- "New Order Coming for Courts amid COVID-19 slowdown" by Cindy Swirko
Description: This article discusses the issues court has because of COVID-19. Because of the pandemic, a lot of court activity has slowed down or halted altogether. For example, trails for current prisoners like Anna Young have been pushed back. Young was allegedly the head of a cult, the House of Prayer. She stands accused of abusing and starving Emon Harper until it killed him. Young's hearings are currently at a standstill or canceled because of the virus. Lawyers have not been able to interview certain witnesses, and out-of-state travel has been limited. Attorneys have been limited in their capabilities to build a case for both the defendants and their other clients. However, it is expected that by May 29, 2020, new guidelines will be signed to allow court activity to begin again.
The problem: the problem that is occurring, is that courts are exceptionally behind as of right now. Trails that were meant to be held have been canceled and now have to be rescheduled. Attorneys have not been able to contact the necessary individuals for their cases and will have to scramble to ensure that they are ready for their upcoming trails. On top of the old cases that need to be resolved, new cases are surely coming in as well.
Who had the problem: attorneys, the courts, and prisoners. They must all deal with the backup of the courts.
2. "Forecasters Predict busy 2020 Atlantic Hurricane season" by Freida Frisaro/The Associated Press
Description: Astrologists believe we will have another extreme hurricane season this year. They foresee that there could be up to 13 to 19 known storms building up in the Atlantic. Of those storms, around 6 to 10 have the potential to become a hurricane. These hurricanes could have winds that reach up to 74 miles per hour or more. Forecasters predict that the hurricanes 3 to 6 may be big enough to cause an extraordinary amount of damage. The article states that while it is hard to predict whether these storms will become hurricanes or these hurricanes will be devastating, it is pivotal for residents in affected areas to begin preparing for such events.
The problem: while hurricane season isn't upon us just yet, the problem is that people must start getting prepared in advance.
Who has the problem: the residents and the state government. They must all take the necessary precautions before the hurricane season.
3. "Betsy DeVos Releases new Title IX Regulations for College Campuses" by Tien Le
Description: New regulations have been added to Title IX. One of the most significant changes that new law has brought was how sexual harassment was defined. Before the new rules, sexual harassment was thought to be any "unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature." (Tien, 2020) However, the new definition of sexual harassment is as follows: "conduct that is so severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive that it effectively denies a person equal access to education." (Tien, 2020) The university will be allowed to conduct its investigations into the claims if they do not fall under this specific phrasing. The regulations also replaced the current model of inquiry into a "court-room style hearing." Now the defendant and plaintiff will have the ability to have someone represent them in court. It is important to note that this representation does not have to be a lawyer.
The problem: with these changes comes a learning curve for the university, how to implement these changes effectively and make these hearings fair. In addition, as Sophia Serrao, a current law student, mentioned in the article, these regulations may confuse the procedure even more than before, therefore demoralizing the students from coming forward with allegations in the first place. Not only will it confuse the process, but it will also affect low-income students because they will not be able to afford an attorney.
Who has the problem: students, faculty, and universities.
4. "Fuchs: UF to Reopen in Fall" by Nicole Rodriguez
Description: Kent Fuchs has announced that the University of Florida will be open for the fall semester. There will be a task force set up to ensure that the students and faculty are safe up returning to the campus.
The problem: ensuring that the "comprehensive practices" consider all precautions as COVID-19 continues to develop in the following moths
Who has the problem: the administration which has to implement the plans
5. "Landlords Lining up to Evict Hundreds of Tampa Bay Tenants once Moratorium Expires" by Emily L. Mahoney and Christopher O'Donnell
Description: The order issued by the governor was meant to protect residents from losing their housing during the pandemic. However, this executive order has not stopped landlords from sending eviction notices or charging late fees to tenants that have missed payments. While federal acts like the CARES act don't allow evictions on properties that get "government subsidies", this act does not cover all features, leaving many tenants still vulnerable. Even with the bill as a rebuttal against their eviction, many cannot afford to go to court to dispute the eviction. Many have lost their jobs and therefore have no income.
The problem: after the executive order ends June 2, many residents in Florida will be susceptible to eviction.
Who has the problem: renters, unemployed individuals
Taylor,
ReplyDeleteGreat choice on local opportunity #5. As a landlord myself, I don't see my rental property as a money-maker or grand opportunity. I personally see it as a liability and potential for financial risk. The entire reason I'm a landlord is because of the recession on 2008 that made my newly built home worth half as much as we just paid. A couple of years later when we wanted to move , we had this worthless home that was holding us back instead of giving us equity like the American Dream suggests it should. We had good enough credit to get a second house and simply rent the first house to pay for the mortgage. After all of these years we are surprisingly only about even on what we owe versus what it is worth. I caution anyone from jumping into being a landlord. With this pandemic and the new unemployment rate, there are a lot of landlords losing money out there.
Taylor,
ReplyDeleteLiving in FL my whole life I have experienced many destructive hurricane. In the past few years the hurricanes have been unpredictable and have come close to the coast of florida but steered west when about to hit landfall. People rush to get supplies and in a few days the stores are out of all of the supplies and people are worried scrambling. There is never enough notice to the residents when a hurricane is in route and this causes a shortage in supplies. I totally agree with your post regarding giving residents enough notice before a bad hurricane season comes in order for people to prepare!
Hey Taylor,
ReplyDeleteI find it coincidental that we both brought up issues in regards to our courts. I am surprised that your local courts haven't come up with alternative to just shutting down court activities all together. However, my counties "zoom court" is not exactly a effective solution either. Also, in regards to President Fuchs' announcement about the resuming of normal fall semester is a little concerning. I don't know about you, but I still feel quite uneasy about the Covid situation and I do not know if we have made any great strides forward in regards to flattening the curve. I think Fuchs may reconsider as the summer goes on.