Our Legal Eagles and the Almighty Press

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According to the Phoenix Business Journal, fewer civil cases are going to trial than a decade ago, and juries are awarding less in damages, according to a new U.S. Justice Department study of state courts in the nation's 75 largest counties. About 97 percent of civil cases are settled or dismissed without a trial. I guess I am still thinking about Perry Mason where attorneys are hired who actually believe in the case and their client and want to win it and do.

What occurs when cases linger on over years with each legal side asking for this that and the next thing thus dragging the case out, people forget what happened and who said what in spite of depositions. All it does is jack up the legal fees. In this case it was going on for two years before Greater Bay filed suit on November16, 2009. So, unless the defendant (The city of Lake Worth) is clear on the facts and has the recordings from the meetings that took place and all the reasons why the entire commission voted to terminate the contract with Greater Bay (and there were plenty of reasons),  it is easy to make up weak excuses and reasons to settle.

The City of Lake Worth hired West Palm Beach law firm Boose, Casey Ciklin and two members of that firm were paid to give advice on drawing up the Contract with Greater Bay. Later Joslyn of Casey Ciklin (Boose was no longer as he was involved in the Masilotti corruption scandal eventually landing himself in federal prison) was retained to essentially tear that Contract apart when he was hired to defend the City of Lake Worth against Greater Bay's Breach of Contract suit. GB is represented by Damon Chase, (CLICK THE LINK) an interesting lawyer, of Freeman/Chase, Lake Mary, Florida.

Cara Jennings and Suzanne Mulvehill were singled out by our attorney at the settlement public meeting as Joslyn stated that in their depositions, Jennings said she did not help Mulvehill in her campaign and Mulvehill said that she did. It all depends on the definition of the word "help." Sort of like Bill Clinton when he said, "It depends on what the meaning of the word IS is." Mulvehill knew that Jennings supported her (wanted her to win) but Jennings did not knock on doors or give a campaign contribution to the Mulvehill campaign to the best of my knowledge. Now that the city is purging everything off the web site (which is absolutely STUPID), I am not going to take days to research this.

The local newspaper again suggests (because it NEVER identifies the commission) that it is Mulvehill and McVoy who had something to do with spending $10 million in Reserves. I  have addressed that false allegation over and over again. It is untrue. This money was allocated before Mulvehill was elected and years before McVoy came on the scene.  Neither one of these commissioners EVER raided Reserves. The present Commission, however, did.

As far as the local press' charge that we gathered signatures for the Respectful Planning PAC in a dishonest way, that charge is also bogus, ridiculous and slanderous.  Basically with the current Charter allowing 65 feet to be built from Federal to Golfview and 100 feet in the downtown blocks west of Dixie, buildings could get that tall. The argument is not that they can't get to 100 feet. The argument is that they can. That is a fact. Voting yes on height limitations will allow us to retain our small downtown.

Suzanne Mulvehill is now out of politics so I don't understand the continued character assassination. I presume that the city and some politicians need someone to blame.

I do trust Mulvehill and McVoy and you should too. Joslyn said that it was McVoy and his PAC that sued the City. It was just the opposite and with his legal advice that went so far as to sue members personally wanting to take their homes, lawyers are hard to trust. It was a black day for Lake Worth. Over the past few years, I also don't trust the Press. They sure messed up on their endorsement for Commissioner District 2 and facts on certain issues continue to get in their way.