The Supreme Court of Florida : a journey toward justice, 1972-1987 / Neil Skene.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Skene, Neil, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Florida. Supreme Court--History--20th century.

Florida.

Justice, Administration of--Florida--History--20th century.

Justice, Administration of.

Genre:

History

Electronic books.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (450 pages) : illustrations

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Gainesville, [Florida] : University Press of Florida, 2017.

Summary:

"A fascinating judicial study. The importance of the modern high court's docket is so thoroughly and expertly chronicled in this book: reapportionment, courtroom cameras, personal injury, family law, environmental law, capital punishment, criminal justice, and equal justice under law."--Thomas E. Baker, coauthor of Appellate Courts: Structures, Functions, Processes, andPersonnel"A highly readable portrait of a crucial time in the history of the state high court. It brings to life the jurists and lawyers who contributed so much to contemporary Florida law."--Mary Ziegler, author of After Roe: The Lost History of the Abortion Debate"A richly sourced, thoroughly researched, and entertaining account of one of the most significant eras in the history of what is arguably the most important (and least reported) branch of Florida government. Tells not only how the court's decisions impact people's lives but also how the personalities and life experience of new justices lead to evolutions in the law."--Martin A. Dyckman, author of A Most Disorderly Court: Scandal and Reform in the Florida Judiciary"Necessary reading for anyone interested in law and politics in Florida. Makes historical figures come alive."--Jon L. Mills, author of Privacy in the New Media AgeThis third volume in the history of the Florida Supreme Court describes the court during its most tumultuous years. Amid the upheaval of the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War, and Watergate, the story begins with reform in the Florida court system. It includes the court's first black justice, Joseph Hatchett; Governor Reubin Askew's new system for merit selection of justices; and revision of Article V, the section of the state constitution dealing with the judiciary.Neil Skene details landmark court decisions; the introduction of cameras in court; changes to media law, personal injury law, and family and divorce law; privacy rights; gay rights; death penalty cases; and the appointment of the first female justice, Rosemary Barkett. Shining a light on the often invisible work that informs the law, Skene recognizes lawyers and lower-court judges whose arguments and opinions have shaped court rulings. He integrates firsthand stories from justices with documents, articles, and cases. The result is an absorbing portrayal of a judicial institution adapting to a turbulent time of deep political and social change.

Contents:

Cover

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

Contents

List of Figures

Preface

Acknowledgments

Chronology of Cases and Important Events

Part I. The Reformation

1. Four Horsemen of the Reformation

2. 1974: Overton and England

3. 1975: Sundberg and Hatchett

4. Article V: Architects of Change

5. The Third Branch

6. The Spirit of 1976: Reformers Take Control

7. Unexpected Replacements: Alderman and McDonald

8. Playing Chicken with Courtroom Cameras

9. Access to Legal Services: Who Will Serve the Poor?

10. "Save the Supreme Court"

Part II. The Life of the Law

11. Personal Injury: A Collision of Interests

12. Media Law: Satyrs, Beer Trucks, and Teachers

13. Personal Injury: A Wrong Finds a Remedy

14. Divorce and Family Litigation: Till the Judge Do Us Part

15. Environment and Growth: Property Rights and the Public Good

16. Death Penalty: The Long Last Mile

17. The Machinery of Death

18. The "E" Seat: Ervin to England to Ehrlich

19. Accepting Gays

20. Reapportionment: Where to Draw the Lines

21. Search and Seizure: Reshaping Constitutional Protections

22. Private Lives and Public Values in Criminal Law

23. Shaw: From Descendant of a Slave to Chief Justice

24. Death Penalty: Deciding Who Dies

25. Sovereign Immunity: Suing City Hall

26. Constitutional Amendments: Tinkering with Democracy

27. Open Government and Privacy: The Forsberg Saga

28. Chief Justice Boyd: The Passover Ends

29. Criminal Law: To Establish Justice

30. "Rosemary the First"

31. Virgil Hawkins: Crossing the Bar

Notes

Bibliography

Index.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

0-8130-5985-2

OCLC:

1541767416