The lawsuit was brought by the NAACP on behalf of nine current and former employees of two prisons in Marion County and a third in Lake County. The workers claimed they were denied promotions, subjected to slurs, forced to work undesirable shifts or posts and disciplined unfairly because of their race.

Attorneys for the prison employees said they were surprised by the decision.

"Throughout the two-week trial, the jury seemed attentive to the striking difference in the treatment between black and white employees, and skeptical of defense witnesses," said Frank Scruggs, the plaintiffs' lead attorney. Peter Martin, lead attorney for the Florida Department of Corrections, said the plaintiffs' complaints were the result of individual disputes with co-workers, not race or gender discrimination on the part of the agency. "The evidence . . . documented this really was not about race," Martin said.

Gallagher sounds workers' comp alarm

TALLAHASSEE -- Insurance Commissioner Tom Gallagher said Wednesday that workers' compensation premiums may rise an average of 15 percent next year for many Florida employers, but he wants the Legislature to address the issue in a special session.

Gov. Jeb Bush acknowledged the problem, but said it would be better to deal with it early in the regular session, which begins March 4. He said he stood ready to call a session, however, if a crisis developed in workers' compensation or medical malpractice insurance.

The National Council on Compensation Insurance, a rating organization that submits rate requests on behalf of insurance companies that write workers' compensation coverage, requested a 21.5 percent statewide average increase in premiums in August. Gallagher has proposed an 11.9 percent increase effective next April.

Ex-police officer won't get death

JACKSONVILLE -- An ex-police officer avoided a death sentence Wednesday when a federal jury ruled that while he was responsible for a businessman's death, he did not kill him intentionally or with the expectation of getting money.

Former Officer Karl Waldon now faces a mandatory life sentence and a possible $10.6-million fine at sentencing Jan. 23.

The eight-man, four-woman jury ruled that Waldon did not intentionally kill convenience store owner Sami Safar, nor was Safar's death a result of an expectation of receiving money. They did rule, however, that his actions resulted in Safar's death.

Waldon, 39, was found guilty by the same jury last week on 14 of 15 charges, including the July 3, 1998, slaying of Safar, who was kidnapped and robbed.

West Nile identified in alligators

GAINESVILLE -- University of Florida researchers have identified the West Nile virus in three Florida alligators, the first time the disease has been observed in the North American species.

State public health veterinarian Lisa Conti confirmed Tuesday that the three farm-raised alligators tested positive for the illness last month.

It remains unclear what the implication is for the state's alligator farming industry, which has reported a recent spate of unexplained deaths of the animals. Epidemiologists are continuing their investigation, Conti said.

Back to State news

Contact the Times | Privacy Policy
Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright

Special Links

Lucy Morgan

From the Times state desk