The 4th District Court of Appeal has recently overturned the recent order for the Palm Beach Post to retract the online transcripts of a taped telephone conversation of a jailhouse informant as well as quotes in its October report.
According to ABA Journal, the Florida appeals court has overturned Palm Beach County Circuit Judge Jack Schramm Cox's previous order for Palm Beach post to take down their article quoting inmate Frederick Cobia's telephone conversations. Cox's order was dismissed, and in one-page ruling characterized the order as "overboard".
The issue stems on the Cobia who was charged with first degree murder in 2009 following the death of a man named Desmond Dunkley. According to News-Press, he was allowed by the Palm Beach County prosecutors to plead guilty on second degree murder in 2012 which will penalize him with 25 years in prison.
However, he has not been sentenced yet and the reason pointed out is the fact that he was linked as prosecution witness for felony cases and homicides. He reportedly testified 23 times and said that he could snitch on 60 fellow inmates with 2 of those cases lead to convictions.
He's also expected to be star witness in three more homicide cases. But in October, the Palm Beach Post reported about Cobia's skills as a confessor and quoted him saying that the authorities are willing to reduce his sentence. Moreover, the prosecutors treated him to meals as well as that he has been confined in a private cell with the comfort of a flat screen television, telephone, and private shower.
Afterwards, Judge Cox issued an order for the Post to take down their article stating that it is violating Cobia's privacy. However as reported by My Palm Beach Post, the 4th District Court of Appeal ruled out the order as "overboard" and promised to release a written opinion on all issues on the ruling.
The Appeals Court panel was made up of Judge C. Matthew Stevenson, Judge C. Warner, and Judge Cory J. Ciklin. After the decision of the court, the Palm Beach Post immediately restored their controversial article on the website.
