Gainesville

Lawsuit Against State Utility Rule Continues as Plaintiffs Shift Focus to City of Gainesville

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) – A lawsuit challenging a new state law that restructured the municipal utility in the Gainesville area is moving forward, despite the dismissal of Gov. Ron DeSantis as a defendant last month. The group Gainesville Residents United and six individual plaintiffs are now seeking to include the city of Gainesville as a defendant in the case. The law, which was passed during the previous legislative session, established the Gainesville Regional Utilities Authority as a replacement for the longstanding Gainesville Regional Utilities agency. Under the new law, the governor has the power to … Read more

$7.5 Million Verdict Against Owner of Gainesville Car Wash Following Fatal Shooting: Lawsuit Claims Negligence in High-Crime Area

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Gainesville, Florida – A jury in Alachua County has delivered a verdict of $7.5 million against the owner of Swamp Car Wash, where a 24-year-old man was shot and killed in May 2021. The lawsuit was filed in March 2022 against Kokomo Key Properties Inc., the company doing business as Swamp Car Wash. The victim, Bobby Hopkins, called 911 to report being shot in the chest, but tragically succumbed to his injuries at UF Health Shands Hospital. The lawsuit, brought by Lonetta Carter on behalf of Hopkins’ two minor children, argued that Swamp Car Wash … Read more