Bert Fish Medical Center in New Smyrna Beach, Fla., and Adventist Health, which operates Florida Hospital in Orlando, have asked a judge to expedite the trial in a lawsuit alleging the groups violated the state's Sunshine Law, according to a News-Journal report.
The suit alleges the groups violated the Sunshine Law, which establishes a basic right of access to most meetings of boards and other governing bodies of state and local governmental agencies, when the two merged in May.
Circuit Judge Richard Graham determined last month the private meetings held around the merger violated the Sunshine Law but did not void Adventist's acquisition of Bert Fish. Judge Graham will now determine the legality of the two group's "cure" for the violations, which involved reholding the merger meetings, according to the report. In November, Bert reapproved the merger with Adventist.
A representative for the Bert Fish Foundation, the plantiff of the lawsuit, said it would not object to an expedited trial if the discovery process is also expedited.
The judge is expected to rule later today on the request to expedite.
Read the News-Journal report on Bert Fish Medical Center.
Read more coverage on Bert Fish Medical Center:
- Judge Rules Bert Fish Merger Violated Florida Sunshine Law
- Florida's Bert Fish Board Votes Again to Merge With Adventist
- Adventist, Bert Fish File Response Denying Sunshine Law Violations
The suit alleges the groups violated the Sunshine Law, which establishes a basic right of access to most meetings of boards and other governing bodies of state and local governmental agencies, when the two merged in May.
Circuit Judge Richard Graham determined last month the private meetings held around the merger violated the Sunshine Law but did not void Adventist's acquisition of Bert Fish. Judge Graham will now determine the legality of the two group's "cure" for the violations, which involved reholding the merger meetings, according to the report. In November, Bert reapproved the merger with Adventist.
A representative for the Bert Fish Foundation, the plantiff of the lawsuit, said it would not object to an expedited trial if the discovery process is also expedited.
The judge is expected to rule later today on the request to expedite.
Read the News-Journal report on Bert Fish Medical Center.
Read more coverage on Bert Fish Medical Center:
- Judge Rules Bert Fish Merger Violated Florida Sunshine Law
- Florida's Bert Fish Board Votes Again to Merge With Adventist
- Adventist, Bert Fish File Response Denying Sunshine Law Violations