[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-detail-152088-en":3,"doc-seo-152088-105":30,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":91},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",{"doc_id":7,"user_id":8,"nickname":9,"user_avatar":10,"doc_module":4,"category_id":11,"category_name":12,"doc_title":13,"doc_description":14,"doc_content":15,"file_id":16,"file_url":17,"file_type":18,"file_size":19,"view_count":4,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":20,"is_downloadable":20,"audit_status":20,"page_count":21,"language":22,"language_code":23,"site_id":24,"html_lang":23,"table_of_contents":25,"faqs":26,"seo_title":27,"seo_description":14,"update_tm":28,"read_time":29},152088,2336475104042,"Tawan","https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/avatar/22000c4c32af1715be0?x-image-process=image/resize,m_fixed,w_180,h_180&k=1786537525561427321",8,"Research & Report","Special Master’s Final Report - HB 6527-Representative Hart-Lowman","Special Master’s Final Report addresses a contested excess judgment claim stemming from a Lee County Sheriff’s Office welfare-check incident involving Patricia Ermini. The report reviews the March 23, 2012 events after a phone call from Ermini’s daughter expressing suicidal concern and describing that Ermini lived alone, had a gun, and may have consumed alcohol. It summarizes trial allocations of fault, court-reduced damages, partial payment under sovereign immunity, and the competing negligence positions before recommending favorable reporting of HB 6527.","Special Master’s Final Report  \nThe Honorable Daniel Perez  \nSpeaker, The Florida House of Representatives Suite 420, The Capitol  \nTallahassee, Florida 32399-1300  \nRe:  HB 6527-Representative Hart-Lowman  \nRelief/Patricia Ermini/Lee County Sheriff's Office  \nSUMMARY  \nThis is a contested excess judgment claim for $626,769 .93 based on a $1,000,000 jury verdict awarding monetary damages to Patricia Ermini (“Ermini”) for the injuries and other damages she sustained when Lee County Sheriff’s Office (“LCSO”) deputies entered her home to conduct a welfare check at the request of Ermini’s daughter on the night of March 23, 2012, resulting inan LCSO deputy shooting the then-71-year-old Ermini multiple times. At trial, the jury found Ermini 25 percent at fault for her own harm, with the LCSO 75 percent at fault, and the court reduced the damages awarded to Ermini accordingly to $750,000, plus costs and interest; the LCSO has since paid $200,000 of this amount, as authorized under Florida’s sovereign immunity law.  \nErmini alleges that the Lee County Sheriff1 was negligent through the actions of his deputies taken during the welfare check. However, the LCSO alleges that Ermini was herself negligent and therefore caused her own harm. For the reasons set out below, the undersigned Special Master recommends that HB 6527 be reported FAVORABLY.  \nFINDINGS OF FACT  \nThe Incident  \nWelfare Check Request  \nOn the evening of March 23, 2012, then-71-year-old mother of two Patricia Ermini (“Ermini”) lived alone in a home she owned in Fort Myers, Florida.2 On that date, Ermini, who was in the process of a contentious, lengthy, and expensive divorce, consumed wine in her home and, some time thereafter, spoke on the telephone with her daughter, Maine resident Robin LaCasse (“LaCasse”) . During the course of this telephone call, Ermini, upset over recent developments in her divorce proceeding, cried “hysterically” (a behavior that was unusual for her, according to LaCasse) and indicated to LaCasse that she “couldn’t take it anymore.” When Ermini became  \n1 This is not a claim against the Sheriff personally; rather, it is a claim against the Office of the Sheriff.  \n2 Fort Myers is located in Lee County, Florida. The record indicates that Ermini had a daughter and a son, both of whom resided in Maine on March 23, 2012.  \nso upset that her crying interfered with her ability to speak, LaCasse asked Ermini to hang up, splash water on her face to calm down, and call her back.  \nAfter a brief time period, Ermini attempted to call LaCasse as requested; however, LaCasse was in a shop at that particular moment and consequently missed Ermini’s call. Ermini then decided that, as she was very tired, she would go to sleep in her home’s primary bedroom. Over the course of the next hour, LaCasse repeatedly attempted to reach Ermini on her cellphone.3 When Ermini failed to answer or return any of these calls, LaCasse grew increasingly concerned that Ermini may have attempted or might commit suicide.4 In light of this concern, around 8:40 p. m. , LaCasse called the Lee County Sheriff’s Office (“LCSO”) and requested that the LCSO send deputies to Ermini’s home to conduct a welfare check. During the course of this phone call, LaCasse relayed:  \n􀁸 Ermini’s name and age;  \n􀁸 The fact that Ermini lived alone;  \n􀁸 The fact that LaCasse feared for Ermini’s life, along with the basis for her fear;  \n􀁸 The fact that Ermini had a gun for self-protection; and  \n􀁸 The possibility that Ermini had consumed alcohol.5  \nLaw Enforcement Response  \nAn LCSO dispatch operator relayed LaCasse’s request for a welfare check over the LCSO radio system and conveyed the information relayed by LaCasse, including Ermini’s name and age; the fact that Ermini had a gun; and the fact that Ermini might have consumed alcohol. LCSO deputy Charlene Palmese (“Palmese”)6 responded to the call, informing the dispatch operator that she was en route to Ermini’s home. LCSO deputies Richard Lisenbee (“Lisen","cbCaigGfFMeyXlAU","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaigGfFMeyXlAU","pdf",306033,1,11,"English","en",105,"# Findings of Fact\n## The Incident\n### Welfare Check Request\n## Law Enforcement Response","[{\"question\":\"What event led to the excess judgment claim addressed in the report?\",\"answer\":\"The report describes a welfare check requested after Ermini’s daughter worried she might harm herself. Deputies entered Ermini’s home and a deputy shooting resulted in serious injuries.\"},{\"question\":\"How did the court treat fault and damages at trial?\",\"answer\":\"The jury found Ermini 25% at fault and the LCSO 75% at fault. The court reduced the damages accordingly to $750,000 plus costs and interest.\"},{\"question\":\"What is HB 6527’s recommended status in the report?\",\"answer\":\"The Special Master recommends that HB 6527 be reported FAVORABLY, based on the reasons set out in the report.\"}]","Special Master’s Final Report - HB 6527-Representative Hart-Lowman | PDF",1787855148,28,{"code":4,"msg":31,"data":32},"ok",{"site_id":24,"language":23,"slug":33,"title":13,"keywords":34,"description":14,"schema_data":35,"social_meta":86,"head_meta":88,"extra_data":90,"updated_unix":28},"special-masters-final-report-hb-6527-representative-hart-lowman","",{"@graph":36,"@context":85},[37,54,68],{"@type":38,"itemListElement":39},"BreadcrumbList",[40,44,48,51],{"item":41,"name":42,"@type":43,"position":20},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":45,"name":46,"@type":43,"position":47},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":49,"name":12,"@type":43,"position":50},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/",3,{"item":52,"name":13,"@type":43,"position":53},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/special-masters-final-report-hb-6527-representative-hart-lowman/152088/",4,{"url":52,"name":13,"@type":55,"author":56,"headline":13,"publisher":58,"fileFormat":61,"inLanguage":23,"description":14,"dateModified":62,"datePublished":62,"encodingFormat":61,"isAccessibleForFree":63,"interactionStatistic":64},"DigitalDocument",{"name":9,"@type":57},"Person",{"url":41,"name":59,"@type":60},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-08-27",true,{"@type":65,"interactionType":66,"userInteractionCount":4},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":67},"ViewAction",{"@type":69,"mainEntity":70},"FAQPage",[71,77,81],{"name":72,"@type":73,"acceptedAnswer":74},"What event led to the excess judgment claim addressed in the report?","Question",{"text":75,"@type":76},"The report describes a welfare check requested after Ermini’s daughter worried she might harm herself. Deputies entered Ermini’s home and a deputy shooting resulted in serious injuries.","Answer",{"name":78,"@type":73,"acceptedAnswer":79},"How did the court treat fault and damages at trial?",{"text":80,"@type":76},"The jury found Ermini 25% at fault and the LCSO 75% at fault. The court reduced the damages accordingly to $750,000 plus costs and interest.",{"name":82,"@type":73,"acceptedAnswer":83},"What is HB 6527’s recommended status in the report?",{"text":84,"@type":76},"The Special Master recommends that HB 6527 be reported FAVORABLY, based on the reasons set out in the report.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":52,"og:type":87,"og:title":13,"og:site_name":59,"og:description":14},"article",{"robots":89,"canonical":52},"index,follow",{"doc_id":7,"site_id":24},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":92},[93,97,101,105,110,115,120,123,128,131,135],{"id":20,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":94,"show_sort_weight":95,"slug":96},"Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":47,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":98,"show_sort_weight":99,"slug":100},"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":53,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":102,"show_sort_weight":103,"slug":104},"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":106,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":107,"show_sort_weight":108,"slug":109},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":111,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":112,"show_sort_weight":113,"slug":114},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":116,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":117,"show_sort_weight":118,"slug":119},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":11,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":12,"show_sort_weight":121,"slug":122},30,"research-report",{"id":124,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":125,"show_sort_weight":126,"slug":127},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":126,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":129,"show_sort_weight":126,"slug":130},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":132,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":133,"show_sort_weight":132,"slug":134},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":136,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":137,"show_sort_weight":106,"slug":138},19,"General","general"]