The Democrat who narrowly lost a state House election in South Florida said Wednesday he may challenge the race result over revelations that his Republican opponent purchased a new condominium outside the district and signed a banking agreement requiring him to live there as his principal residence for at least …
Read More »Redondo condo? GOP candidate wins state House race in South Florida amid questions over district residency
A well-funded Republican lawyer won a closer-than-expected election Tuesday to Florida’s House in a heavily leaning GOP district in South Florida, amid questions about the lawmaker-elect’s residency. Michael David Redondo, 38, of Miami, won with 52% of the vote in the low-turnout special election for House District 118, with all …
Read More »Florida Supreme Court rules police, crime victims can’t keep their names secret under Marsy’s Law
In a major ruling with broad implications across Florida, the state’s Supreme Court said Thursday that a constitutional amendment voters passed in 2018 known as “Marsy’s Law” does not guarantee victims of crimes a categorical right to keep their names secret. The justices said the amendment’s provisions to allow crime …
Read More »Sheriff who can’t carry a gun? Felon runs to become Florida county’s top cop
A long-shot candidate — one who can’t legally carry a gun and would not be qualified to work as a deputy because of his felony record — is campaigning to become Alachua County’s top law enforcement official despite questions over whether his candidacy is even lawful. Tyrone Randy Johnson Jr., …
Read More »Autopsy: Felon who was GOP congressional nominee in South Florida died from overdose
Family members of a Republican congressional nominee in South Florida are mourning the death of a man they described as a loving father who wrestled with addiction. Newly released police and autopsy records show he died of a fentanyl and cocaine overdose after relapsing into using drugs. “I just love …
Read More »Pro-Palestinian student group at University of Florida sues DeSantis to block shutdown orders
A pro-Palestinian student organization at the University of Florida sued state officials Thursday in federal court over what it described as an illegal order by the DeSantis administration to shut it down. In a related legal maneuver, the group separately asked a judge to immediately block the state’s efforts to …
Read More »University of Florida bans from campus teaching assistant accused of vandalizing pro-Israel flag
The University of Florida banned a graduate student who is a teaching assistant from campus for three years after campus police accused him of vandalizing a pro-Israel sign by a predominantly Jewish fraternity. Simon Nicholas Lowry, 24, of Gainesville is facing two misdemeanor counts of criminal mischief involving the incident …
Read More »Citing legal fears, Florida universities push back on DeSantis order to shut down pro-Palestinian campus groups
In a highly unusual move, two of Florida’s biggest universities are pushing back against the DeSantis administration over its orders to shut down pro-Palestinian student organizations on campus, citing lawyers’ advice warning that administrators could face personal legal liability if they followed what might be an unconstitutional directive. Gov. Ron …
Read More »Panic in the plaza: New videos show chaos of stampede at UF peace vigil, reveal police secretly investigating suicide-bomb threat
The first substantial videos to emerge from a panicked stampede at the University of Florida during a nighttime vigil for Israelis killed in the Hamas attacks show waves of terrified students sprinting out of their shoes, discarding phones and water bottles and colliding with startled and confused police officers who …
Read More »Florida law making gun carry permits optional leads to dramatic drop in safety classes
Floridians no longer need a permit to carry a concealed firearm, and gun owners are overwhelmingly opting out of the safety and educational training once required for a license. Firearms instructors are seeing a dramatic drop in student sign ups for such courses, which teach safety and explain the state’s …
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