Great Loss for the legal community...

[ChriswUfGator]

A truly great man, and a personal friend, has passed on unexpectedly. He was the former State Attorney for the 7th Judicial Circuit, which includes the portion of Florida south of the Duval County line. During the civil rights era, he arrested the Saint Johns County Sheriff for violating Martin Luther King's civil rights, and was integral to bringing desegregation to Florida. And did so before it was fashionable. For many years, he served as the special prosecutor for civil rights violations in Florida, and was also a noted criminal defense attorney. He published a book, entitled "If it takes all Summer" detailing the battle over desegregation in Florida, which is excellent, and is a largely otherwise untold history of civil rights in this state. Were it not for his efforts, we would likely have gone down in history alongisde Arkansas as requiring US Army / National Guard intervention in order to achieve the first steps along the path of racial equality. He spared this state that indignity, and though he got little thanks for it in his lifetime, he never really wanted any. Just a truly great man, and a great loss. Undoubtedly one of the most important people that many Floridians have never heard of, though he'd have killed me for saying that while he was alive. That was his own doing, he never wanted the credit, just the correct result. They don't make them like that anymore. Always just did what was right, even, and especially, when it was personally inconvenient.

http://www.news-journalonline.com/breakingnews/2011/09/dan-warren-defense-attorney-dies.html

[manasia]

A truly great man, and a personal friend, has passed on unexpectedly. He was the former State Attorney for the 7th Judicial Circuit, which includes the portion of Florida south of the Duval County line. During the civil rights era, he arrested the Saint Johns County Sheriff for violating Martin Luther King's civil rights, and was integral to bringing desegregation to Florida. And did so before it was fashionable. For many years, he served as the special prosecutor for civil rights violations in Florida, and was also a noted criminal defense attorney. He published a book, entitled "If it takes all Summer" detailing the battle over desegregation in Florida, which is excellent, and is a largely otherwise untold history of civil rights in this state. Were it not for his efforts, we would likely have gone down in history alongisde Arkansas as requiring US Army / National Guard intervention in order to achieve the first steps along the path of racial equality. He spared this state that indignity, and though he got little thanks for it in his lifetime, he never really wanted any. Just a truly great man, and a great loss. Undoubtedly one of the most important people that many Floridians have never heard of, though he'd have killed me for saying that while he was alive. That was his own doing, he never wanted the credit, just the correct result. They don't make them like that anymore. Always just did what was right, even, and especially, when it was personally inconvenient.

http://www.news-journalonline.com/breakingnews/2011/09/dan-warren-defense-attorney-dies.html

Hopefully he found someone to pass the torch too.

[Dog Walker]

Most people who were adults during that period remember Dan Warren and what he did.  The arrest of the St. John's County sheriff made headlines.

There were a handful of men of integrity in the State who were determined that Florida would join the Hall of Shame that Alabama and Mississippi were in at that time.  Gov. Ferris Bryant was also one of them.

[ChriswUfGator]

[Midway ®]

Most people who were adults during that period remember Dan Warren and what he did.  The arrest of the St. John's County sheriff made headlines.

There were a handful of men of integrity in the State who were determined that Florida would join the Hall of Shame that Alabama and Mississippi were in at that time.  Gov. Ferris Bryant was also one of them.

Now there's not even a handful.