Police in Jupiter Florida have arrested Uber driver Gary Kitchings, 57, and charged him with kidnapping, sexual battery and burglary. He is accused of picking up an Uber fare at SunFest early Sunday and sexually assaulting her at her Jupiter home
According to a police affidavit, the woman told investigators she’d arrived in the West Palm Beach area Saturday to attend SunFest and accessed Uber through its smartphone app at about 12:30 a.m. Sunday.
(Gary Kitchings, arrested Monday by Jupiter Police)
She said Kitchings told her he had a gun under the seat and would kill her if she didn’t do what he wanted. He then forced the woman into a sex act, according to the affidavit.
The agenda has been released for the April 27th Premises Liability Seminar hosted by The Haggard Law Firm.
This interactive and highly demonstrative FREE half-day legal seminar will show attorneys the latest trends and cutting edge strategies involved in litigating various premises liability cases. Case
genres will include negligent security, drowning and entrapment and road construction accidents. Attendees will also hear from a leading Jury Consultant on Jury Selection.
This is a CLE Credit Seminar. Space is limited. Please RSVP with Susie Acosta, sacosta@haggadlawfirm.com or call 305.446.5700
A lot has changed in a year!!! As most of you know, I have Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) and have been diagnosed since my early 30’s. It always came as a surprise to someone when I told them I had a genetic, life-threatening and incurable disease because I was fortunate and did not suffer debilitating effects. My only symptom was inevitable and total renal failure!!! So a couple of years ago, I went on the over 100,000 person national kidney waiting list…..I had no chance of getting a kidney before going on dialysis!
Due to God’s grace, my prayers were answered and my brother-in-law, Major Allen Buckhalt (US Army Blackhawk Pilot and Iraq/Afghanistan war veteran) was a match!! Exactly six months ago today, Allen saved my life with the gift of life. I am 100% back to normal and my kidney function is better than most people…..It is a miracle and really should not be because living donation should be much more common!! In fact, Allen is not only back to 100%, but unfortunately, he is so healthy, the army is deploying him again to Kuwait in August. He is my hero and should be yours on so many levels!!!
That brings us to this year’s 7TH ANNUAL PKD KIDNEY CASINO FOR A CURE!!!! This is going to be the best event ever!!! This year our event will be held on May 5, 2016, from 7:00 p.m.-11:00 p.m. This year will be a Cinco de Mayo celebration in celebration of not only my successful transplant but several other special guests who have been given the GIFT OF LIFE!!!! We are back at the Coral Gables Museum, once again taking over the beautiful Loggia and Terrace spaces. It is going to be a great celebration and fundraiser for a Cure for PKD!! Bekki and I have funded several PKD research grants over the years, but with your help over the past decade, we have raised an additional $400,000 which has funded multiple PKD research projects!!! We will find a cure for PKD in my lifetime!!! I have been given a Second Chance at Life and I will not waste it……I know you will help us with our goal. Many of you have donated in the past and we desperately need your help again!!! Please do what you did last year or if you possibly can—-DO EVEN MORE!!! We want all of you to come to the event, but if you cannot please look at the sponsorship levels and consider being there in spirit with us!!!
As most of you also know the curse of this disease is also the blessing!! It is genetic…….Both Maddie and Carson each have a 50% chance of inheriting this disease……and as you can imagine that “haunts” me each night! But even if you told me tomorrow Maddie and Carson were in the clear, we would never stop fighting this fight. All you have to do is see the devastating effects of PKD on families. I have lost my maternal grandmother, uncle, and mother to this disease and I intend on beating it out of existence! Because it is genetic we have made advances that have never been accomplished in other disease research—-because we can isolate the Gene!!!!
This year’s event will also center around Living Donation!!! While we will find a cure at some point soon, each person with PKD that has gone too far down the road deserves a healthy life via kidney transplant. Bekki and I have funded a Living Donor Coordinator position at Tampa General Hospital where I had my kidney transplant operation. We intend on spreading the word and increasing living donations throughout this Country!!! Please help us with your attendance at the event and thru financial donations to make this a reality!!!
I cannot thank each of you enough for your past support and hope that you will continue to support our efforts this year. If you cannot join us on Friday, May, 5, you can still donate to our cause. NO donation is too small. Checks should be made payable to the PKD Foundation and can be mailed directly to The Haggard Law Firm, 330 Alhambra Circle, Coral Gables, FL 33134. ATTN: Susie Acosta. The attached document also allows you to RSVP, sponsor a table, purchase tickets or donate directly to the PKD Foundation. The Kidney Casino Night is live on the PKD Foundation’s website so you can RSVP and register online using a credit card!!
We are very proud to share that The Haggard Law Firm was awarded the “Justice For All” Award during today’s National Crime Victims’ Awareness Luncheon in Coral Gables. The event was hosted by the City of Coral Gables, the Coral Gables Police Department, and the National Crime Victims’ Rights Event Committee.
The Haggard Law Firm has the honor to represent the family of conservationist and award-winning filmmaker Rob Stewart in an effort to seek justice in his death. We hope the wrongful death lawsuit against several parties responsible will help send a message to bad operating dive instructors, boat captains, and dive equipment sales and manufacturing outlets out there to follow the rules and standards or close your business.
MEDIA CONFERENCE: Documentary Filmmaker Rob Stewart’s Death was a ‘Preventable Tragedy,’ Family Filing Lawsuit Tuesday
Family Set To Speak During Media Conference Tuesday Morning
Coral Gables, Florida – The family of Canadian conservationist and documentary film producer Rob Stewart, whose body was found off the coast of Islamorada on February 3, is filing a lawsuit against several businesses and people involved in his fatal dive. The Stewart family hopes the legal action will push out and/or change the ways of all irresponsibly operating diving businesses and help keep attention on Stewart’s mission of ocean conservation. The family is set to speak at a media conference, to be held Tuesday, March 28 at 10:45 AM at The Haggard Law Firm, 330 Alhambra Circle, Coral Gables, FL 33134.
Among the defendants in the case is the company Add Helium, which is owned by Peter Sotis, who is also named in the lawsuit. The Ft. Lauderdale-based company was in charge of the dive and sold the equipment utilized by the divers. Sotis has a checkered past. He is a convicted felon, is under investigation for utilizing unapproved Chinese air tanks as detailed in a Miami Herald article (click to readHerald article), and has been accused of selling military-grade scuba equipment to a Libyan militant.
Last Friday Haggard Law Firm Senior Partner William Andrew Haggard was the Keynote Speaker at the Mercer Law School’s Law Day Celebration. Haggard was also one of the judges for the School’s Hugh Lawson Moot Court Competition which features first-year students and helps expose competitors to moot court practice and procedure before trying out for Mercer’s Nationally recognized Moot Court team.
‘Andy’ Haggard received his J.D. from Mercer Law in 1967. He is a current member of the Mercer University Board of Trustees. To learn more about Mr. Haggard click here to read his bio
The Mercer University Walter F. George School of Law is one of the oldest law schools in the country. The Woodruff Curriculum, Mercer Law School’s model curriculum, focuses on ethics and practical skills. It was honored with the Gambrell Professionalism Award from the American Bar Association for its “depth and excellence” and “obvious commitment to professionalism.”
For more information on the Law Day event Click here: http://law.mercer.edu/about/news/law-day-lawson-2017.cfm#.WNlUWfnyvct
On holidays like St. Patrick’s Day, bars and restaurants expecting large crowds should prepare for it with more than just an increase in service staff, food and alcohol. Those good times expected by the patrons can turn tragic if increased safety and security measures by these businesses are not taken. From who they allow to enter their business, to who is allowed to stay, and an awareness when someone has been over served, a security and safety plan should be in place.
The Haggard Law Firm’s Managing Partner Michael Haggard says there is nothing more enjoyable than a big event or block party where a community can celebrate a holiday like St Patrick’s Day or New Years Eve. However, the bars, shopping centers or establishments hosting these “events” have to plan for security just as they plan the event. More people, more alcohol and more utilized space bring additional risks that can prove catastrophic in today’s sometime violent world. Security needs must be planned, scheduled and executed in order to meet these additional risks associated with these bigger events.”
The Haggard Law Firm has litigated several Liquor/Bar Liability or ‘Dram Shop’ cases where the business owners/management neglected to take the necessary steps to keep their patrons safe.
Two Haggard Law Firm case examples:
MARSHALL V. GENE’S LOUNGE & RED BARON LOUNGE
$1.3 million – Settlement (Pensacola, Florida) – Liquor/Bar Liability
Mr. Marshall and Ms. Robinson were out for a birthday celebration. After drinking for several hours at both the Red Baron Lounge and Gene’s Lounge, both persons were asked to leave after a verbal altercation and proceeded to drive off in Ms. Robinson’s car. No effort was made by Gene’s Lounge to call a cab or make any alternate transportation arrangement. Ms. Robinson proceeded to drive off the roadway and strike a tree, partially ejecting Mr. Marshall, and leaving him a quadriplegic with both legs amputated. He was also rendered completely blind after encountering corrective surgery complications. Both Gene’s Lounge and Red Baron Lounge knew of Ms. Robinson’s alcoholism, but purposefully continued to serve her alcohol with disregard to the possible consequences of their actions. The case was settled for total policy limits.
Sherry Ann Trosper was habitually addicted to alcohol based on the parameters of Florida’s “dram shop” statutes. At 3:00 AM Sherry Ann Trosper, totally intoxicated, left Gaby’s Lounge and in attempting to walk across a multi-lane street, was struck by a vehicle suffering permanent injuries. Gaby’s Lounge knew or should have known that the quantity of alcohol served to Sherry Ann Trosper would render her intoxicated and incapacitated, and purposefully served her this quantity of alcohol. Gaby’s Lounge either intended to get her intoxicated, or did so with reckless disregard and conscious indifference to the consequences, so as to be the equivalent of intentional misconduct.
The Haggard Law Firm’s Todd Michaels will be the featured Guest Speaker for the upcoming Broward County Trial Lawyers Association scheduled for Tuesday, April 4th. Michaels’ topic of discussion “Trying Negligent Security Cases in Florida”.
Has the increased number of mass shootings and victims of these tragedies changed what should be considered adequate security for businesses and properties where large groups of people commonly gather?
Our Michael Haggard discusses the topic in our latest HLF TV installment.
(Gary Kitchings, arrested Monday by Jupiter Police)
