New Trial Date is July 10; New Judge Is Retired Mystery Person
By STEVE WILSON

TAMPA (June 16, 2000)—“You people are like a bad penny,” quipped Judge Robert Bonanno to the litigants in the Wilson/Akre v Fox TV lawsuit in his chambers this morning for an impromptu hearing on setting a firm trial date.           Bonanno was the first judge ever assigned to the case back in April 1998 and has since become the presiding judge for the state circuit court in Tampa.  The case was back before him today because he has decided to reassign it to a new judge because the third jurist set to hear it is just apparently too busy.           In a move that had not been expected, Bonanno announced that he has been looking for a senior judge who is retired somewhere in Florida to hear the case but has yet to find one.  He said he was making the move to help relieve the pressure of several suits pending on trial court Judge Ralph Steinberg's calendar.         Just a week ago, Steinberg said it had been decided that he would hear the Fox case immediately after two medical malpractice cases which were pending ahead of it.  Based on that, it was widely expected that the Fox case would begin on or about July 5.         Jane Akre’s attorney and this reporter (co-plaintiff Steve Wilson) argued that Steinberg should keep the Fox case since he has already begun to hear many of the arguments on pending motions.  Bonanno flatly rejected the idea of letting another judge hear the malpractice case that is set to start as early as next Monday and insisted that the Fox case be reassigned.         William McDaniels of the Washington firm Williams & Connolly that is leading the Fox defense, said he had no objections to the new judge taking over as soon as possible, hearing all the pending motions that will shape the case, and then going forward with the trial.          The Fox position wasn't surprising, given that Judge Steinberg, has made several rulings against Fox on pre-trial issues recently and given indications more might be coming.         Steinberg said this morning that he was still willing to hear the Fox case and said "it might be a very interesting change" compared to another medical malpractice case and lengthy tobacco litigation which is pending on his calendar.          Even without naming the new judge who will preside over the Fox trial, administrative Judge Bonanno tentatively set July 10 as the new date for trial to begin.  The date was set with the understanding that the a replacement judge will be available then and that witnesses will also be available at that time.          To assist the litigants in preparing the case for trial, Bonanno also said he will give the parties an update on his search for a judge next Monday (July 19) at which time perhaps a date could be set for a hearing on all pending pre-trial motions.         The new trial date is the sixth to be set in the case which was filed more than two years ago.

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