UPDATE: August 6, 2020 — see clarification note at end of report.
BOCA RATON, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) — Boca Raton attorney David Shiner, running for the District 5 seat on the Palm Beach County Commission, is the named attorney on a lawsuit against the Greater Boca Raton Beach and Park District.
Shiner is representing a man who claims that he fell in the “men’s locker room of the Swim and Racquet Center which is located at or about 21618 St. Andrews Blvd, Boca Raton, FL.”
While a personal injury attorney representing an injured client is not news, an attorney running for public office who could financially benefit from a lawsuit against local government is. There is nothing illegal about an attorney filing a lawsuit on behalf of a client.
As proven by the closure of all beaches in Palm Beach County as COVID-19 rules and regulations took hold, the Palm Beach County Commission has ultimate authority over beaches and parks in Boca Raton. If Shiner wins the commission seat, he would potentially be in the optically-challenged position of having authority over an agency that he is suing.
For day-to-day operations, however, the beaches are controlled by the Greater Boca Raton Park and Beach District which maintains its own commission.
While the lawsuit language is somewhat boilerplate, it is notable: “This is an action for damages in excess of $30,000.00, exclusive of interest, court costs, and attorneys’ fees and is therefore within the jurisdictional limits of this Honorable Court.”
While the lawsuit language is somewhat boilerplate, it is notable: “This is an action for damages in excess of $30,000.00, exclusive of interest, court costs, and attorneys’ fees and is therefore within the jurisdictional limits of this Honorable Court.”
The lawsuit claims that the victim fell on poorly maintained tile in the locker room.
“The Defendant, Greater Boca Raton Beach and Park District, knew of the dangerous condition, or the dangerous condition had existed for a sufficiently length of time so that Defendant should have known of it.”
According to the Palm Beach County Elections Supervisor, Shiner is running as a Republican for the District 5 seat. He has reported $42,773.36 in contributions, $1,324.49 in “in-kind” contributions,” and reports $21,600.01 in expenditures. He is running against Democrat Maria Sachs who has raised $247,123.00 in contributions, $316.18 in “in-kind” contributions,” and has $72.194.31 in expenditures.
Read the complete lawsuit below.
CLARIFICATION: At the request of another elected official, we have clarified above that under normal day-to-day operations, the Greater Boca Raton Beach and Park District is managed by its own commission.
