More than 10 states have joined the State of Florida in an amicus brief to support its fight over state’s rights after a North Carolina judge ruled Florida State University (a public university) waived its “sovereign immunity” by voluntarily dealing with the Atlantic Coast Conference

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Earlier this year, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody sued the ACC after it failed to provide the details of the Grant of Rights agreement between the Conference and ESPN, which has been one of the focal points of both lawsuits.

Mecklenburg County (North Carolina) Judge Louis A. Bledsoe ruled that Florida State waived its sovereign immunity by being a member of the Conference, making the secrecy of the agreement between the ACC and ESPN legitimate.

The ACC has since released the (heavily redacted) details of the Grant of Rights agreement.

AG Moody claims the agreement is public record under Florida law, but the ACC – and Mecklenburg County Judge Louis A. Bledsoe – disagrees.

AG Moody’s argument in the lawsuit is that it does not matter if Florida State does business with the ACC outside of state lines, all records – due to Florida law – are public records.

The states alongside Florida involved in the amicus brief supporting the FSU Board of Trustees include Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, and Utah.

Part of the amicus brief states:

“Each of the fifty states enjoys immunity under the U.S. Constitution from lawsuits to which they have not consented. Embracing a long history of sovereign immunity, the Constitution requires a state’s consent before a federal court or another state’s court can exercise jurisdiction over that state. The States have an interest in preserving the rights secured to them and their constituent institutions by the U.S. Constitution, including the immunity of their public universities from suit in other states’ courts without the States’ clear and unequivocal consent.”

In short, the states believe the ruling from Judge Bledsoe – should it become precedent – threatens the authority of each individual state guaranteed by the Constitution.

It is uncertain how this brief will affect the ongoing competing lawsuits between FSU and the Atlantic Coast Conference, but it could result in the case being thrown out and solidify a precedent protecting state’s rights.

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A Florida deputy is “fighting for his life” Friday after being critically injured in a “horrific accident” that claimed the lives of two of his colleagues, officials say. 

Deputy Ignacio Diaz of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office was struck Thursday on the shoulder of Southern Boulevard by a female driver who was trying to pass a vehicle on her right, according to Sheriff Ric Bradshaw. Diaz, along with Cpl. Luis Paez and Deputy Sheriff Ralph Waller, had been conducting traffic enforcement in the area. 

“She overcompensated, got off the road and then struck all three of the motor officers, at which time all three went airborne in different directions,” Bradshaw said. 

“Hopefully he is going to make it,” Bradshaw added regarding Diaz. “It’s a bad crash. We are jointly investigating this with Florida Highway Patrol.” 

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Bradshaw said the accident happened after one of the officers made a traffic stop and then “could not get his motorcycle started, so he thought he had a dead battery. 

“So he called the other two over to help him move the bike off the road. They were all three on the grassy area on the shoulder of the road, and they were going to wait for another PBSO vehicle to come with some battery cables,” he continued. 

The female driver, who did not appear to be impaired and was traveling in a zone with a 55-mph speed limit, suffered minor injuries in the crash, the sheriff said. 

Paez and Waller were airlifted to a hospital, where “they worked on them for as long as they could there,” but “they were injured so badly they just weren’t going to make it,” according to Bradshaw. 

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“Law enforcement, public safety and the military are the only professions when you leave the house and kiss your family goodbye, that might be the last time, and here’s the example of it,” Bradshaw said. “When a deputy dies, a piece of the community dies with them. It’s tough.” 

The sheriff, who also called the accident “horrific,” said Diaz underwent surgery and is now in critical but stable condition in a local hospital’s ICU. 

“This is our hero, Deputy Ignacio ‘Dan’ Diaz, currently fighting for his life. Deputy Diaz joined PBSO in 2004 and has been a valued member of our Motor Unit for over 10 years. We ask for your thoughts and prayers for him and his family during this incredibly difficult time,” the sheriff’s office wrote on its Facebook page. 

“Our hearts are heavy as we mourn the loss of our brothers, honor their memory, and support their families during this devastating time,” it added in a post announcing the deaths of Paez and Waller. 

Motorcycles belonging to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.

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As of Friday, it appears no charges have been filed following the accident. The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. 

A Florida judge has granted the defense team’s motion for a mistrial in the Home Depot murder case because of an “unhinged juror.” 

After more than five hours of deliberations earlier this week, an Escambia County judge called a mistrial for Shelia Agee, who is accused of helping her son kill the mother of his child at a Pensacola Home Depot store last year. 

“A particular juror has not treated this case during the evidence with the seriousness that they should have, that has apparently continued during deliberations,” Judge Coleman Robinson told WKRG.

The problems reportedly began when juror Sallie Sue Smith was caught with a crossword puzzle during testimony, according to WEAR News 3.

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On Tuesday, Smith was found working on a crossword puzzle during witness testimony. The next day, she was found using another crossword puzzle during deliberation.

Smith told WEAR News that the puzzle “helped her focus,” and denied any threatening behavior in the jury room.

“It was me,” Smith told WEAR News. “Well, I didn’t know it was a bad thing. I do that when I concentrate and I’m listening. You couldn’t see the bench or witness stand very well cause it was dark. But I could hear it… That’s just the way I do. I just do that and I had no idea and then when they told me I wasn’t supposed to do it, I stopped. And then, today, when I went into the jury room, I had another crossword puzzle.”

Other jurors also later shared concerns about their safety during deliberations with Judge Robinson. 

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Sheila Agee, 50, is facing charges in the shooting death of 18-year-old Brooklyn Sims after allegedly helping her son plan the attack. (Washington County Jail)

“It is just a single piece of paper with a crossword puzzle printed on one side and not sure what’s on the other side,” said Robinson. “…I cannot ever recall a juror doing a crossword puzzle during a trial.”

Judge Robinson later questioned each juror, calling them in, one by one, and asked if they felt safe to continue after concerns were relayed to him by security. 

Nearly 20 witnesses took the stand, while it took prosecutors less than two days to rest their case against Agee. However, due to the jury’s issues, the trial was “hindered beyond repair.” 

Smith didn’t say what her decision was on a verdict, but denied any threatening behavior to WEAR News.

“We retired to the jury room and started to deliberate,” Smith said. “It became obvious to me right away that I was in the minority of one versus 11 other people… At first, it started out reasonable. A lot of shouting, and I can shout, too.”

“I do have a loud voice, but I was being shouted down by a lot of people,” Smith added.

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Keith Agee, 20, is charged with homicide and aggravated battery in the shooting death of 18-year-old Brooklyn Sims. (Escambia County Jail)

Agee, 51, was charged with principal to first-degree premeditated murder after police discovered text messages allegedly showing her help plan the shooting death of the mother of her son’s child, 18-year-old Brooklyn Sims, who was also Sheila’s co-worker.

Her son, Keith Agee, 20, was arrested by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office in connection with the deadly Aug. 11, 2023 shooting of Sims.

“According to text messages, it’s clear that Keith Agee’s mother, Sheila Agee, knew and participated in the plan to kill Brooklyn Sims. Additionally, text messages between mother and son highlight the mother’s involvement in helping locate the victim,” the ECSO previously wrote on Facebook.

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The department released the alleged text messages between the mother and son on its Facebook page, claiming they took place right before Sims was shot and killed.

“The murder itself is unbelievable, but to know the mother knew about it and helped coordinate it is incomprehensible,” Sheriff Chip Simmons said previously via Facebook.

The case is expected to be back in court on Feb. 5.

“Another jury will have to come back and listen to the evidence in front of another jury where hopefully, those certain members will follow common sense, will follow the law, will treat their fellow jurors with decency and appropriateness. And will reach a verdict, whatever that may be, that is a fair and just verdict for both sides,” Robinson said.

Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Pritchett contributed to this report.