Butterworth named law school dean at St. Thomas University

MIAMI - Former Florida Attorney General Bob Butterworth has been named dean of St. Thomas University Law School.

Butterworth, who left office last November after 16 years, will take over the Catholic university's 450-student law school next month. He was picked from 40 candidates in a nationwide search to replace John Makdisi, who will return to teaching and research.

"They asked to me to consider applying for the deanship," said Butterworth, 60. "I wasn't even aware it was open.

"We're very fortunate," said the Rev. Franklyn Casale, the university's president. "We have someone who knows what good lawyers are all about, who has been the chief lawyer for the state of Florida for so many years. I hope he brings those insights to the training of our lawyers."

Butterworth has also been a Broward County prosecutor, judge and sheriff, mayor of Sunrise and head of the state's Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. He lost a race for the state Senate in November. He had since been serving as a fill-in judge.

DAYTONA BEACH - A man tried to arrange to kill his rival for a topless dancer's affections, authorities say.

Police said Danny Keith Brown, 49, of Daytona Beach, approached his daughter's boyfriend, Richard Swan Townsend, last week, asking him to find someone to kill Terry Arndt, 57, of Daytona Beach.

Brown believed the woman he called his girlfriend, a dancer at the Shark Lounge, was cheating on him with Arndt, police said. Brown allegedly told Townsend he was prepared to pay to have Arndt "made into a vegetable or eliminated."

Townsend went to authorities, who recorded two phone conversations between Townsend and Brown. Police said Brown was recorded as repeating that he wanted Arndt killed, as saying he would pay $2,000 for the hit, and as saying he would take the killer to the lounge and "point out the man he was to kill.".

Brown was jailed on a charge of solicitation to commit first-degree murder.

TALLAHASSEE - The Florida Commission on Ethics ruled Thursday that legislators can join lobbying law firms, as long as they don't personally twist arms for clients.

The 6-2 vote gave state Sen. Dave Aronberg, D-West Palm Beach, a green light to join Carlton Fields, one of Florida's oldest and largest law firms.

Aronberg resigned as an assistant attorney general after he was elected to the Legislature.