Free Republic

The tribulations surrounding the GOP’s endorsement of Charlie Crist over Marco Rubio – and the implications it could have for the moderation of the national party - are wrapped up in internal squabbles among Florida politicos. At issue is Florida’s “Rule 11,” which holds that party members are able to block out a given candidate in a primary election if they deem the candidate unfit to run. After the rule is invoked, no primary race is held – instead, GOP insiders get to decide the election. In Florida’s GOP, Republican Party of Florida Chairman Jim Greer, a friend of Crist’s,...

In a time of massive Ponzi schemes and widespread financial turmoil, it is important for people to feel they can speak up when they believe that something improper is being done.  The protection of free speech was given a big boost this past week with a $545,000 settlement, which wrapped-up over three-and-a-half years of court cases. During that time, Elizabeth Enney lost both parents, survived a fifth heart surgery and paid more than $300,000 to defend herself against two libel lawsuits ultimately found to have been without any basis in law or fact.  The lawsuits were described by Enney’s lawyer,...

U.S. District Court judges by a sizable majority oppose mandatory sanctions for lawyers who file groundless suits, a recent survey shows. The Federal Judicial Center surveyed 400 judges via e-mail in December 2004 and January 2005. The survey, which garnered 278 responses, found that 87 percent preferred the current Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. That rule gives judges the discretion to impose sanctions on attorneys who file pleadings that are frivolous, presented for an improper purpose or lack evidentiary support. The survey, consisting of 13 questions dealing with Rule 11, comes in the wake of the...