Sabatini Law Firm P.A.

09/03/2026

JUST IN—Today we filed a lawsuit on behalf of our client James Fishback against the Miami-Dade County Commission. At a meeting of the Commission, the Chairman opened the floor for public comment on a resolution approving a $155 million bond-financing transaction benefiting a local hospital. Plaintiff James Fishback used that opportunity to argue that the County’s financial priorities should favor Miami-Dade residents and institutions. To explain that position, Fishback contrasted the local financing proposal with the Board’s decision that same day to expand investments in Israeli government bonds, asking whether the commissioners served “the people of South Miami or of Jerusalem” and insisting that public money “should be invested here in this community.”

Although this was a coherent & sharply critical argument about local versus foreign financial priorities, Chairman Anthony Rodriguez cut Fishback’s microphone and caused his removal because he referenced and criticized the Israel-bond decision.

The First Amendment permits enforcement of reasonable, viewpoint-neutral rules governing time, decorum, and germaneness; it does not permit Miami Dade County to silence an otherwise germane speaker because they disapproved of the viewpoint
from which he addressed the County’s bond and financial policies.

We filed this lawsuit under 42 USC 1983 for violation of the First Amendment.

08/28/2026

JUST IN—Today we filed a lawsuit against another state agency for First Amendment Retaliation.
After our client Michelle Smith made several complaints to the Florida Forest Service, the agency formally trespassed her from its offices, barring her from Florida Forest Service governmental property. The written Trespass Warning cites her "multiple complaints" as a basis for her exclusion. The First Amendment prohibits government officials from retaliating against a citizen for criticizing the government, petitioning public officials for redress, or persistently voicing complaints merely because officials find that speech unwelcome, critical, or inconvenient. Plaintiff therefore brings this action pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983 for declaratory and injunctive relief to prohibit the enforcement of the retaliatory and unconstitutional Trespass Warning and to remedy the ongoing deprivation of her First Amendment rights.

08/25/2026

NEW CASE: This week we will be filing a lawsuit under 42 USC 1983 against the Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections for First Amendment retaliation. Our client, a Republican voter, was meeting with an employee in the Supervisor’s office lobby area when he suddenly became angry that she was lawfully recording (outside any polling room or designated early voting area where Florida law restricts photography.)
He then invoked a statute that did not apply to Plaintiff’s location, ordered her to stop recording and leave, caused her to be trespassed from the property, and set in motion her arrest—all because she was recording government activity.
Her removal was made in violation of clearly established law—courts have long recognized a First Amendment right to record government officials performing public duties on public property. Smith v. City of Cu***ng, 212 F.3d 1332 (11th Cir. 2000). Plaintiff brings this action under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 to hold Defendants accountable for this unconstitutional retaliation and to prevent the government from using the same unlawful practice to suppress protected First Amendment activity in the future.

08/24/2026

JUST IN—Sabatini Law Firm, P.A. is proud to announce a significant federal court procedural win in Siegel v. Hillsborough County, Case No. 8:25-cv-3278-AEP, in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida. The Court DENIED Hillsborough County’s Motion to Dismiss, allowing the constitutional claims of our client (the Estate of veteran, activist, & Confederate history advocate HK Edgerton) arising from his removal from a Veterans Day event, to proceed. Sabatini Law Firm remains committed to aggressively defending the First Amendment and holding government entities accountable when constitutional rights are violated.

08/20/2026

Sabatini Law Firm P.A. is proud to bring this case on behalf of our client, Groveland Chief of Police Shawn Ramsey 

Claiming city officials retaliated against him for several whistleblower complaints, Groveland Chief of Police Shawn Ramsey has sued the City of Groveland.

08/19/2026

JUST IN—Today we filed a lawsuit on behalf of our client, former Wakulla County Commissioner Michael Kemp, against the Wakulla County Sheriff's Office for false arrest & First Amendment Retaliation. Kemp engaged in protected political expression and discussion of information connected to a public political dispute; yet he was falsely arrested for “Using Public Information to Harass” - Fla. Stat. § 817.568(5)(a). Despite the fact that in Florida harassment is defined as conduct “which causes substantial distress and serves no legitimate purpose,” the false & baseless charge was made anyway. The charge was ultimately dismissed after the Circuit Court correctly recognized the constitutionally protected political activity at issue. This action is brought under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 to redress the deprivation of his First and Fourth Amendment rights and the damages resulting from his unconstitutional arrest and prosecution. Sabatini Law Firm P.A. is proud to take this case.

08/16/2026

UPDATE—This week Sabatini Law Firm P.A. filed a lawsuit against the City of Groveland on behalf of our client, Groveland Chief of Police Shawn Ramsey, for unlawful retaliation against a whistleblower.
After Chief Ramsey made several whistleblower complaints documenting clear violations of Florida’s open-meetings law & other city charter violations, the Mayor of Groveland & other city officials engaged in a systematic scheme of behavior to retaliate against Chief Ramsey, placing him under a slew of pre-textual & baseless “administrative investigations,” &
publicly disclosing his whistleblower status, in clear violation of Florida’s public whistleblower law.
Chief Ramsey is one of the most respected police chiefs in the state and the city’s actions are an egregious violation of Florida’s public whistleblower law.
We are requesting the City immediately cease its illegal retaliatory actions, settle these claims, & allow Chief Ramsey to continue keeping Groveland residents safe.

08/08/2026

CASE UPDATE: Yesterday the Court DENIED a motion to dismiss filed by the City of Ormond Beach and ruled that our case on behalf of Detective Coma against Ormond Beach will continue.

Flagler County Sheriff’s Office Detective Coma was unlawfully arrested without probable cause by the Ormond Beach Police Department and falsely accused of “fleeing and eluding.”

Detective Coma was operating his vehicle when an officer initiated a traffic stop for speeding. Instead of conducting a routine traffic stop, the officer—frustrated at traffic & the distance between Plaintiff’s vehicle & his own—decided to do a felony stop for “fleeing and eluding,” despite the absence of any evidence that Plaintiff had intentionally refused to stop.

We brought the action under 42 U.S.C. §1983 for false arrest & look forward to bringing justice for our client.

08/07/2026

Today Sabatini Law Firm P.A. filed a lawsuit on behalf of Volusia County School Board Member Jamie Haynes against Richard Ciraco, an individual who destroyed and removed many of Haynes’ political campaign signs & the signs of other candidates.
No one should also have to accept the deliberate destruction of their property as the price of participating in our Republic.
We filed this lawsuit to hold the defendant accountable and to make clear that illegal efforts to discourage people from public service should not be tolerated.