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--Judiciary--

SUPREME COURT JUSTICES ARE IN A HOT RACE TO KEEP JOBS-- Tallahassee Democrat, column, http://www.tallahassee.com, Feb. 22, 2012.
The column by Bill Cotterell discusses efforts by a group called Restore Justice 2012 to keep Justices Fred Lewis, Barbara Pariente and Peggy Quince from retaining their seats through merit retention. It states: "Near the bottom of the general election ballot. . . three Supreme Court justices will face the voters next November in elections with far-reaching consequences for Florida's future. The retention referendum deciding whether Justices Fred Lewis, Barbara Pariente and Peggy Quince are to keep their jobs for the next six years — or whether Gov. Rick Scott gets to replace them —appears likely to become the most hotly contested judicial election in more than 20 years. No justice or District Court of Appeals judge has ever been voted off the bench, since Florida switched from competitive elections to the appoint-and-retain model in 1976, but none has faced the kind of organized effort being mounted by a Central Florida group. . . . Pariente, Lewis and Quince have an impressive array of political and legal talent working to keep them on the bench. Three former presidents of The Florida Bar, former Attorney General Bob Butterworth and former Justice Raoul Cantero are among the 'committee of responsible persons' advocating for retention of the three." [Subscription required.]

COUNTY JUDGE FUTCH ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT-- Ocala Star Banner, http://www.ocala.com, Feb. 18, 2012.
Judge John Futch will make his 24th year on the bench his last. The most senior member of the Marion County judiciary has decided to retire from a 40-year career in law during which he served as a judge, prosecutor and defense attorney. The 65 year-old Ocala native said another six years — the length of a judge's term — hearing the county's misdemeanor cases was too long to wait for retirement. Futch officially leaves his post on Jan. 7, 2013. Futch's departure, along with that of Judge Steven Rogers — who is running for Fifth Circuit judge — will leave two vacancies on the county court bench.

MIAMI-DADE METROMOVER STATION RENAMED FOR JUDGE-- WPLG Miami, http://www.local10.com, Feb. 22, 2012.
A Miami-Dade transit station is being renamed in honor of the county's first African-American judge. At a renaming ceremony today, the Arena/State Plaza Metromover station will be renamed the Wilkie D. Ferguson, Jr. Station. Ferguson died in 2003. The renaming will "honor a remarkable public servant" who "helped improve the quality of life for thousands of Florida residents," said Miami-Dade Transit Director Ysela Llort in a news release.

--Legal Profession--

FLORIDA'S FIRST RACIALLY INTEGRATED LAW FIRM HONORED IN JACKSONVILLE-- The Florida Times-Union, http://www.jacksonville.com, Feb. 22, 2012.
When you hear them speak together, it was all "good times." The reality of the 1970s in Jacksonville was that they were five young lawyers whose challenges against the establishment were as unpopular as they were dangerous. Sheppard, Fletcher, Hand & Adams, eventually adding now-Circuit Judge Hugh Carithers as a partner, was the first racially integrated law firm in Florida. It was their courage to do so that the Jacksonville Bar Association honored Tuesday [Feb. 21] during a member luncheon. Hundreds of members of the legal community attended the luncheon. Sitting at the table of honor were the five partners: Carithers, lawyers Bill Sheppard and Jack Hand, former Atlantic Beach Mayor Lyman Fletcher and U.S. District Judge Henry Lee Adams Jr.

--Legislature--

FORECLOSURE BILL NEEDS BIG CHANGES-- The News-Press, editorial, http://www.news-press.com, Feb. 22, 2012.
The editorial states: "Florida needs legislation to speed the resolution of foreclosures. However, the Senate foreclosure bill being fast-tracked toward a vote by the Legislature is not the solution. We urge lawmakers to reject it until protections for homeowners have been strengthened and lenders held to account for fraudulent foreclosures. The bill is too one-sided, in favor of the banks. Rep. Kathleen Passidomo's original foreclosure bill in the House of Representatives was a good start, although we editorialized on the need to strengthen its protections for solvent homeowners trying to negotiate in good faith to keep their homes. . . . The Senate bill, SB 1890, fails to make those improvements."

--Other--

RICHARD LAPIDUS, ATTORNEY, 79-- The Miami Herald, http://www.miamiherald.com, Feb. 22, 2012.
Dick Lapidus was an attorney by profession and an adventurer by nature. In his law practice, he fought overdevelopment. A member of the venerable Explorers Club since he dived the Red Sea in the 1970s, Lapidus wrote guides to the trails near his North Carolina vacation home, ran four marathons and cycled. At 79, Lapidus kept in shape and still practiced law part time. On Friday, he fell getting out of the University of Miami Wellness Center pool, hit his head and died Saturday [Feb. 18]. His daughter said he had "just battled non-Hodgkins lymphoma, and won."

PATRICIA HANAHAN ENGMAN, 69-- The Ledger, http://www.theledger.com, Feb. 22, 2012.
The obituary is for Patricia Hanahan Engman, of Anna Maria, who died of cancer Monday [Feb. 20] at her home. She was 69. She grew up in Lakeland and received her A.B. degree, cum laude, from Coker College in Hartsville, SC and her J.D. from the University of Florida law school in 1969. In 1970, she was assistant to the campaign manager of Lawton Chiles' first "Walkin' Lawton Campaign" for the U.S. Senate and moved to Washington, D.C., in 1971 as a staff attorney for Chiles. In following years, she served as a Congressional liaison officer for the Federal Trade Commission, Counsel for Legislative and Administrative Affairs for Bristol-Myers and as the executive director at The Business Roundtable, an association of CEOs of leading US companies. In 2006 she was appointed by President George W. Bush to a President's Emergency Board to investigate, report and make settlement recommendations in a major dispute between a New York rail carrier and its employees represented by multiple labor unions.

Feb. 21, 2012 Daily News Summary

Feb. 20, 2012 Daily News Summary

Feb. 17, 2012 Daily News Summary

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Feb. 14, 2012 Daily News Summary

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