JACKSONVILLE, FL – May 7, 2019 – Attorney Richard J. Plotkin, shareholder in GrayRobinson’s Jacksonville law firm office, successfully defended his client, The City of Neptune Beach, before the U.S. Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals. The case, Camille Burban v. The City of Neptune Beach, originated from a suit filed by former NBPD officer Burban against the City for its refusal to provide her with a law enforcement identification card that she requested pursuant to the federal Law Enforcement Officer Safety Act that would have allowed her to carry a concealed weapon nation-wide without the need to obtain any additional permitting. It was the determination of NBPD that Burban did not quality for receipt of an identification card as NBPD had determined that Burban did not separate from the agency in good standing. This is now the controlling precedent in the 11th Circuit about Section 1983 claims and the Law Enforcement Officer Safety Act as well as the impact of the commandeering doctrine. The result, abetted by Plotkin, will not only benefit the City of Neptune but will also be used by law enforcement agencies around the country as precedent going forward.
Plotkin has extensive jury and nonjury trial experience, having tried approximately 100 jury trials while serving as assistant state attorney in the Jacksonville State Attorney’s Office. He was an assistant state attorney for over five years in the Repeat Offender Division, focusing on violent crimes before entering private practice. He also serves as a lecturer on trial advocacy, witness preparation and the art of jury selection.