FLORIDA BAR EXAM Two days before it was scheduled, the Florida Board of Bar Examiners, with the approval of the Supreme Court, postponed the August 19th bar examination until a date in October. The Florida Bar is looking to provide a supervised practice program for recent graduates. As a result, on August 19th, dozens of attorneys asked the Florida Supreme Court to waive a requirement that law school graduates pass the Florida Bar exam to practice law. On August 26th, the Bar rescheduled the exam for October 13th.
TOBACCO SETTLEMENT Judges of Florida’s 4th District Court of Appeal have ruled against the R.J. Reynolds Company. The company must now pay the state $100 million required under the 1997 tobacco settlement. Reynolds sold its cigarette brands to another company and believed that company should be liable. The judges ruled that was not the case based upon the purchase agreement.
APPOINTED COUNTY OFFICES The 1st District Court of Appeal has ruled against Volusia County, which is a charter county. The County sued the State of Florida to stop an approved 2018 constitutional amendment which requires the election of five county offices, including tax collector. Volusia appoints its tax collector. The court ruled the amendment was prospective rather than retroactive, the opposite of the County’s request.