Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Martin DyckmanMarch 12, 2015

For 13 years, Florida’s death penalty process has been on thin ice at the U.S. Supreme Court. The Legislature has pretended not to notice even though the state Supreme Court sent an early warning. Now, the ice is cracking. On Monday, the high court agreed to consider whether Florida’s law conflicts with its 2002 opinion […]

Martin DyckmanMarch 12, 2015

For 13 years, Florida’s death penalty process has been on thin ice at the U.S. Supreme Court. The Legislature has pretended not to notice even though the state Supreme Court sent an early warning. Now, the ice is cracking. On Monday, the high court agreed to consider whether Florida’s law conflicts with its 2002 opinion […]

Phil AmmannFebruary 27, 2015

An Appeals Court ruled Thursday that the City of Jacksonville does not have to pay owners of a riverfront lot who claim the construction of a fire station lowered the property value. The next stop for the property-rights case could be the Florida Supreme Court. In a 9-5 decision, the 1st District Court of Appeal […]

Martin DyckmanFebruary 15, 2015

The premise underlying Florida’s death penalty is that it will be carried out fairly. To borrow a phrase, that is a bright and shining lie. As the first to re-enact capital punishment after the U.S. Supreme Court struck it down in 1972, Florida’s Legislature provided specific criteria for death sentences and required the state Supreme […]

Martin DyckmanFebruary 15, 2015

The premise underlying Florida’s death penalty is that it will be carried out fairly. To borrow a phrase, that is a bright and shining lie. As the first to re-enact capital punishment after the U.S. Supreme Court struck it down in 1972, Florida’s Legislature provided specific criteria for death sentences and required the state Supreme […]

Martin DyckmanFebruary 9, 2015

Glenn Terrell, a Florida Supreme Court justice for 41 years, kept a thick file with such titles as “God, the Original Segregationist,” “The Bible Answers the Race Question,” and “God Gave the Law of Segregation (as well as the 10 Commandments) to Moses on Mount Sinai.” Upon voting to keep a black man out of […]

Martin DyckmanFebruary 6, 2015

If it’s too early to anoint a presidential front-runner among the Republicans, the national media are obviously treating Jeb Bush as one. Among the in-depth articles already up and running is a Boston Globe inquiry into his teenage years at the elite Phillips Academy nearly half a century ago. Another is a biting review on […]

Martin DyckmanFebruary 5, 2015

If it’s too early to anoint a presidential front-runner among the Republicans, the national media are obviously treating Jeb Bush as one. Among the in-depth articles already up and running is a Boston Globe inquiry into his teenage years at the elite Phillips Academy nearly half a century ago. Another is a biting review on […]

Ryan RayJanuary 29, 2015

Republican state Sen. Lizbeth Benacquisto of Ft. Myers has filed legislation to change course in a difficult area of state law — the legal status of child abuse evidence recorded unbeknownst to the abuser. A recent Florida Supreme Court opinion overruled the conviction of a Lee County man found guilty of sexually abusing his stepdaughter, finding that […]

Phil AmmannJanuary 27, 2015

Attorneys for the Florida Legislature are calling on the Florida Supreme Court to reject proposed redistricting maps submitted by voting-rights groups. Their argument: the maps are a product of influence by Democratic “partisan operatives and political consultants.” In a court filing on Monday, lawyers representing the House and Senate are asking to discard the maps […]

Tag: Florida Supreme Court

Martin Dyckman: Will U.S. Supreme Court rule Florida’s death penalty unconstitutional?

Martin Dyckman: Will U.S. Supreme Court rule Florida's death penalty unconstitutional?

Appeals court sides with City of Jacksonville in property-rights case

Martin Dyckman: Capital punishment in Florida is death by judicial whim

Martin Dyckman: Capital punishment in Florida is death by judicial whim

Martin Dyckman: Reject bigotry and evil perpetrated in name of religion

Martin Dyckman: Jeb Bush’s behavior in the Schiavo case is unworthy of a governor — or a president

Martin Dyckman: Jeb Bush’s behavior in the Schiavo case is unworthy of a governor — or a president

Lizbeth Benacquisto introduces bill to tweak evidence standards in child abuse cases

Re-redistricted maps are a product of Democratic meddling, Legislature tells court

Florida politics had 11 questions before federal qualifying week. Here are the answers.