In a brief filed Monday, lawyers for the Department of Corrections argued that the law allows Florida to scrap the kosher meals because of the financial burden placed on the “cash-strapped agency.” The state has spent more than $200,000 on the lawsuit so far.
police state
New, Panopticon-Like 272-Bed Flagler County Jail Set to Lock Up First Inmate by Fall 2015
The new county jail, estimated to cost less than $20 million, will be paired with renovated administrative spaces on land that may accommodate two additional “pods” totaling 500 more beds, should needs arise later this century.
Drive to Scrap Red-Light Cameras by Referendum Ends as Palm Coast Grapples With Consequences of Severing Contract
Palm Coast’s contract with ATS to run the city’s red-light cameras runs through September 2019 but is mostly silent on monetary penalties should the city opt out. An earlier version of the contract had granted Palm Coast the authority to end it without cause, but the city inexplicably scrapped that provision in 2012.
Palm Coast Memo on Red-Light Camera Clash With Court Shows Missteps and Assumptions
The City of Palm Coast today submitted a 16-page memo to Flagler County Judge Melissa Moore-Stens explaining, without apologies, its absence from a hearing before the judge on April 30, an absence it sought to justify while hinting at blaming the court for being unclear about its intentions.
Palm Coast Council May Consider Red-Light Camera Referendum, But Wants More Talk
There were no dramatic moves Tuesday evening among council members or from the city manager. A dozen members of the public addressed the issue, as did City Manager Jim Landon, as did most of the council members and the mayor. But in the end, the most conclusive action was that the council should talk the matter over more thoroughly at a workshop soon.
Mayor and City Manager Rethink Red-Light Cameras’ Fate as Council Member Proposes Referendum
With City Manager Landon saying drivers are feeling harassed by red-light cameras, Mayor Netts losing faith in their original purpose and council member Bill McGuire proposing an outright referendum on the matter, the backlash against ATS’s cameras has become so strong that the council will next week discuss the possibility of eliminating them.
Federal Order Formalizes Agreement Between Flagler Sheriff and ACLU Ending Postcard-Only Mail at Jail
Flagler County Sheriff Jim Manfre had nothing to do with a sadistic postcard-only mail policy at the Flagler County jail when he was targeted by an ACLU lawsuit charging First Amendment violations. A federal judge formalized the final settlement of that lawsuit on Thursday.
Despite Parental Notification Law, Court Finds Room for Teens to Protect Privacy When Seeking Abortion
Florida voters in 2004 approved a constitutional amendment that requires parents to be notified before their minor daughters can have abortions. But an appeals court ruling released Friday shows how far teens can go to challenge the law–and preserve their privacy when seeking an abortion.
As Baker Acting of Children Soars, Flagler School Board Grapples With Perceptions of “Outrage”
Baker Acts involving children in schools has reached 32 so far this year, three times more than last year, prompting one school board member to call herself “outraged” at the police-led manner in which most such Baker Acts are carried out, even with teens and younger children.
Red-Light Cameras Won’t Be Repealed This Year, But Restrictions on Profits May Yet Pass
Red-light cameras’ powerful lobby defeated Senate Transportation Chairman Jeff Brandes’s attempt to end the use of the devices, but several proposed restrictions are still moving through the Legislature, such as limiting profits to safety uses and requiring safety studies before cameras can be installed.