| The Supreme Court of the State of Florida has a | | | | with taxpayer money in their Decision on Opportunity |
| long history of legislation and setting legal precedents. | | | | Scholarships. "As the dissent and the First District |
| The following are a few highlights of legal precedents | | | | Court of Appeal stated, 'Nothing in Article IX, Section |
| set in Florida: | | | | 1 clearly prohibits the Legislature from allowing the |
| 1. Recently, in the case of a 14-year-old boy killed in | | | | well-delineated use of public funds for private school |
| an ATV racing accident, the Florida Supreme Court | | | | education, particularly in circumstances where the |
| ruled 4 to 1 in favor of the boy's parents who sued | | | | Legislature finds such use is necessary.' It marks the |
| the ATV Park operator for their child's death. Justice | | | | first time the Florida Supreme Court has struck an |
| Harry Lee Anstead wrote in the majority opinion | | | | educational program only because private schools |
| "Florida's children and parents need not worry, after | | | | participate equally in it. |
| today's decision, that careless commercial operators | | | | 5. In 2006, the Supreme Court struck down a law |
| may be immunized from their carelessness by the | | | | passed by the Florida legislature that had created the |
| presence of an exculpatory clause in a ticket for | | | | United States' first state-wide education voucher |
| admission." | | | | program. |
| 2. In September of 2008, a proposed constitutional | | | | 6. In Engle v. Liggett Group, the Supreme Court of |
| amendment in Florida which could have resulted in a | | | | Florida ordered decertification of a class action lawsuit |
| serious battle over taxing business services such as | | | | against big tobacco companies that effectively |
| advertising was thrown off the November ballot by a | | | | reversed the largest punitive damage jury award, |
| unanimous decision of the Florida Supreme Court | | | | $145 billion, in U.S. history. |
| yesterday. In April, the Florida Taxation and Budget | | | | 7. In 2004, the court struck down a piece of |
| Reform Commission approved a proposed | | | | legislation from the Florida legislature designed to |
| constitutional amendment to significantly overhaul the | | | | reverse a lower court decision in the Terri Schiavo |
| way the State pays for schools - Amendment 5. The | | | | case. |
| proposed amendment directed the legislature to | | | | 8. In the 2000 presidential election controversy, the |
| choose among one or more of four options for | | | | Supreme Court of the United States overturned the |
| making up the lost revenue: "(1) repealing sales tax | | | | Florida Supreme Court after it had ordered a |
| exemptions "which are determined not to advance or | | | | statewide recount. |
| serve a public purpose;" (2) increasing the current | | | | 9. In 1999, a dissenting opinion by one of the Justices |
| sales tax rate by one percent; (3) spending cuts in | | | | sparked a world-wide debate over the use of |
| other state programs; and (4) "other revenues | | | | Florida's electric chair, which may have led to events |
| identified or created by the legislature." | | | | that caused the Florida Legislature to adopt lethal |
| 3 In October 2008, the Florida Supreme Court | | | | injection as the state's method of execution only a |
| announced its final ruling in Murray v. Mariners Health | | | | few months later. |
| ACE USA, reinstating hourly attorneys' fees in | | | | These are just a few of the legal precedents state |
| workers compensation cases. | | | | set in Florida. It will be interesting to see what future |
| 4. In January, 2006, the Florida Supreme Court denied | | | | precedents will be set in Florida. |
| the state of Florida the ability to fund private schools | | | | |