Thursday, March 28, 2024

Judge Tosses Lawsuit Against DeSantis’ Migrant Flight Controversy

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A judge has dismissed a lawsuit critical of Gov. ' migrant flights for supposedly not complying with a request for flight records.

The Florida Center for Accountability filed a lawsuit in October alleging that the Florida Department of Transportation and a state contractor deliberately withheld said information in violation of Florida's public records law.

The judge disagreed.

Per Hot Air:

Remember when Florida Governor Ron DeSantis flew about 50 illegal aliens from San Antonio to Martha's Vineyard? The governor and other state officials, along with the Florida Dept. of Transportation find themselves involved in several lawsuits over that action. A Leon County Circuit judge dismissed one lawsuit that alleged the Dept. of Transportation and a contractor did not fully comply with public records requests about the migrant flights.

Judge Angela Dempsey issued two similar decisions rejecting the lawsuit brought by the Florida Center for Government Accountability in October against the Dept. of Transportation and Vertol Systems Company, Inc. She ruled that the center did not prove that the department and Vertol had withheld documents. The burden of proof is on the plaintiff. The non-profit did not prove its case in court.

“The burden is on the plaintiff to prove they made a specific request for public records, that Vertol received the request, the requested public records exist and Vertol refused to provide them in a timely manner,” Dempsey wrote in one of the decisions. “While plaintiff meets the first and second prongs of the test, there is no evidence that the public records exist or that Vertol refused to produce public records in a timely manner.”

Judge Dempsey's ruling was the opposite of what a different Leon County Circuit judge ruled last October. In that case, a separate lawsuit was filed against DeSantis' office. Judge Marsh ruled the governor's office did not comply with the public records law. The DeSantis administration has appealed to the 1st District Court of Appeal.

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Patrick Houck
Patrick Houck
Patrick Houck is an avid political enthusiast based out of the Washington, D.C. metro area. His expertise is in campaigns and the use of targeted messaging to persuade voters. When not combing through the latest news, you can find him enjoying the company of family and friends or pursuing his love of photography.

2 COMMENTS

  1. Why is it that the socialist/communist-leaning politicians and activists (Known as the “The LEFT”) would love to eliminate the US Constitution and replace it with a more Chinese communist government? However, when they are hauled into a US court for an honest judge to rule on the issue “The LEFT” use the US Constitution to defend their socialist & communist position.

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