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INTHECIRCUITCOURTOFTHESECONDJUDICIALCIRCUITINANDFORLEONCOUNTY,FLORIDA
BERNARDLONGandVERONICa
L.
"RON"FLORESPlaintiffs,
v.
CaseNo.:KENNETHDETZNERinhisofficialcapacityasFloridaSecretaryofState,R.FREDLEWIS,individually,BARBARA
J.
PARIENTE,individually,andPEGGYA.QUINCE,individually,Defendants.
------------------------~/
COMPLAINTFORDECLARATORYANDINJUNCTIVERELIEF
Plaintiffs,BERNARDLONGandVERONICO
L.
"RON"fLORES,sueDefendants,KENNETHDETZNERinhisofficialcapacityasFloridaSecretaryofState,
R.
FREDLEWIS,individually,BARBARAJ.PARIENTE,individually,andPEGGYA.QUINCE,individually,fordeclaratoryandinjunctivereliefandallegeasfollows:1.ThisisalawsuitfordeclaratoryandinjunctiverelieftoprohibitDefendantKennethDetznerfromplacing
R.
FredLewis,BarbaraJ.Pariente,andPeggyA.Quince(hereinaftercollectivelyreferredtoasthe"Justices"),ontheNovember6,2012,ballotformeritretentionelection.Asdescribedinmoredetailbelow,theJusticesfailedtolawfullyqualifyforelectionduringthestatutoryqualifyingperiod,andtheyhaveotherwisefailedtosubstantiallycomplywithFloridaelectionlawgoverningcandidatequalifying.TheJustices'certificationsandswornqualifyingoathswerepreparedandfiled
by
stateemployeesduringworkinghoursinviolationofSection106.15(3),FloridaStatutes,andthedocumentsincludeincompleteandfalseresponsesinviolationofSection817.155,FloridaStatutesandSection837.06,FloridaStatutes.
2
THEPARTIES2.PlaintiffBemardLongisaresidentofLeeCounty,Florida.PlaintiffVeronico
L.
"Ron"FloresisaresidentofSeminoleCounty,Florida.3.DefendantKennethDetzner("Detzner")istheFloridaSecretaryofState.AstheheadoftheFloridaDepartmentofState,DefendantDetznerisresponsibleforcertifyingtotheCountySupervisorsofElectionsthenamesofcandidatesformeritretentionelectionwhohavequalifiedforplacementonthegeneralelectionballot.4.DefendantR.FredLewis("Lewis")isaresidentofLeonCounty,Florida,andholdstheofficeofJusticeoftheFloridaSupremeCourt5.DefendantBarbaraJ.
Pariente
("Pariente"),isaresidentofPalmBeachCounty,Florida,andholdstheofficeofJusticeoftheFloridaSupremeCourt.6.DefendantPeggyA.Quince("Quince"),isaresidentofLeonCounty,Florida,andholdstheofficeofJusticeoftheFloridaSupremeCourt.JURISDICTION,VENUE,ANDSTANDING7.ThisCourthasjurisdictionoverthismatterpursuanttoArticleV,Section5(b)oftheFloridaConstitutionandSection86,011,FloridaStatutes.ThisCourthasjurisdictiontograntinjunctivereliefpursuanttoArticleV,Section5(b)oftheFloridaConstitutionandSection26.012(3),FloridaStatutes,andRule1.610,FloridaRulesofCivilProcedure.8.VenueisproperinLeonCountypursuanttoSection47.011,FloridaStatutes.9.Plaintiffshavestandingtobringthisactionascitizens,taxpayers,andFloridaelectors.THEFLORIDAMERITRETENTIONELECTIONQUALIFYINGPROCESS10.FloridaSupremeCourtJusticesaresubjecttoaconstitutionally-mandatedmeritretentionelectioneverysixyears.Retentionrequiresamajorityvote.Fla.Const.Art.V,
§
10.
3
11.JusticesLewis,Pariente,andQuinceareeachcurrentlyservingthefinalyearoftheirrespectivesixyeartenus,andtherefore,theJusticesaresubjecttomeritretentionelectiononNovember6,2012,providedtheyqualifyforplacementontheballotinthemannerprescribedbylaw.Fla.Const.Art.V.
§
10;Fla.Stat.
§
105.031.12.PursuanttoSection105.031,FloridaStatutes;theJusticeswererequiredtofilecertainitems(hereinafter;the"CampaignDocuments")withtheDivisionofElectionsnolaterthannoononFriday,April20;2012,toqualifyforplacementontheNovemberballot.13.TheCampaignDocumentsinclude,withoutlimitation,aJudicialLoyaltyOathandfullandcompletefinancialdisclosuresbyeachJustice.14.TheCodeofJudicialConductfurtherprovidesthatJudgesandJusticessubjecttomeritretentionelectionareprohibitedfromengaginginconventionalcampaignactivityunlessanduntiltheydrawactiveoppositionandfilealetterwiththeFloridaDepartmentofState;DivisionofElectionscertifyingthat"thejudge'scandidacyhasdrawnactiveopposition."Canon7.C.(2),CodeofJudicialConduct.
See
FloridaBar's"JudicialMeritRetentionFAQ,"attachedheretoasExhibit"A."THEJUSTICESVIOLATEDSECTION106.15(3),FLORIDASTATUTES,ANDCOULDNOTHAVEQUALIFIEDFORTHEMERITRETENTIONBALLOTWITHOUTVIOLATINGTHATSTATUTE15.Atapproximately10:00a.m.,onApril20,2012,theJustices,alongwiththeothersittingmembersoftheFloridaSupremeCourt,beganhearingoralargumentsinacase.TheJusticeswereapparentlyunawarethatthelawrequiredthemtofileJudicialLoyaltyOathsandfinancialdisclosureformsbythestatutorydeadlineofnoon,April20,2012.16.TheattorneyfortheJustices'meritretentioncampaignswasalsooblivioustotheapproachingdeadlineuntilhereceivedatelephonecallalertinghimofthesituationatapproximately10:06a.m.onApri120,2012.
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COMPLAINT - FL Justices File Stamp Final 6-25-12
Suit to keep FL Supreme Court Justices R. Fred Lewis, Barbara Pariente, and Peggy Quince off the Nov ballot
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