Jorge LaBarga Archives

Jim RosicaNovember 29, 2017

The “hot mic” has gone cold. In a one-sentence order, the Florida Supreme Court denied Gov. Rick Scott’s request to disqualify Justice Barbara Pariente from a pending case over his judicial appointment power. “The respondent’s motion to disqualify Justice Pariente is hereby denied,” it said, without elaboration. Scott “expects all judges to be fair and impartial,” […]

Jim RosicaNovember 28, 2017

“There is no there there” in Gov. Rick Scott‘s complaint that Florida Supreme Court Justice Barbara Pariente is biased against him, say the plaintiffs in a case over his judicial appointment power. The League of Women Voters of Florida and Common Cause Florida responded Tuesday to Scott’s motion for disqualification against Pariente. It was filed earlier this month by […]

Jim RosicaNovember 20, 2017

Gov. Rick Scott is moving to remove Florida Supreme Court Justice Barbara Pariente from a legal challenge to his judicial appointment power, saying she’s biased against him. Daniel Nordby, Scott’s general counsel, filed a motion for disqualification Monday. Scott’s decision follows Pariente “making disparaging remarks after the conclusion of the oral argument in this case on […]

Jim RosicaNovember 14, 2017

A conservative watchdog says it’s filed a public records request for emails from Justice Barbara Pariente and Chief Justice Jorge Labarga after what it calls “the justices’ overt political bias.” The D.C.-based Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT) late Monday released a copy of its request to the Florida Supreme Court. It asks for copies of […]

Bob SparksNovember 9, 2017

What a year we’re having in Florida’s capital city. Just not in a good way. In April, we had the sad spectacle of Miami Republican Sen. Frank Artiles resigning from the Senate after uttering racial slurs in the direction of Jacksonville Democrat Audrey Gibson. Less than two weeks ago, incoming Senate Democratic Leader Jeff Clemens […]

Jim RosicaNovember 7, 2017

An attorney for Gov. Rick Scott has filed a public records request with the state Supreme Court over last week’s ambiguous “hot mic” conversation between Chief Justice Jorge Labarga and Justice Barbara Pariente. But Scott stopped short Tuesday of saying whether he will ask the two justices to recuse themselves from further involvement in a case over […]

Staff ReportsSeptember 6, 2017

All Florida state courts will be closed Friday as Hurricane Irma approaches and threatens most of the state, Chief Justice Jorge Labarga said Wednesday, citing the safety of court users, court staff and judges. An administrative order signed by Labarga includes a general statewide extension of legal time limits that cannot be met because of the […]

Jim RosicaJuly 5, 2017

The new president of The Florida Bar says the organization is standing by to offer “technical legal” support to the Constitution Revision Commission as it readies to amend the state’s governing document, which could include changes affecting the judicial branch. But Michael J. Higer, a partner in Berger Singerman’s Miami office, won’t say which public […]

Staff ReportsJune 19, 2017

The Florida Bar‘s Annual Convention begins Wednesday at the Boca Raton Resort & Club, with “a focus on the future of the legal profession and the challenges lawyers face,” the organization said in a news release. On Friday, Miami attorney Michael J. Higer will be sworn in as the Bar’s 69th president, and West Palm Beach attorney Michelle […]

Jim RosicaJune 14, 2017

When Gov. Rick Scott appointed a conservative jurist to the state’s Supreme Court in December, he made clear he wasn’t done. “I will appoint three more justices the morning I finish my term,” he said, referring to the mandatory retirement in early 2019 of the court’s liberal-leaning triumvirate of Justices Barbara Pariente, Peggy A. Quince and […]

Tag: Jorge LaBarga
Image via Florida Phoneix, Michael Molina.

Barbara Pariente to stay on Rick Scott judicial appointments case

Plaintiffs pooh-pooh Rick Scott’s bias concern in judicial appointments case

Rick Scott moves to throw Barbara Pariente off judicial appointments case

Right-leaning watchdog now wants judicial emails after ‘hot mic’

Supreme Court brings new meaning to ‘oral arguments’

Rick Scott won’t say if he’ll seek recusals over Supreme Court ‘hot mic’ incident

All Florida courts to close Friday

Florida Bar will focus on ‘protecting the courts’ during constitutional revision process

Florida Bar holds annual convention this week

Progressive groups sue over Rick Scott’s judicial appointment power