Judge John Simon has ruled that late attorney George Ralph Miller and a company associated with lawyer/developer Lloyd Blue will be required to pay attorney's fees to Walton County resident Suzanne Harris in a Sunshine law case.
By TOM McLAUGHLIN
NWF Daily News
Judge John Simon has ruled that late attorney George Ralph Miller and a company associated with lawyer/developer Lloyd Blue will be required to pay attorney’s fees to Walton County resident Suzanne Harris in a Sunshine law case.
Harris, represented by attorney Matt Gaetz, will now go after attorneys fees from Walton County, which included Miller and Blue as “indispensible parties” during the protracted legal battle with Harris.
“It’s just a shame Walton County can’t do things in the sunshine,” Harris said, noting the county has now spent over $200,000 fighting her in a case she offered to settle.
“I told them if they’d just admit wrong doing I’d drop the suit,” Harris said.
A call to Lloyd Blue’s office was not immediately returned.
Harris filed a lawsuit in 2010 alleging the state Sunshine Law was violated when Walton County hired Miller without the public being notified.
It was filed following a controversial purchase of South Walton land in the area of Chat Holley Road.
Simon ruled with Harris when he decided in 2015 that then-interim County Attorney Lynn Hoshihara put Miller on retainer without notifying the board of county commissioners she was doing so.
That violated a county admonition to Hoshihara that she “work with the board to secure outside legal counsel, as needed,” Simon said in that ruling.
Walton County wound up paying $187,400 to Miller during the time he was on retainer.
Replies
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Beach Fanatic
If you want to post it your self, and I think you would be a valued addition to the Facebook page group here is the link. Just request to join and the administrators will except you in shortly after.oh gawd - the people on there are so nasty I had to unjoin.
Walton county ideas for visioning and quality of life httpsWWW.Facebook.com/groups/317394411663027/
Banned
oh gawd - the people on there are so nasty I had to unjoin.
The page is too moderator heavy and censored in my opinion if you do not agree with their visions for the county. I passed on even joining.
Beach Lover
@Phil Good I originally posted this in the thread where you actually made the comment but in an effort to get that topic back on track and away from comments you made to derail that entire conversation, I deleted it there and will put it here.
Since you brought up speaking ill of someone....isn't it true that a certain widow copied an image from Suzanne Harris' Facebook page, posted it to her own page and implied that the woman in question was feeding a toddler alcohol and stated the woman in question was an idiot among other things?? To use an image of a woman holding an innocent child to assert said claims palls in comparison to anything I've said publicly. In fact it's downright pathetic.
Before you say that didn't happen...think long and hard about your answer. Remember, I do my homework!
If Ms. Harris isn't allowed to tell the truth about what happened in her dealings with regard to the now deceased GR Miller with proof and court documents, shouldn't the widow be prevented from making very derogatory, very defamatory and FALSE allegations against Ms. Harris?
People who live in glass houses...
Banned
Zach Baker I presume?
Edited
Beach Lover
Zach Baker I presume?that little girl looks nothing like Zach!
Banned
that little girl looks nothing like Zach!
well duh!
Banned
@Phil Good
You should also know that by the widows own admission she threatened to sue the newspaper over the article that was written....hence the retraction. Regardless, it was a WIN WIN for Suzanne Harris AGAIN because the JUDGE ordered that Suzanne Harris DID NOT OWE MILLER OR BLUE ANYTHING IN ATTORNEY FEES!!
You should also know that by the widows own admission she threatened to sue the newspaper over the article that was written....hence the retraction. Regardless, it was a WIN WIN for Suzanne Harris AGAIN because the JUDGE ordered that Suzanne Harris DID NOT OWE MILLER OR BLUE ANYTHING IN ATTORNEY FEES!!
Beach Lover
That sounds to me like ANOTHER win for the "widow". So much clout she's got the NWF Daily News retracting articles?
Just another example of what an absolute BOSS Mr. Miller was.
Just another example of what an absolute BOSS Mr. Miller was.
Banned
That sounds to me like ANOTHER win for the "widow". So much clout she's got the NWF Daily News retracting articles?
Just another example of what an absolute BOSS Mr. Miller was.
Given what the Harris WINS/lawsuits have cost the taxpayers you're going to be hard pressed to convince anyone "clout" has anything to so with this. Delusions of grandeur? Perhaps.
Beach Lover
I enjoy reading the SoWal forum for several reasons- I check the events and dining almost daily, I look for deals on the buy/sale/trade, I often read the local government posts, and occasionally I comment. However, I have to say that the level that some people stoop to on here makes me cringe. I once saw a post where an out-of-tower asked a simple question-"can anyone recommend a church in the area?" and within three responses had moved into an attack on mega-churches, politicians, and religion in general. It saddens me to know that everyone in sowal is so damn miserable. When i am at work, or restaurants, or on the beach, or in Publix, it seems like we live in paradise. But then I read the forum comments, and am reminded that I am living among the most unhappy, disgruntled, people that think everything is a conspiracy to undermine them. This particular thread pushed me to respond. George Ralph Miller was a person. With a wife named Dawne (Not "the widow") and he has good, upstanding, hard working children and grandchildren who live in this community. Whatever happened with Suzanne Harris, I would just like people to know that he also was a kind, caring man who loved his children and his community and he was an excellent attorney. I personally witnessed him work for free for many elderly people who just needed a deed or a will and could not afford legal representation. Out of respect for the man, at least use his wife's name. I realize the purpose of this site is so people can sound off, but remember the Millers, the Adkinsons, the other people you are talking about are real people, not reality tv stars.
Banned
Suzanne Harris deserves the same respect that folks are saying should be shown to GR Miller & family!!
Banned
@sunny850
If in fact Mrs. Miller had shown the same respect to Suzanne Harris and left her children and grand children out of the dirty laundry GR. Miller got the taxpayers involved in chances are this conversation wouldn't exist!
To take the image of an innocent child drinking grape juice and post it to your personal FB page and flat out say "the woman is an idiot giving a child wine" certainly devalues any good works that may have been accomplished.
If in fact Mrs. Miller had shown the same respect to Suzanne Harris and left her children and grand children out of the dirty laundry GR. Miller got the taxpayers involved in chances are this conversation wouldn't exist!
To take the image of an innocent child drinking grape juice and post it to your personal FB page and flat out say "the woman is an idiot giving a child wine" certainly devalues any good works that may have been accomplished.
Edited
Admin
I realize the purpose of this site is so people can sound offWe are happy to provide a place where people can sound off but it is not the purpose.
About South Walton and SoWal.com | SoWal.com
Our aim is to foster community and help local business.
Let's keep it respectful please.
Banned
I used the term "widow" out of respect for the fact she is a private citizen. So is Suzanne Harris. I don't disagree with Kurt in regard to keeping it respectful but I do have some issues with the trolling going on.
Beach Lover
I used the term "widow" out of respect for the fact she is a private citizen. So is Suzanne Harris. I don't disagree with Kurt in regard to keeping it respectful but I do have some issues.Agreed!
Banned
Agreed!
Changing what I actually said gives you ZERO credibility!
Beach Lover
Miller was a dirt bag and was representing both county and developers on the same projects! He cost the county MILLIONS in crooked development deals that still persist today long after he is dead. As for his spouse, when they had "ISSUES" it was her who spread a lot of the information about corruption in the county because she was mad. She wanted to tell all back then and now that he is dead he is a "saint". Just like GR, Lane Rees did a lot of volunteer and community work. In my mind (REES) he is still a child pornographer no matter what good he did and like the "Hallowed" GR isn't worth defending. GR made many a innocent people suffer through his shenanigans and if his family suffers from it now, they have only GR to thank, not the people who pointed it out.
Beach Lover
Miller was a dirt bag and was representing both county and developers on the same projects! He cost the county MILLIONS in crooked development deals that still persist today long after he is dead. As for his spouse, when they had "ISSUES" it was her who spread a lot of the information about corruption in the county because she was mad. She wanted to tell all back then and now that he is dead he is a "saint". Just like GR, Lane Rees did a lot of volunteer and community work. In my mind (REES) he is still a child pornographer no matter what good he did and like the "Hallowed" GR isn't worth defending. GR made many a innocent people suffer through his shenanigans and if his family suffers from it now, they have only GR to thank, not the people who pointed it out.
Banned
Miller was a dirt bag and was representing both county and developers on the same projects! He cost the county MILLIONS in crooked development deals that still persist today long after he is dead. As for his spouse, when they had "ISSUES" it was her who spread a lot of the information about corruption in the county because she was mad. She wanted to tell all back then and now that he is dead he is a "saint". Just like GR, Lane Rees did a lot of volunteer and community work. In my mind (REES) he is still a child pornographer no matter what good he did and like the "Hallowed" GR isn't worth defending. GR made many a innocent people suffer through his shenanigans and if his family suffers from it now, they have only GR to thank, not the people who pointed it out.
If the right wine, the right money and the right writer (the one least likely to research the facts) came along the "tell all" might just be a best seller.
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