Podcast:Florida Oral Arguments Published On: Thu Oct 09 2025 Description: SC2024-1835 Clint Shannon Gessner v. Southern Company, et al.This case asks if an employee’s statutory protection from retaliation as a private-sector whistleblower requires reporting an actual violation of law, rules or regulations.SC2024-0139 Florida BC Holdings, LLC d/b/a Synergy Equipment v. Jay E. Reese This case considers certified questions of great public importance where a plaintiff recovered damages for emotional distress when his former employer enforced a non-compete agreement. The questions ask whether the impact rule—a common law doctrine that generally requires physical contact to recover emotional distress damages in negligence actions—precludes such damages when the case involves intentional conduct.SC2024-1148 Patrick R. McDowell v. State of FloridaThis direct appeal of a death sentence for the 2021 murder of Nassau County Sheriff Deputy Joshua Moyers raises five issues to challenge McDowell’s sentence.