VOIR DIRE: When You Gotta Go

Trial lawyer Jeff Tomberg was set to appear before Palm Beach Circuit Judge Thomas Barkdull in May 2015 on behalf of plaintiffs Dorothy and William Natiello in a slip-and-fall suit against Winn-Dixie Stores Inc. He arrived about five minutes early for the hearing on Winn-Dixie’s motion for summary judgment. Opposing counsel was not in the courtroom and the judge was not on the bench. Tomberg went to the restroom and returned within 10 minutes. “I figured I had time,” he said. “When I came back, they were wrapping up.” Indeed, he re-entered the courtroom to hear the judge granting summary judgment to opposing counsel. A motion to rehear was denied, but the Fourth District Court of Appeal reversed in Tomberg’s favor and remanded for a new hearing on Winn-Dixie’s motion for summary judgment. — Daily Business Review

HEIST

Nicholas Zoullas, an 80-year-old New York City resident, bought a house for his mistress, Stacy Cliett, on Hypoluxo Island, Florida. The home contained nearly 200 pieces of renowned artwork worth about $15 million. But when Zoullas’ relationship went south, Cliett took up with another man and the two of them moved the entire collection to an undisclosed location. If this sounds like a movie plot to you, you’re not alone: Lantana, Florida, police officer Eddie Tavcar told WPTV-News that the case was “overwhelming” in its flashy details. Authorities followed Cliett and her new lover for days until they tracked them down to a warehouse in Lake Worth, where they found Zoullas’ collection. Tavcar spent hours cataloguing all 200 pieces, some of which dated back to the 1700s and others possibly back to the Aztecs. But all pieces were found and sent back to their owner in New York. Cliett and her boyfriend are out on bond awaiting trial. “Just another day on the job,” Tavcar said. — Richard Binder

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