Protesters

A federal jury began hearing arguments Tuesday in the trial of a Tallahassee man accused of plotting to violently confront would-be protesters at the Florida Capitol in January.

Civil-rights attorneys are challenging a new set of state laws that establish a crime of “mob intimidation” and enhance penalties for riot-related violence and looting, arguing in a federal lawsuit that the measures unconstitutionally “seek to arrest the peaceful expression of free speech.”

A controversial bill that aims to crack down on violent protests has passed the Florida House and is on its way to the state Senate, but an identical version in that chamber hasn't yet received a committee hearing.

A federal grand jury has returned an indictment against Daniel A. Baker of Tallahassee. He is charged with two counts related to threats against anticipated protesters at the Florida Capitol following last month's insurrection in Washington, DC.

A bill increasing penalties for crimes committed during protests is advancing in the legislature. Governor Ron DeSantis is promoting the bill after nationwide protests against police violence last year. The measure is receiving flak from those who believe it targets Black Lives Matter.

An effort to enhance penalties in Florida for violent protests and make it difficult for cities to trim law-enforcement spending had a rocky legislative debut Wednesday, drawing heated criticism from opponents.

Legislation increasing penalties for violent protesters passed its first stop in the House Wednesday on a party-line vote. Democrats argue the measure is targeted at the Black Lives Matter movement. Rep. Kaylee Tuck (R-Sebring) pushes against that characterization.

A federal magistrate judge on Monday ordered a Tallahassee man accused of plotting to “violently confront” potential protesters at the Florida Capitol this month to be kept in jail until his trial.

About eight months after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis touched off nationwide "Black Lives Matter" protests, a Florida state senator has filed a bill that targets strangulation by police officers.

Warnings about violent protests at state capitols Sunday did not pan out in Tallahassee amid heightened security and increased law enforcement presence. Florida’s capitol grounds mostly saw journalists roaming about, and the occasional tourist and residents taking photos of the historic capitol building.