TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — A case that could result in the release of hundreds — and possibly thousands — of drug offenders is on a fast track in the Florida Supreme Court.
The state’s appeal of a Manatee County judge’s ruling on Sept. 14 that struck down Florida’s drug law is running parallel with and a little quicker than a similar federal case.
Two weeks after the Manatee ruling, a three-judge state appellate panel sent the case to the justices without a decision so it could get to Florida’s highest court as quickly as possible.
The Lakeland-based 2nd District Court of Appeal certified the case as an issue of “great public importance.” The Supreme Court has set oral argument for Dec. 6.
Last week, though, a Miami appellate court upheld the drug law’s constitutionality.
Source: Associated Press
