MONDAY August 6, 2018
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PUBLIC LEGAL NOTICES BEGIN ON PAGE 11
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Helen Peacock Roberson, recently appointed to the Judicial Nominating Commission, didn’t always want to follow in her father’s footsteps for a career in law.
City HRO is facing challenge in court
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Appeal alleges City Council violated state law by failing to provide proper notice to the public on amendments. BY MAX MARBUT ASSOCIATE EDITOR
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make sure you have qualified candidates on the bench. We have very good judges and it’s important to maintain our judiciary,” Roberson said. She more or less grew up in law. Her father, Ray Peacock, had a small general civil practice in Clearwater. Her mother, a mathematics teacher, was the bookkeeper. Roberson would go to the office with her parents on the weekend to help with
More than a year after it became law, Jacksonville’s Human Rights Ordinance is being challenged in the 1st District Court of Appeals, which is being asked to reverse the dismissal of a similar action filed in the 4th Judicial Circuit shortly after the ordinance was enacted. The HRO added the categories of “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” to Jacksonville’s existing laws against discrimination in employment, housing and pubic accommodations. It was approved by council Feb. 14, 2017, and became law 14 days later without Mayor Lenny Curry’s signature. A suit was filed in circuit court challenging the ordinance’s validity, but was dismissed on a motion from the city on the grounds the plaintiffs lacked standing to bring the suit and that other questions had been rendered moot by an action of City Council after the HRO was enacted. The appellants, John Parsons, Robert Assaf, Diamond D Ranch Inc. and Michael Griffin, are represented by Orlando-based Liberty Counsel. The appeal contends the HRO was enacted in violation of Florida statutes, the city ordinance code and the rules of City Council, specifically that the city failed to give proper notice to the public
SEE ROBERSON, PAGE 4
SEE HRO, PAGE 4
Photo by Max Marbut
Helen Roberson is a partner at Tanner Bishop and one of the newest members of the 4th Judicial Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission.
BY MAX MARBUT ASSOCIATE EDITOR
F
or someone who was at one time firmly against following in her attorney father’s footsteps, Helen Peacock Roberson built quite a career in the legal profession. A commercial litigator with 13 years of experience, she practices in state and federal courts and is a member of three local voluntary Bar associations, includ-
ing the Jacksonville chapter of the Federal Bar Association, of which she is slated to be president in 2019-20. Her latest accomplishment is being appointed to the 4th Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission. On July 17, Gov. Rick Scott named her to the nine-member group that selects candidates to be considered by the governor for appointment to vacant seats on the bench. “I want to be involved with who our judges are going to be. It’s important to
IN THE LAW
Giselle Girones inspired by Ruth Bader Ginsburg She’s also PR director for JWLA. PAGE 24 VOLUME 105, NO. 184 • ONE SECTION