Bondi drops appeal, no longer demanding reporter's testimony in Carletha Cole case

 Just yesterday, the Associated Press reported that Attorney General Pam Bondi had asked an appeals court to reverse a Leon County judge's ruling quashing the testimony of a Jacksonville newspaper reporter in the state's case against Carletha Cole. Bondi's office claimed that reporter Matt Dixon's testimony was so crucial, the illegal wiretapping case against the former aide to Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll would fall apart without it.

Now, the AP is reporting that Bondi has abrubtly dropped her appeal. No word if that means the case will get settled or dismissed soon.

From the AP:

Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi is dropping her push to force a newspaper reporter to testify in a criminal case involving a former aide to Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll. 

Bondi earlier this month asked an appeals court to overrule a judge who blocked prosecutors from interviewing Matt Dixon, a reporter with The Florida Times-Union. 

Bondi's office late Wednesday withdrew the appeal. 

Pam Bondi says case against Carletha Cole depends on reporter's testimony

The state's case against Carletha Cole, a former aide to Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll, may hinge on the testimony of Florida Times-Union reporter Matt Dixon, the Associated Press reported today. Cole is accused of illegally taping a conversation with Carroll's chief of staff and the state swants Dixon to say how he obtained the recording.

Last month, a Leon County judge ruled the reporter doesn't have to testify, citing First Amendment protections. The state has now filed an appeal to the court's ruling, saying that the case will fall apart without Dixon's testimony, the AP reported.

More from the AP:

Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi is joining with prosecutors who want to force a reporter to testify in a criminal case against a former aide to Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll. 

Bondi's office last Friday filed an appeal that states that the criminal case against Carletha Cole could fall apart if the request isn't granted. Additionally, the appeal states that the reporter's testimony could help prosecutors file additional charges. 

Attorney General Pam Bondi announces ban on more 'bath salts' synthetic drugs

Attorney General Pam Bondi signed an emergency order this morning to ban 22 synthetic drug compounds sold as legal alternatives to marijuana and commonly referred to as "bath salts." The action will help aide law enforcement in keeping harmful substances off store shelves where kids can get to them, Bondi said. 

"Our children are overdosing, these have now hit our entire state and I just want to point out to you the marketing," she said during today's news conference. "This is what is actually digusting to me. Look at this. These are ‘Scooby snacks.’ Do you think this is directed at an adult? This is directed at a young child.”

Then Bondi picked up a packet labeled “cotton candy.”

“If you touch and feel it, it feels like cotton candy. These are marketed to children," she said.

Bondi will work to get legislation passed in the upcoming session to make the bans permanent.

Attorney General Pam Bondi talks re-election, Jill Kelley

Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed today that she will seek a second term in office.

"I plan on running for re-election for attorney general," she said after a meeting of the task force she created to find ways to reduce the number of babies being born addicted to painkillers.

And while we were at it, we also asked Bondi to clarify her relationship with Tampa socialite Jill Kelley, who has been in the news ever since she was outed as the women who complained to the FBI about harrassing emails and led to the discovery of CIA Director David Petraeus' affair.

Bondi attended function at Kelley's house and posed with her in pictures, but she made it clear today where her loyalty lies.

"I have been to special events at her house, only at her home, and the only comment I'm going to make on this is that my heart and concern goes out for Holly Petraeus right now, who I have worked very closely with on the military," Bondi said.

Bondi says 'Obamacare' already having negative effect on businesses

Other Republican leaders in Florida may have softened their tone on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, but not Attorney General Pam Bondi. Addressing business leaders at the Florida Chamber's Annual Insurance Summit via video, Bondi said the Supreme Court ruling in June allowed an unjust law to take effect.

She had the sharpest words for the individual mandate provision that Florida challenged but the high court upheld because the related penalties could be viewed as a tax.

"We all know this law would never have gotten through Congress if it had been sold as a new $4 billion tax on the American people," she said. "In this case, the Constitution’s limits on government power did not fail. Political accountability failed because the president and supporters of this law apparently were not straight with the American people."

Bondi also painted a grim picture for how the law is already beginning to impact Florida businesses.

"Unfortunately, national studies are already showing the negative effects that the healthcare law is having on businesses and our economy," she said. "Businesses across the country are raising their prices in order to compensate for their added costs due to Obama’s healthcare plan. If they aren’t raising prices, they’re cutting jobs as a result of the added cost, both of which hurt our economy."

Bondi announces $3.6 billion in homeowner relief from banks

Five of the nation’s largest banks have provided $3.6 billion in mortgage relief for Floridians as part of a nationwide foreclosure settlement, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Monday.

The mortgage settlement, announced in February, has provided mortgage relief to nearly 50,000 Floridians, according to a monitor of the national program program.

“Florida was one of only two states in the country that negotiated a guarantee in the settlement,” said Bondi, in a statement. “The fact that servicers report $3.6 billion in relief to Florida’s borrowers within the first eight months of implementation is a promising indication that obtaining a minimum commitment from the banks has been effective.”

The five mortgage lenders -- Bank of America JPMorgan Chase Ally Financial, Wells Fargo and Citimortgage – are beginning to fulfill the terms of a $25 billion settlement with 49 attorneys general over foreclosure abuses and “robo-signing.”

Advocacy group petitions Bondi to end ban on medicinal marijuana

From the Florida Current:

An organization advocating medicinal use of marijuana asked Attorney General Pam Bondito take pot off the blacklist of totally banned drugs with no medicinal value Tuesday, so the Legislature can set rules for its therapeutic use by patients with painful or crippling afflictions.

"This is a life and death situation for me, and I do have a right to life," Catherine Jordan, who has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, said from her wheelchair at a news conference in the Florida Press Center. Jordan, president of the Florida Cannabis Action Network, said marijuana has kept her alive more than 20 years -- so long that the Social Security Administration once declared she had outlived her eligibility for benefits, and made her come to an office to prove she was still alive.

She said doctors have attested to the drug's value for her, but that she still can't get it legally in Florida.

"My goal has always been not to be a criminal," she said. "Florida has a medical necessity defense but I had to be arrested to use it."

Jodi James, executive director of the Melbourne-based network, displayed a metal canister she said the federal government uses to send medically approved marijuana to Irvin Rosenfeld, a Broward County man with a rare bone tumor disorder. Next week, he will mark his 30th year receiving pot under a prescription for smoking 10 to 12 joints per day.

Read more here.

Circuit court judge endorsed by Attorney General Bondi loses her seat

Leon County Circuit Court Judge Josefina Tamayo's bid to remain on the bench proved unsuccessful tonight, and critics say her ties with Attorney General Pam Bondi are partially to blame.

With 100 percent of precincts reporting in all six counties that make up the 2nd Judicial Circuit,  challenger Barbara Hobbs had received 54.4 percent of the vote, beating Tamayo by nearly 15,000 votes.

Tamayo, a former prosecutor, was appointed to the Circuit Court by Gov. Charlie Crist in 2010 and was seeking her first full six-year term. Bondi, who said she has known Tamayo for 20 years, endorsed her former colleague and even hosted a fundraiser on Tamayo's behalf.

That drew criticism from Hobbs supporters, who said the endorsement crossed the line. They noted that judges on the 2nd Judicial Circuit often hear cases involving the state government, which arguably could involve Bondi. Both Bondi and Tamayo denied that any conflicts existed and defended Bondi's endorsement.

Bondi, Legislature reach deal on $300 million in foreclosure money

Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Friday that her office has reached a deal with the Florida Legislature over how to use $300 million in foreclosure settlement money that has sat dormant since March amidst negotiations over spending authority.

One-fifth of the money, about $60 million, could be approved in the coming weeks for programs like down-payment assistance, legal counseling for foreclosures and initiatives to help deal with the backlog of foreclosures in state court.

The state Legislature will decide how to spend $200 million of the total during the next legislative session, meaning  it will be spent after May. According to the agreement, that money will go to “housing-related” initiatives, a broad term that could include "foreclosure prevention, neighborhood revitalization, affordable housing, homebuyer or renter assistance, legal assistance, counseling and other housing-related programs."

It also allows an additional $40 million to go to state coffers as a “civil penalty”, adding to the $33 million that has already been sent to the state treasury.

The deal was announced by Bondi, Speaker-designate Will Weatherford and incoming Senate President Don Gaetz. 

Bondi originally argued that she had the authority to spend the foreclosure-settlement cash, while legislative leaders pointed out that they are legally authorized to appropriate funds.

As the two groups negotiated, the money sat in an escrow account, while other states began putting their portion of the settlement to use. As of last month, Florida was the only state that had yet to announce how it would use the money.

Meanwhile, Florida recently became the state with the highest foreclosure rate in the country. The $300 million cash payment came in addition to more than $8 billion in mortgage assistance that Floridians were set to receive directly from banks as part of the national $25 billion settlement.

Other states have come under fire from consumer advocates for using money from the national mortgage settlement for issues not related to the housing crisis. 

Though Bondi has repeatedly stated that she wanted the money to go directly to housing-related issues, it was not clear if the Legislature would sign on to that.

"This plan gets much-needed assistance to the homeowners and communities suffering the effects of the foreclosure crisis, and ensures that the settlement funds are spent with the transparency, accountability and flexibility that comes from the legislative process,” Bondi said in a statement.  “I thank President-designate Gaetz and Speaker-designate Weatherford for working together with me to implement the mortgage settlement in a way that’s in the best interests of our state.”

 Added Gaetz: “I am grateful to Attorney General Bondi and Speaker-designate Weatherford for working with us on a proposal which ensures that these funds are appropriated by the legislature in a transparent and accountable manner,” said Gaetz, R-Niceville. “Together with the approximately $7.5 billion in relief that will go directly to homeowners, this funding will play an important role in the multitude of state and federal efforts to provide relief for homeowners facing foreclosure.”

 See the full press release below:

State leaders say prescription drug crackdown working, deaths down

Deaths caused by prescription drugs in Florida have decreased for the first time in nearly a decade, state officials said Wednesday.

Overall, prescription drug deaths fell by about 6 percent in 2011. And deaths caused by oxycodone — an often-abused prescription painkiller — decreased nearly 18 percent, according to a Florida Department of Law Enforcement report.

FDLE Commissioner Gerald Bailey said the report gives Florida many reasons to be proud.

"State and local efforts are paying dividends in the fight against illegal pill mills," Bailey said. "The Drugs and Deceased Report reflects that Florida is moving in the right direction."

Officials attribute the decrease to several legislative and law enforcement efforts that came to a head in 2011.

In July 2011, a new state law forbade most doctors from dispensing prescription painkillers from their offices, and law enforcement ramped up investigations and made high-profile arrests, said Claude Shipley, who worked in the state's Office of Drug Control before Gov. Rick Scott shut it down.

Read more here.