City General Counsel Cindy Laquidara will have some well-known –– and free –– assistance when she takes on the Concerned Taxpayers of Duval County in court.
Foley and Lardner attorney Kevin Hyde, a former City Council president, informed Mayor Alvin Brown in a Wednesday letter that Laquidara –– under fire in a lawsuit from the Concerned Taxpayers regarding how she was appointed –– will be represented pro bono by a group of prominent attorneys.
Hyde will be joined by John Devault III and Hank Coxe, of Bedell, Ditmar, DeVault, Pillans & Coxe; Rutledge Liles of Liles, Gavin & George; and David Wells of Gunster. Coxe, DeVault and Liles are former Florida Bar presidents.
The lawsuit asks that Laquidara be removed and that she not be allowed to use city funds for representation, which prompted Hyde and others to come to her assistance.
"All of us believe deeply in the consolidated form of government which has served Jacksonville so well these past 45 years," Hyde said. "The general counsel is central to the smooth functioning and operation of our local government."
Hyde said the group takes "seriously any effort to disqualify anyone from this important service."
The lawsuit was filed by the watchdog group, alleging Laquidara was not properly appointed to her position. The City Charter calls for a five-attorney panel to recommend candidates to the mayor.
In 2010, former Mayor John Peyton named Laquidara to succeed Rick Mullaney, who stepped down to run for mayor. Laquidara was re-appointed by then Mayor-elect Alvin Brown in 2011 and confirmed by the former council.
John Winkler, Concerned Taxpayers president, said Sunday the charter was "absolutely not followed."
Office of Ethics, Compliance and Oversight Director Carla Miller said the pro bono service doesn't appear to be an ethical issue. The only potential problem would be if the attorneys later received any work from the city, which could be construed as a direct exchange.
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