ACC files appeal of Leon County court rulings in Florida State lawsuit. Here's what it means
Florida State's marathon legal battle with the Atlantic Coast Conference in Leon County has taken another turn.
On Wednesday, the conference filed a 54-page appeal to Florida's 1st District Court of Appeals, with a warning of a " legal collision with North Carolina ." The filing takes aim at Leon County Circut Judge John Cooper's denial of the ACC's motion to stay , or pause, the case in Leon County while the conference continues its battle with FSU in Mecklenburg County court.
The conference argues that since it filed its suit against FSU in North Carolina first, that case should take precedence over what is happening in Leon County.
Despite Judge Cooper's April 9 ruling that the ACC's preemptive lawsuit filing in North Carolina was a form of forum shopping, the practice of choosing the court or jurisdiction that has the most favorable rules or laws for the position being advocated, the ACC opened its 54-page filing by saying the court committed a "judicial foul."
"In this high-profile lawsuit over the interpretation of college sports contracts, the trial court committed a judicial foul," the filing reads. "It ignored this Court's binding precedent on the principle of priority that requires staying this case pending the disposition of a priority North Carolina lawsuit between the same parties over the same contracts."
FSU vs ACC: What is happening in North Carolina and Florida cases?
The appeal in Leon County is the latest punch in FSU's legal fight against the ACC, which has now evolved into a multi-lawsuit battle in two states.
In May, FSU filed its own appeal in North Carolina , seeking input from the state Supreme Court with a nearly 600-page petition seeking the review of the April rulings made by North Carolina Judge Louis Bledsoe in the ACC's lawsuit against the school.
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody has also gotten involved in legal proceedings, filing a separate suit against the conference that demands the media contracts be made public. That demand was met with a joint response from ESPN and the ACC alongside other power conferences like the Big 10, Big 12, and South Eastern Conference (SEC), with all five arguing for the contracts to remain private due to the documents containing "trade secrets."
The next hearing in Leon County for FSU's legal case against the ACC is scheduled for June 18 in front of Judge Cooper.
What you need to know in FSU's battle with the ACC
Be sure to catch up with all the latest information on FSU's battle with the ACC in both Leon County and North Carolina courts.
Liam Rooney covers preps sports for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at LRooney@gannett.com or on Twitter @__liamroone y
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FSU vs ACC: Conference seeks review of Florida court rulings
