Paul Daragjati
14925
wp-singular,page-template-default,page,page-id-14925,wp-theme-bridge,bridge-core-3.0.1,qodef-qi--no-touch,qi-addons-for-elementor-1.11.1,qode-page-transition-enabled,ajax_fade,page_not_loaded,,qode-theme-ver-28.7,qode-theme-bridge,qode_header_in_grid,wpb-js-composer js-comp-ver-6.8.0,vc_responsive,elementor-default,elementor-kit-6
 

Paul Daragjati

Paul Daragjati

Attorney

904-379-4117

paul@daragjatilaw.com

Biography

Like many of his clients, Paul Daragjati started his adult life as a public employee. After graduating from the University of North Florida, he entered service with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and served the citizens of Jacksonville for seven years as a police officer before leaving to attend the Florida State University School of Law. Upon graduation, Paul once again entered public service as a prosecutor with the State Attorney’s Office for the Fourth Judicial Circuit. His dedication to employee rights led him to then serve as house counsel for the Jacksonville Fraternal Order of Police where he spent six years representing over 2500 police and correctional officers in labor, employment, criminal and administrative matters. In 2013, Paul joined a prominent firm specializing in the representation of public employee pension funds, and over the next five years, represented pension funds in more than a dozen states. In 2018, Paul opened his own practice where he currently serves unions, individuals, small businesses, and government clients alike.   

Paul Daragjati has represented hundreds of individual and corporate clients in state and federal courts, arbitration, career service and other administrative forums. Over the years, Paul served as primary counsel to 38 public employee pension systems and was secondary counsel to approximately a dozen more. Moreover, Paul assisted in complex legal projects and litigation for retirement systems in Florida, Alaska, Louisiana, Texas, Michigan and Guam. Paul has represented over 150 officers in deadly force encounters and has defended almost as many officers sued in their personal capacities in federal civil rights cases. Paul currently serves as state-wide counsel to the State of Florida Fraternal Order of Police, representing over 20,000 of Florida’s finest.

Education & Court Admissions

Juris Doctor Degree – Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida – 2003

Bachelor of Arts Degree – University of North Florida, Jacksonville, Florida – 1993 

Bar Memberships:

    • Florida Bar – 2004 
    • Georgia Bar – 2019 
    • United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida
    • United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida
    • United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
    • United States Supreme Court

Appellate Cases

  • Fla. v. Nathaniel Ellis, No. 2003-2637CT (Fla. 4th Cir. Ct. Dec. 7, 2005) (evidentiary issue regarding extending past recollection recorded hearsay exception to videotape recording of event)
  • Snodgrass v. Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, 980 So. 2d 1184 (Fla. 1st DCA  2008) (Law Enforcement Officer Bill of Rights litigation)
  • Williams v. Matthew Sirmons and James Mills, 307 Fed. Appx. 354 (11th Cir. 2009), cert. denied, 130 S. Ct. 395 (U.S. 2009) (challenge to denial of police officer qualified immunity)
  • James v. Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, No. 2007-6247CA (Fla. 4th Cir. Ct. June 23, 2009) (challenge to promotional exams in front of Civil Service Board for City of Jacksonville)
  • Narcisse v. Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, No. 2009-8224CA (Fla. 4th Cir. Ct. March 22, 2010) (challenge to civil service board ruling sustaining termination of officer based on information gleaned from an improper wiretap)
  • Fraternal Order of Police v. Sheriff John Rutherford, 51 So. 3d 485 (Fla. 1st DCA 2010) (challenge to agency policy allowing public attendance at officer involved shooting review board)
  • Joann Cooper v. John Rutherford, Ryan Black, 503 Fed.Appx. 672 (11th Cir. 2012) cert. denied, 571 U.S. 886 (2013) (challenge to denial of police officer qualified immunity)
  • Runge v. Snow, 514 F. App’x 891 (11th Cir. 2013) (challenge to denial of police qualified immunity)
  • Williamson v. Board of Trustees, Jacksonville Police & Fire Pension Fund, 2010-CA-008750 (Fla. 4th Cir. Ct. Jan. 14, 2014) (pension board denial of improper benefit application); affirmed, Williamson v. Bd. of Trustees Jacksonville Police & Fire Pension Fund, 151 So. 3d 1240 (Fla. 1st DCA 2014)
  • Brown v. Denton, 152 So. 3d 8 (Fla. 1st DCA 2014) (Sunshine Act litigation)
  • Pena v. Bd. of Trustees of Pension Fund for Firefighters & Police Officers in City of Tampa, 148 So. 3d 114 (Fla. 2d DCA 2014) (pension benefits litigation)
  • Ribaya v. Bd. of Trustees of City Pension Fund for Firefighters & Police Officers in City of Tampa, 162 So. 3d 348 (Fla. 2d DCA 2015) (Sunshine Act litigation)
  • Bd. of Trustees of Jacksonville Police & Fire Pension Fund v. Lee, 189 So. 3d 760 (Fla. 1st DCA 2016) (Public Records Act litigation)
  • Bd. of Trustees, Jacksonville Police & Fire Pension Fund v. Lee, 189 So. 3d 120 (Fla. 2016) (Sunshine Act litigation)
  • Ambraz v. City of Tampa, 229 So. 3d 1228 (Fla. 2d DCA 2017) (pension benefits litigation)
  • Fraternal Order of Police, Miami Lodge No. 20 v. City of Miami, 233 So. 3d 1240 (Fla. 3d DCA 2017) (challenge to denial of standing of union in promotional exam case)
  • D’Agastino v. City of Miami, 220 So. 3d 410 (Fla. 2017) (amicus brief on behalf of PBA on Miami FOP Lodge 20 challenge to civilian review board)
  • Fraternal Order of Police, Miami Lodge 20 v. City of Miami, 243 So. 3d 894 (Fla. 2018) (facial challenge to financial urgency statute)
  • City of Miami v. City of Miami Firefighters’ & Police Officers’ Ret. Tr. & Plan, No. 3D18-86, 2018 WL 2708405 (Fla. 3d DCA 2018) (appellate litigation over injunctive relief on post financial urgency pension issues)
  • Dweck v. Florida State Lodge Fraternal Order of Police, Inc., et al., No. 3D20-1840 (Fla. 3d DCA 2022) (defeated allegation of union failing to fairly represent member)
  • Sheriff of Broward County v. International Union of Police Associations, AFL-CIO, Case No. 1D21-2083 (Fla. 1st DCA) (amicus brief in support of IUPA on issue of in-house suspension)
  • Napoleon v. Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, 2022-CA-001170-ES (Fla. 6th Cir. Ct. December 19, 2022) (appeal from career service board)
  • City of Delray Beach v. Tomey, No. 1D24-0522 (Fla. 1st DCA 2024) (FOP amicus brief in support of appellee on heart/lung presumption)
  • Rhodes v. Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, 2023-CA-004003-WS (Fla. 6th Cir. Ct. June 11, 2024) (appeal from career service board)
  • Mooshie v. Florida State Lodge FOP, No. 1D23-3301 (Fla. 1st DCA 2023) (appeal from circuit court ruling on motion to dismiss)