Leon County
Coverage of Leon County in the Nexus archive.
- Florida judge refuses to boot Fishback from the ballot, won’t ‘decide the race’
A Florida judge refused to remove gubernatorial candidate James Fishback from the ballot, ruling he did not establish residency in Washington, D.C., and stating the court should not decide the election. The decision upholds Fishback's eligibility despite claims he violated Florida's seven-year residency requirement for governor.
- Fishback hearing: Threats, insults, and admission of D.C. voting, property
James Fishback faced a Leon County hearing to determine his eligibility for the gubernatorial race after admitting to voting and purchasing property in Washington, D.C., which could violate Florida's constitutional requirements. During the hearing, Fishback threatened to imprison the lieutenant governor’s senior adviser and exchanged insults with supporters. The judge delayed ruling on his ballot status.
- Mother of alleged victim takes stand in Fabian Basabe civil trial
Florida State Rep. Fabian Basabe is representing himself in a civil trial accused of sexual harassment, battery, and defamation by two former staffers. The mother of one alleged victim testified, describing Basabe's aggressive behavior, while evidence including text messages and tweets is being presented to the jury.
- Florida officials warned to avoid reparations-style effort as state gears up to restrict DEI even further
Florida's Leon County attempted to revive a reparations-style initiative to address historical harms but was warned against it due to state law SB 1134, which bans DEI initiatives. The county revised its proposal to avoid legal repercussions, including potential loss of $16.8 million in grants and removal of commissioners. Similar efforts in cities like Evanston and San Francisco have faced lawsuits.