120.pdf

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`#a#b3/&( 4#//' # # # # # # # # # -.-$/01234.$&5$67389$ VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV# .=:DE=#!J#,7C<U84#&8cJ# +A7J#27=#"<JK##PMTORQ# (FCD7=G#,J#9CD<Ad4#&8cJ# +A7J#27=#"<JK##MMOPOSP# -<EYA78#.J#b?A;=4#&8cJ# +A7J#27=#"<JK##PPQQ[Q# QSPST[#67:;_7?#2AIGJ4#9EF:;#OMPN!# +;=>7>GF>7#2;7CD4#+/#XOMXR# eQM Rf#OSP NXSQX# eQMRf#OSPN[T[Q#+7\# 0=FB7=?K##@FAF>Y8gh8_@A<=FG7JC<B## 9;C<>G7=?K##G<EYgh8_@A<=FG7JC<B# $ &::09;87.$<09$&==8334;:$ $ Filing # 167798345 E-Filed 03/01/2023 12:22:24 PM FILED: PALM BEACH COUNTY, FL, JOSEPH ABRUZZO, CLERK, 03/01/2023 12:22:24 PM NOT A CERTIFIED COPY !"#$%$&'()*' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' !"#$%$&'()*' NOT A CERTIFIED COPY 1 IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE FIFTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR PALM BEACH COUNTY, FLORIDA CA FLORIDA HOLDINGS, LLC, Publisher of THE PALM BEACH POST, Plaintiff, v. DAVE ARONBERG, as State Attorney of Palm Beach County, Florida; SHARON R. BOCK, as Clerk and Comptroller of Palm Beach County, Florida, Defendants. CASE NO.: 50-2019-CA-014681-AG ORDER DENYING THE AMENDED MOTION FOR ATTORNEYS’ FEES UNDER FLORIDA STATUTES SECTION 57.105 THIS CAUSE having come before the Court on September 6 and 8, 2022 on State Attorney Dave Aronberg’s November 9, 2020 Amended Motion for Attorneys’ Fees Under Florida Statutes Section 57.105, and the Court having reviewed the Amended Motion, the evidence presented, and arguments of counsel, and being otherwise fully and duly advised in the premises, it is hereby, ORDERED AND ADJUDGED as follows: 1. State Attorney Dave Aronberg’s November 9, 2020 Amended Motion for Attorneys’ Fees under Florida Statutes Section 57.105 (the “Amended Motion”) is hereby DENIED. 2. Under Florida Statutes Section 57.105, a court may award reasonable attorneys’ fees only if “the court finds that the losing party or the losing party’s attorney knew or should have known that a claim or defense when initially presented to the court or at any time before trial: (a) Was not supported by the material facts necessary to establish the claim or defense; or NOT A CERTIFIED COPY 2 (b) Would not be supported by the application of then-existing law to those material facts.” Fla. Stat. § 57.105(1). 3. The Court heard the testimony of the parties and finds the testimony of Mr. Aronberg reliable and credible, and resolves the conflicts in the testimony in favor of Mr. Aronberg; however, the “Amended Motion” is the only motion for fees that was set for hearing, and for reasons stated below Mr. Aronberg’s motion is denied - solely on procedural grounds. 4. The Amended Motion did not comply with the strict “safe harbor” notice provision of section 57.105(4), which requires the motion to be served on the non-moving party at least 21 days before it is filed. 5. The Court must deny the Amended Motion. See MC Liberty Express, Inc., 252 So. 3d at 403 (“[I]n order to have properly complied with section 57.105, [the filing party] must have first served the proposed motion upon the party it sought to sanction”; “The primary purpose of section 57.105’s safe harbor provision is to provide the recipient of the motion with notice and the opportunity to withdraw or abandon a frivolous claim before sanctions are sought.”). 6. Accordingly, the July 1, 2020 Motion for Attorneys’ Fees is DENIED. DONE AND ORDERED in Chambers, at West Palm Beach, Palm Beach County, Florida cc: All counsel of record NOT A CERTIFIED COPY -T" --~---= - ~------ 502019C~Q.!.4i;~1•~l/lV2jglRCUIT .,-£Luis Delgado Circuit Judge Ar,YINl~fPA.r VI \JI I ,, r l ., l •T 502019CA014681XXXXMB 01131/2023 L uis Delgado C ircuit J udge