Debbie Poole was sworn on May 1 as Nassau county judge at the Nassau County Judicial Annex in Yulee. Poole was appointed to the bench March 26 by Gov. Rick Scott to replace Judge Granville “Doc” Burgess, who died Dec. 6. Before the appointment, Poole served as attorney for the City of Fernandina Beach and worked in private practice. (Read Full Article Here)

Roy Black and Mark Shapiro, the lead attorneys for polo mogul John Goodman, have requested to withdraw from the case. The attorneys, who helped Goodman get a new trial to appeal a DUI manslaughter conviction and a 16-year sentence in the death of 23-year-old Scott Wilson, filed a motion on Friday [May 10] stating that they have “completed their representation.” (Read Full Article Here)

Thirty-two applicants have applied for consideration to fill the 12th Circuit Court judgeship vacancy created by Judge Rick DeFuria’s retirement. The Twelfth Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission has until June 3 to submit names to Gov. Rick Scott for consideration of appointment to the 12th Judicial Circuit Court. (Read Full Article Here)

In a two-hour long hearing Monday [May 13] that most involved described as bizarre, Palm Beach County Circuit Judge Charles Burton appointed the three lawyers even though all said they have neither the time, resources nor expertise to represent Van Poyck as his scheduled June 12 execution date approaches. Two of the attorneys, Jeffrey Davis and Gerald Bettman, were tapped because they have represented Van Poyck in appeals he has launched since his conviction for a 1987 murder. A third one, Mark Olive, was appointed to help them navigate the complex appeals that occur after a death warrant is signed. (Read Full Article Here)

Kathy Para, chairwoman of the Jacksonville Bar Association Pro Bono Committee, recognizes the dedication and enthusiasm of a group of law student who volunteer as ghostwriters to draft the majority of the stories for the JBA’s weekly column on The Financial News & Daily Record. Students Jessie DaSilva, Morgan Eaves, Eileen Laux and Stephen Newell are graduating from law school this month and all four have served on the 4th Judicial Circuit as Pro Bono Spotlight writers.  (Read Full Article Here)

The city is honoring former mayor and judge Wallace Sample, who died in 1991, with a stone monument and bronze plaque at the Veterans Memorial Park. Sample is often remembered by local residents as a revered circuit court judge who served the community on the bench for some 20 years. He also was responsible for turning the Indian River Lagoon waterfront into the park that has rehabilitated the historic downtown district. A memorial dedication ceremony will take place this week. (Read Full Article Here)

Commissioners selected a Cynthia A. Everett, a former U.S. prosecutor and current Pinecrest village attorney, on Monday [May 13] to succeed City Attorney Harry Stewart. Everett has also served as Opa-locka’s city attorney, as an assistant U.S. attorney in Miami and an assistant state attorney in Miami.  (Read Full Article Here)

Pete Proly, a longtime Pasco County criminal defense lawyer, died Friday [May 10] night after battling leukemia. He was 66. In a career spanning more than 40 years, Proly garnered the respect and good will of his fellow defense lawyers in Pasco County, as well as prosecutors and his own clients. (Read Full Article Here)

Casey Anthony’s bankruptcy attorneys said Judge Belvin Perry, the chief judge of the Ninth Judicial Circuit who presided over Anthony’s murder trial in 2011, “completely eviscerated” her chance of having a fair defamation trial in Orlando because of public comments he recently made about her first-degree murder case. Anthony was acquitted in that case, but continues to face civil legal battles, including a defamation suit filed by Kissimmee mother Zenaida Gonzalez. Perry appeared on NBC’s “Today” show earlier this month and expressed his personal views on the evidence and the outcome of the case. (Read Full Article Here)

By The Associated Press. The article discusses the lack of diversity of attorneys who appear before the U.S. Supreme Court. In an era when three women, a Hispanic and an African-American sit on the court and white men constitute a bare majority of the nine justices, the court is more diverse than the lawyers who argue before it. The arguments that took place from October to April were presented overwhelmingly by white men. The numbers generally reflect the largely white and male upper reaches of the biggest and richest private law firms, where there have been small gains by women and minorities in the past 20 years. (Read Full Article Here)