Column by Raoul Cantero, a former state Supreme Court justice, and Mark Schlakman, of Florida State University's Center for the Advancement of Human Rights. From the column: "Earlier this week the Florida Senate Criminal Justice Committee voted 5-0 to pass a bill that would require, in capital-case penalty-phase proceedings, that a jury vote unanimously, rather than by a simple majority, to recommend sentences of death. . . . Beyond the unanimous jury legislation, The Florida Bar Board of Governors recently renewed its support for a comprehensive review of Florida's entire death-penalty process by all branches of government. In 2006, the ABA Florida Death Penalty Assessment Team [. . .] issued a report identifying serious concerns regarding the fairness, accuracy and impartiality of Florida's death-penalty process. . . . Irrespective of whether one supports or opposes capital punishment, a comprehensive review by state officials arguably is long overdue."

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Local Groups Hope to Give Voting Rights to Felons

The League of Women Voters, along with the NAACP and the National Congress of Women, held a forum Wednesday [March 18] night at the Cocoa Civic Center to discuss ways to allow felons to get their voting rights back immediately after being released from prison. The league's aim is to gather the 684,000 verified signatures needed by Feb. 1, 2016, to put an amendment on the ballot statewide that will restore felons' voting privileges. Currently, they say that more than 1.5 million citizens in Florida are unable vote due to prior incarceration -- 10% of the voting-age population.

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Service Dog Bill Passes Final Committee, Heads to Florida House Floor

A Florida House bill that would punish service dog posers and protect the disabled who have invisible wounds passed its final stop with the State Affairs Committee on Thursday [March 19] with a unanimous vote and now heads to the House floor. The bill revises the term "individual with a disability" to include anyone with a "physical or mental impairment" that interferes with daily activities. Included in the definition "physical or mental impairment" are psychological disorders listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, including post-traumatic-stress disorder. The bill would make interfering with the disabled and their service animals a second degree misdemeanor. Under the bill, the same crime and penalties would apply to pet owners who lie about having disabilities and falsely claim that their pets are service animals.

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Mierzwa Case - Law Office of Stuart R. Michelson

Many, many people in Florida were beneficiaries of Michelson's victory in the Mierzwa case. This was the first time a Court applied the statue in question, which had been law in Florida for almost 100 years, to a situation where a home was destroyed by both wind storm & flood so as to award the homeowner with the face value of the policy as damages for the loss of the home. As the lead attorney who wrote the appeal, and who argued the case before the District Court of Appeal, Michelson was asked to appear on several media outlets throughout the State of Florida in 2014.

This television show was broadcast in Northern Florida and featured a number of attorneys and Stuart Michelson of the Law Firm of Stuart R. Michelson. The statute in question, the Valued Policy Law, was subsequently amended by the Florida Legislature so as to deprive the homeowners of the beneficial treatment they received under the statute as it was interpreted by the District Court of Appeal in the Mierzwa case. This interview is shown more for historical interest than anything else, as the statue no longer provides the protection to property owners as it did on the date in which this broadcast aired.

For more information about your rights in property damage cases contact:
Law Office of Stuart R. Michelson
800 Southeast Third Avenue, 4th Floor
Fort Lauderdale, Fl 33316
(954) 463-6100

Mierzwa Case - Florida

Many, many people in Florida were beneficiaries of Michelson's victory in the Mierzwa case. This was the first time a Court applied the statue in question, which had been law in Florida for almost 100 years, to a situation where a home was destroyed by both wind storm & flood so as to award the homeowner with the face value of the policy as damages for the loss of the home. As the lead attorney who wrote the appeal, and who argued the case before the District Court of Appeal, Michelson was asked to appear on several media outlets throughout the State of Florida in 2014.

This television show was broadcast in Northern Florida and featured a number of attorneys and Stuart Michelson of the Law Firm of Stuart R. Michelson. The statute in question, the Valued Policy Law, was subsequently amended by the Florida Legislature so as to deprive the homeowners of the beneficial treatment they received under the statute as it was interpreted by the District Court of Appeal in the Mierzwa case. This interview is shown more for historical interest than anything else, as the statue no longer provides the protection to property owners as it did on the date in which this broadcast aired.

For more information about your rights in property damage cases contact: Law Office of Stuart R. Michelson 800 Southeast Third Avenue, 4th Floor Fort Lauderdale, Fl 33316 (954) 463-6100

Insurance Companies have Lawyers...

Insurance Companies have Lawyers...And so should you! 

Floods, Fires and Storms cause millions of dollars in property damage. Even a broken pipe can be devastating. Getting fair compensation from your insurance company can be difficult. Insurance companies have lawyers, and so should you! I will dedicate myself to recovering as much money as possible for you! Don't sign anything until you speak with me.

For a free consultation with Stuart Michelson call 866-563-6100