Melissa Moore Stens, a candidate for Flagler County judge, has been unfairly criticized for defending Paul Miller, the Flagler Beach man who shot and killed his neighbor over barking dogs. But Paul Miller should be on trial, not his lawyers–or the Sixth Amendment.
Rights & Liberties
Seven Candidates Vying for that Flagler County Judge Seat: The Live Interviews
FlaglerLive interviewed the seven candidates for Flagler County judge: Don Appignani, Craig Atack, Josh Davis, Marc Dwyer, Sharon Feliciano, Melissa Moore-Stens and W. Scott Westbrook. The full interviews are presented.
Why I’d Eat at Chick-fil-A
I’d eat again at Chick-fil-A, just to send a message to the sanctimonious, self-congratulatory organizers of a boycott campaign that is targeting the business, writes columnist Bill Cotterell.
Early Voting Starts in 5 Counties, But Flagler And 61 Others Must Wait Until Saturday
Legislators changed the election law in 2011 and reduced the number of early voting days from 15 to 10. At least two legal challenges have been filed to the early voting dates, though neither is likely to be decided before the primary election, Aug. 14.
Countering 2 Precedents, Florida Court Rules Pregnancy Discrimination Is Not Illegal
Appeals courts in 1991 and 2008 had clearly stated that either the state law’s intent forbids discrimination or federal law, which explicitly forbids it, preempts state law. Yet the appeals court in Miami ruled against a woman fired from her real estate job after she got pregnant.
Palm Coast Takes a Deeper Drag
At Synthetic Marijuana Regulation
Palm Coast Mayor Jon Netts and council member Frank Meeker want Palm Coast and other local governments to jointly tackle the legality of synthetic marijuana even as states are gradually adopting bans on fake-pot sales across the country.
Voter ID Laws: Your Election-Year Guide to Disenfranchisement and Fraud
Voter IDs laws in Florida and 29 other states are a political flashpoint in another close election year, pitting claims of fraud against claims of disenfranchisement. A step back to look at the facts behind the laws and issues at the heart of the debate.
Florida House Candidate Bardley Maxwell Wants Government Employees’ Salaries Kept Secret
Florida House candidate Bradley Maxwell wants to state workers’ salaries and benefits kept secret. He also wants personnel files kept sealed from public view. Maxwell is challenging two-term incumbent state Rep. Michelle Rehwinkel Vasilinda, D-Tallahassee.
As Florida and Other States Privatize Prison Health Services, Care Standards Suffer
Florida and other states, in an attempt to cut costs, are increasingly outsourcing health care for inmates to for-profit companies, but the trend is raising concerns among unions and prisoners’ rights groups.
3 Flagler Beach Commissioners Attend Closed-Door County Staff Meeting, Clouding Sunshine
Commissioners Jane Mealy, Kim Carney and Mayor Linda Provencher attended the July 12 county staff meeting on beach renourishment with the U.S. Corps of Engineers, which was closed to the public. Dennis McDonald, a candidate for the county commission, raised issues with the potential sunshine violation.
Florida’s High Court Affirms Guilty Until Proven Innocent Standard in Drug Possessions
In not requiring “knowledge” of the illegality of whatever they were carrying, the law puts Florida at odds with at least 48 other states that require prosecutors to convince a jury that defendants knew they were carrying illegal drugs.
Cops Spying on Your Cell Phone: Warrantless, Routine, and With Providers’ Complicity
Privacy activists hold that cops’ tracking of cell phones require a search warrant to be constitutional. But the Supreme Court hasn’t ruled on the issue, and Congress has yet to pass a law addressing it.
Editor’s Note: When Comments Are Swift Boats’ Docking Hooks
I’ve been asked why certain comments in the John Pollinger-Anne-Marie Shaffer case were approved, considering their lavish innuendoes and borderline slanders. The decision bears explaining in light of this year’s distinctly foul election season.
Palm Coast’s Pre-2010 Red-Light Camera Fines in Question Following Latest Court Decision
The 5th District Court of Appeal in Daytona Beach on Friday found Orlando’s red-light traffic cameras illegal before they were standardized by a state law in 2010. Palm Coast’s set up was similar to Orlando’s. But the decision does not affect the current camera set up or the fine structure.
FHP’s Crackdown and the Prohibitionist Politics of Drunk Driving: A Dissent
Taking aim at today’s deployment of 40 FHP troopers on I-95, Darrell Smith calls the targeting of people who drink–as opposed to drunk drivers–a brown-shirted example of a police state mentality too readily embraced by the public.
Florida Law Barring Doctors From Asking Patients About Guns at Home Ruled Invalid
The law restricts doctors’ ability to provide truthful, non-misleading information to a patient, U.S. District Judge Marcia Cooke ruled. The “docs-vs-glocks” law was backed by the NRA and signed by Gov. Rick Scott in 2011.
Student-Led School Prayers Are Now Legal, But Fear of Litigation Could Trump God
The new Florida school prayer law lets local school districts approve policies allowing students to deliver prayers at school events, but districts aren’t likely to approve such measures for fear of costly litigation.
U.S. Supreme Court Upholds Health Care Reform, a Major Victory for Obama and the Uninsured
Chief Justice John Roberts joined the left of the U.S. Supreme Court in upholding the 2010 health care reform law, including the individual mandate. The Roberts ruling narrowed the allowance under tax rules, as opposed to the commerce clause. But the entire law was upheld.
Red-Light Camera Ticket Revenue:
Palm Coast, 14%, Private Company, 86%
American Traffic Solutions, which runs Palm Coast’s red-light traffic cameras, will make up to $4,250 per camera per month, while Palm Coast makes just $700. Still, the Palm Coast City Council is ready to sign a seven-year deal.
Florida Professors Still Can’t Travel to Cuba On State’s Dime; Low IQ Execution Cleared
Three Florida cases are the many the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear, which means a ban on Florida university faculty’s travel to Cuba stands, as does Florida’s authority to execute a Daytona Beach murderer with an IQ of 70.
Stepping Up Obama Snubs, Scott Says He Won’t Implement Health Care Law in Florida
As the Supreme Court prepares to hand down its decision on Obama’s health care reform law, Gov. Rick Scott said on a conference call hosted by right-wing think tanks that Florida wouldn’t rush to implement the law.
Poll Pots: Floridians Like Stand Your Ground, And Like Voter Roll Purges Even More
A new Quinnipiac University poll shows Floridian voters support the Scott administration’s ineligible-voter purge by 60-35 percent, and approve the stand your ground law by a 56-37 margin.
Guns in Flagler Parks? Sure. Public Buildings? Absolutely. The County Airport? No Problem.
Flagler County, like Palm Coast and other local governments across the state, are scrapping local gun regulations to comply with a state law that prohibits local governments from regulating guns or ammo in any way. The Flagler County Commission has no choice but to comply as it takes up the issue Monday evening.
Charlie Crist’s Sexuality, and Ours
Rome burns. But the greatest issue before us is whether Charlie is gay. The rumors naturally reveal far more about those who spread them than Crist, argues Maty Jo Melone.
Stop and Frisk Follies
Stop and frisk is a constitutionally suspect police tactic that entails stopping and searching an individual for weapons arbitrarily. The practice disproportionately targets blacks and Latinos while yielding a minimal number of weapons–usually on whites.
Zimmerman’s Wife Arrested for Lying as Stand Your Ground Panel Opens Near Crime Scene
The governor-appointed Stand Your Ground panel held its first session near where George Zimmerman killed Trayvon Martin, 17, in February, and on the same day that Shellie Zimmerman was jailed for lying to a judge at a bond hearing about how much money the Zimmermans had.
Facebook, First Amendment Rights and Employers’ Censors: The New Rules
Facebook’s big brothers: As employers develop policies to restrict what employees post on their personal Facebook pages, the federal labor board (NLRB) has found that employees fired or disciplined had engaged in “protected concerted activity” and were punished illegally.
N-Word Reckonings: Wrestling With An Incendiary Word In and Out of Context
This essay on the history of the n-word as weapon is a postscript to the Mockingbird controversy and an introduction to next weekend’s performances. It is presented in the spirit of education, discussion—and, hopefully, debate.
John Locke: A Letter Concerning Toleration (1689)
John Locke: A Letter Concerning Toleration (1689), religious and otherwise.