Gov. Ron DeSantis has promised to kill a new bill banning private citizens from serving court documents, a move the bill sponsor insists is "not the win" the governor thinks it is.
DeSantis referred to the bill by Republican Sen. Randy Fine, a top Trump ally and leading DeSantis critic in the Florida Legislature, which would allow only county sheriffs to serve subpoenas or summonses. Striking three Florida statutes, the measure bans certified process servers or sheriff appointees from carrying out these tasks.
"I will veto this legislation if it hits my desk," DeSantis posted to social media Thursday morning, amplifying a lengthy X post by the Space Coast Rocket, a Brevard County media outlet. The post claimed Fine filed the bill to avoid legal proceedings, attaching a video from 2023 showing Fine allegedly hiding under his desk to dodge a subpoena.
Fine blasted the governor for sharing the post, noting that the Space Coast Rocket's founder, Robert Burns, is a convicted felon. Burns, who funded a candidate running against Fine in a 2020 primary election, was ordered to pay $24,500 in a campaign finance case last week.
"Sharing this post from a convicted felon who is awaiting sentencing of up to 20 years in federal prison, was demoted in the military after being charged with rape and forcible sodomy, and was sentenced last week on FIFTY counts of election fraud is not the win you think it is," Fine posted to social media.
This is only the latest rub between DeSantis and Fine. On Wednesday, DeSantis defended a new University of West Florida trustee whom Fine had called a "bigot," urging Floridians to "consider the source." In turn, Fine accused the governor of lying and questioned whether he might be antisemitic. This follows their clash over an illegal immigration bill and Fine vowing to investigate the governor's staff.
What Does the Bill Do?
SB 826 requires that county sheriffs serve all court subpoenas and other summons, eliminating the option for certified or special process servers to carry out these duties. This includes non-enforceable civil processes, criminal witness subpoenas, and criminal summons.
The Space Coast Rocket claims Fine sponsored this bill because of a 2023 lawsuit filed by Brevard County School Board member Jennifer Jenkins, who sought to depose him for allegedly colluding with another school board member to inflame anti-transgender sentiment.
In a five-minute cell phone video, Fine appears to duck behind his desk when an investigator knocks on his window. Fine, the Legislature's sole Jewish Republican, later said he was following safety protocols due to antisemitic threats over his support of Israel in its ongoing war with Hamas.
Fine will resign from his Senate seat on March 31 to pursue a vacant congressional seat. Having handily won his primary in late January, the Republican firebrand is expected to win the red-tilted District 6 during the April 1 special election.
