated scheme to defraud Florida’s Medicaid program out of hundreds of thousands of dollars in non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) claims.”

They allegedly inflated their reimbursement amounts by paying Medicaid recipients to list pickup locations farther away than where they lived.

“Florida’s Medicaid program is not there to line the pockets of fraudsters gaming the system,” said Uthmeier. “My office will continue to hold criminals accountable, protect taxpayer dollars, and stop those who think they can cheat the people of Florida without consequence.”

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office helped bring the suspects in.

Grant money

Jacksonville is announcing a $15,000 grant from the Southern Cities Economic Initiative (SCEI), a program led by the National League of Cities (NLC) in partnership with the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.

Ambitious plans for the funds are in the works.

“Jacksonville’s small businesses and entrepreneurs are a vital part of our economic landscape — driving innovation, creating jobs and enriching our neighborhoods,” said Deegan. “Through this program, we will be able to expand our reach to underserved groups, implement targeted support strategies and foster meaningful collaboration, tracking our progress along the way. We look forward to being able to strengthen our services and build lasting impact across the city thanks to these resources.”

The money will go to the “Family-Friendly Workplace Recognition Program, which will incentivize local employers to adopt policies that support working families, such as access to child care, transportation benefits and flexible scheduling.”

Ferry fail

While the St. Johns River Ferry suffered a mishap on May 4 that led to a shutdown of the service that extends State Road A1A in North Florida for an indefinite number of days, the closure has now expanded into Summer.

The ferry vessel ran into a boarding ramp on Sunday; officials shut it down immediately. After inspections and a review of the ship and operations, the Jacksonville Transportation Authority says the service will be out of commission for an extended period.

“While the ferry vessel itself remains fully operable, recent assessments have identified the need for significant repairs to the ramp structure,” a JTA press release said Thursday. “Based on current estimates, these repairs are expected to take approximately six to 12 weeks to complete, depending on materials availability and supply chain factors.”

The ferry service is a key component of A1A in North Florida. The vessels transport vehicles and passengers back and forth between the Mayport Village area on the south of the river and the northern slip, which empties onto Fort George Island’s Heckscher Drive in Jacksonville, continuing along the coastline into Nassau County. The service knocks off about a half-hour of road travel for motorists.

JTA officials acknowledge the ferry’s key transportation element for commuters in North Florida and ask residents to stay put while repairs are conducted.

“We recognize the vital role the St. Johns River Ferry plays in our community and appreciate the public’s patience as we work diligently to safely and efficiently restore service,” the press release said.

Manufacturing malaise

Northeast Florida manufacturers reported notable contractions in several key factors in April, according to the latest Jacksonville Economic Monitoring Survey (JEMS) released by the University of North Florida (UNF) Coggin College of Business. The study surveys manufacturers on the First Coast every month to measure performance.

April was rough on the Northeast Florida manufacturing scene as several sectors showed signs of contraction. Output, new orders, new export orders, backlogs of work, finished goods inventory, employment and the 12-month business activity outlook all showed contraction last month.

“Manufacturers in the area reported holding back orders due to uncertainty and adjusting production downward in response to weakening demand. In summarizing the survey, these trends align with national findings, where both demand and output retreated,” said Albert Loh.

Loh oversees the monthly manufacturing survey as the interim Dean of the UNF Business School. He said a common thread among First Coast manufacturers was the specter of increasing trade tariffs that spooked businesses.

“A major theme in both the local and national data is the disruptive impact of tariffs. Jacksonville manufacturers described being ‘squeezed from all sides,’ with rising supplier costs and customers resisting higher prices. This has led to order delays, pricing uncertainty, and increased time spent managing cost models rather than production,” Loh said.

The UNF business college conducts monthly surveys of First Coast manufacturers to determine production levels and other factors.

It’s the third month in a row with troubling manufacturing contraction in several sectors on the First Coast. April’s contraction was higher in several sectors than March’s, though not by much.

According to the UNF findings, some areas were particularly alarming. New orders contracted substantially in April, following an even bigger drop in March.

“In April, Jacksonville’s New Order Index fell to 42 (from an index figure of 47 in March), indicating a significant contraction in the volume of new business orders reported by local firms. A reading below 50 means that relatively more companies are seeing incoming orders dropping compared to the previous month, which is a concerning sign for future production and overall economic activity,” Loh said.

A new jet set

Jacksonville may be getting a new aircraft manufacturer entering the market.

Details are still incomplete, but the Jacksonville Daily Record reports that the unnamed company may consider establishing operations at Cecil Airport. The company, code-named “Project Bluebird” by the Jacksonville Mayor’s office, plans to spend at least $430 million on the plant to build airplanes.

Deegan’s Budget Review Committee is reviewing the proposal for an executive development agreement, and the company is seeking incentives from the city before it commits to building the factory. The type of aircraft that would be assembled in Jacksonville has only been described as a “jet.”

The manufacturing facility would likely employ 1,200 workers and cover about 80 to 100 acres near Cecil Airport. It could be operational within five years.

If the city approves, the proposed facility would be just east of the current Craig Airport compound.

Home sales slow

Single-family home sales fell in April along the First Coast six-county region, both in monthly closings and in the year-over-year comparison.

The Northeast Florida Association of Realtors (NEFAR) released the housing market data for April, and there were 1,825 closed sales of homes in April. That’s down by 8.2% from April 2024, when there were 1,989 homes sold; it was also a drop from March, when there were 1,889 closed sales, a decrease of 3.4%.

There are additional signs the market is starting to become sluggish in home sales, as the active inventory of houses on the market showed notable increases. There were 9,012 houses for sale on the First Coast in April, a sharp 24.5% increase over April 2024’s figure of 7,236 and a 10.2% increase over the March inventory of 8,181.

The median price for a single-family home on the First Coast produced mixed numbers: $389,000. That’s a 2.7% drop from April 2024’s median price of $399,900 but a 2.9% increase over the March median price of $378,000.

Duval County, home to the First Coast’s most populous city of Jacksonville, witnessed notable drops in home sales last month. There were 934 closed sales of single-family houses in April, a 9.2% decline from April 2024’s figure of 1,029 and a drop from the March number of 1,109.

St. Johns County to the south had mixed results in the housing market last month. There were 449 closed single-family home transactions, a 15.1% decrease from April 2024, when there were 529 closed sales. However, the April figure is a modest 1.1% increase from the March number of homes sold, which was 444 in one of the fastest-growing counties in the country.

Nassau County also produced mixed results in April, with 120 closed sales, an 11.8% decline from last year but a 17.6% increase over March.

Clay County saw similar mixed results with 261 closed sales in April, an 11.1% increase from last year but a 1.1% decline from March.

Parks protection perks

An anti-vandalism program designed to protect public parks has cut the rate of incidents in the year since it launched in St. Johns County.

The “Enjoy, Don’t Destroy” effort, which began in March 2024, substantially reduced vandalism at parks in the First Coast. In the program’s first year, St. Johns County officials say they’ve prevented “tens of thousands of in vandalism-related expenses,” according to a county press release this week.

While the Enjoy, Don’t Destroy effort hasn’t completely eradicated malcontents from besmirching public parks, it has reduced the county’s costs. Officials say in the first year of Enjoy, Don’t Destroy, the county has spent about $18,093 on repairs to vandalism at local parks.

While there is a cost, it is a radical reduction from what the county has spent previously. That $18K is a 60% reduction in spending on vandalism at local parks from the previous year.

“When the County doesn’t have to spend time and resources cleaning up after vandals, that means more money for new park projects and amenities,” said St. Johns County Sheriff Robert Hardwick. “Let’s continue to watch out for and report vandals and any vandalism they do.”

The effort was initiated after there were some 250 vandalism incidents at St. Johns County parks the previous year. In 2023 alone, $63,403 was spent repairing damage at parks and nearly another $11,000 was spent on fixing vandalism impacts at parks in the early part of 2024 before the Enjoy, Don’t Destroy program was launched.

One element that has helped the Enjoy, Don’t Destroy campaign is a mobile application developed by the county that allows residents to report vandalism incidents directly on the SJC Connect app. There’s also a non-emergency phone number (904-824-8304) that connects residents to the Sheriff’s Office to file reports of vandalism.

To watch a celebration video, please click the image below:

 

It’s a gas

Crowley is rolling out a new vessel from JaxPort, which will facilitate shipping to and from the Caribbean Basin and Central America.

The new ship Copán, which is expected to handle perishables and has a capacity for 300 refrigerated storage compartments, is fueled by liquefied natural gas (LNG).

“Copán and its sister ships continue our investments to innovate our frequent and fast ocean carrier capabilities to meet the critical needs of customers in the U.S., Central America and the Dominican Republic,” said Brett Bennett, senior vice president and general manager, Crowley Logistics.

“These vessels build on Crowley’s decadeslong commitment to diverse and robust supply chain solutions in the Caribbean Basin while advancing LNG as a solution in the maritime industry’s ongoing energy transition.”

New trades pros

The Northeast Florida Builders Association (NEFBA) heralds 63 new trades professionals via its Apprenticeship Program, which offers four-year training tracks in electrical, plumbing, HVAC and carpentry.

“It’s been inspiring to watch these individuals grow from trainees to skilled-trades professionals. Their work ethic and commitment embody the values NEFBA is proud to foster and grow,” said Christina Thomas, NEFBA’s Director of Workforce Education.

The program has been in place since 1973, and as Northeast Florida has grown, these in-demand skill sets have helped to deploy capital and keep projects on track.

Suicide prevention CEO

The “Here Tomorrow” nonprofit announces Dr. Terrie Andrews is its new CEO.

“It’s an honor to lead Here Tomorrow into its next chapter of impact,” says Dr. Andrews. “We’re focused on scaling our reach while staying rooted in our mission – building a community where every person feels they belong and can lead a life worth living.”

Andrews was formerly the Director of Walmart Health’s national behavioral health program. After a career at Baptist Health, she rose to vice president.

In that sense, this role brings her back to her roots.

Here Tomorrow has worked with Baptist Health for years and helped 2,400 people last year alone.

“By combining immediate peer support with evidence-based care pathways, we’re breaking down barriers to mental health access and advancing the field of suicide prevention,” says Dr. Andrews.

Travis Hunter debuts

The first-round pick gets most of the attention at most NFL rookie minicamps. The Jaguars’ camp over the weekend was no different.

Except it wasn’t.

Yes, the first-round pick, two-way star Travis Hunter, was the player in the spotlight. But the spotlight was brighter than usual for the Jaguars. Across the country, NFL fans wanted to know how Hunter looked in his first exposure to life in the NFL.

The limited number of plays allowed to be shot only served to whet the appetites of fans who wanted to know if Hunter was the real deal.

At this early point in his career, there is no definitive answer.

When asked if Hunter was “as advertised,” first-year head coach Liam Coen was a bit sheepish.

“I would assume,” Coen said. “He ran a route where his shoe came off, which didn’t quite affect him. Made a great catch. It’s more just his presence and the energy he does provide both in the classroom, in the meeting rooms, and also out here on the field. Really hard to tell in this kind of setting, though.”

It’s a pragmatic answer that isn’t going to stoke the flames of excitement. But those flames are already blazing with heightened anticipation for what Hunter can bring to the Jaguars and the NFL.

During the rookie minicamp, Hunter worked exclusively as a wide receiver, the position he would mainly concentrate on as a rookie. However, the Jaguars’ brass said he’ll also get some time at cornerback, starting next week.

“At the end of the day, it’s going to be about, on the defensive side of the ball, communication,” Coen said. “The technique and fundamentals, we’ll continue to harp on, but it’s really about being on the same page as the rest of the guys on the back end from a communication standpoint, and the rest will kind of take care of itself.”

Hunter went from his college graduation (where he wore Jaguars pajama pants under his robe) to rookie minicamp.

“It’s been a blessing to come out here with the guys, with the rookies. Come out here and work every day and try and get better,” Hunter said. “It definitely feels real. Coming out here for this scenery, it’s pretty. It’s hot, it’s what I remember being a little kid out here playing. I love it.”

Hunter’s energy was evident. Sharing the vibes with fellow rookies, dancing to music between drills, and acclimating to a new system, new coaches and new teammates.

“The organization expects a lot out of me,” Hunter said. “They expect me to come out here and play right away. I’m going to do whatever it takes for me to play right away.”

Jacksonville native Edgar Bennett is coaching Hunter as the team’s wide receivers’ coach this offseason. Bennett was a running back at Lee High School, Florida State, and in the NFL with the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears in his NFL career.

Now, he is tasked with developing one of the most intriguing prospects in the NFL in years.

“When I came here, we hit it off right away,” Hunter said. “He’s been in Green Bay. He taught Davante Adams. Seeing him coach a player like that, I know I can learn a lot from him.”

Next up for Hunter is a chance to work with the quarterback who will throw him the ball most often, Trevor Lawrence. He’ll have that chance as the offseason Organized Team Activities (OTAs) begin on May 19.

And he’ll continue to bring energy to the team.

“When he got here after the draft, we got to hang out with him for a little bit there. You felt it right away,” Coen said. “You felt that infectious smile that he has, that he provides, that he brings into the building. Very serious about football. Very serious about his process in order to put himself in a position to ultimately just be in a physical shape to do this and to run forever and to have the stamina and strength to be able to do this at a high level, but you see him out there dancing and having fun. That’s really cool to see.”