Florida's 'Grim Reaper' lawyer sued Ron DeSantis over COVID-19; now the state wants him sanctioned

Pointing to what they called “baseless” legal arguments, lawyers for Gov. Ron DeSantis have urged an appeals court to sanction a Northwest Florida attorney who filed a lawsuit to try to force DeSantis to close beaches to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

DeSantis’ lawyers filed an 11-page document Friday at the 1st District Court of Appeal contending that Santa Rosa Beach attorney Daniel Uhlfelder filed a frivolous appeal after a circuit judge ruled against him in the beach-closure case.

The Tallahassee-based appeals court last month rejected the appeal and raised the possibility of sanctioning Uhlfelder and attorneys who represented him. It subsequently said DeSantis’ lawyers could file arguments on the issue.

“The many hours spent by this court and the attorneys of the Executive Office of the Governor on this appeal could have been spent on innumerable other pressing matters related to the health, welfare, and safety of Floridians,” DeSantis’ lawyers wrote in the document Friday. “Appellant (Uhlfelder) knew or should have known that filing this appeal was frivolous. Appellant and his counsel should be sanctioned accordingly.”

Read more: https://www.orlandoweekly.com/Blogs/archives/2020/12/15/floridas-grim-reaper-lawyer-sued-ron-desantis-over-covid-19-now-the-state-wants-him-sanctioned