{"id":383159,"date":"2026-08-28T02:40:15","date_gmt":"2026-08-28T02:40:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/383159\/"},"modified":"2026-08-28T02:40:15","modified_gmt":"2026-08-28T02:40:15","slug":"judge-rules-north-miami-council-violated-city-charter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/383159\/","title":{"rendered":"Judge rules North Miami council violated city charter"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"responsive-image\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/north20miami20collage.png\"   width=\"1200\" height=\"674\" title=\"North Miami council members Pierre Frantz Charles, Mary Estime-Irvin, and Kassandra Timothe.\" alt=\"North Miami council members Pierre Frantz Charles, Mary Estime-Irvin, and Kassandra Timothe.\"\/><\/p>\n<p>        North Miami council members Pierre Frantz Charles, Mary Estime-Irvin, and Kassandra Timothe.<\/p>\n<p>            City of North Miami<\/p>\n<p>On Wednesday, a Miami-Dade County judge ruled three North Miami council members violated their own city charter when they asked third parties to pressure their city manager to intervene in the public works director\u2019s termination.<\/p>\n<p>The ruling came two years after a resident, Eileen Bicaba, filed a civil suit against the three council members \u2013 Pierre Frantz Charles, Mary Estime-Irvin, and Kassandra Timothe \u2013 alleging that they also violated the Sunshine law (the judge found there wasn\u2019t sufficient evidence for that).<\/p>\n<p>Bicaba\u2019s lawsuit has been hailed as a win for residents who\u2019ve long criticized their municipalities for ignoring the city charter at their expense. Read more about the lawsuit and outcome in this week\u2019s newsletter.<\/p>\n<p>Enjoying this newsletter? Share it with a friend. If it was forwarded to you, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.miamiherald.com\/newsletters?newsletter=miami_diversity_newsletter\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">sign up here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>INSIDE THE 305:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.miamiherald.com\/news\/business\/tourism-cruises\/article316993397.html\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">\u2018Costs almost doubled\u2019: Longstanding Black film festival leaves Miami Beach<\/a><\/p>\n<p>                                          <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"responsive-image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1787884811_145_ABFF2025_Day4_LoveJones_AJT_6856.jpeg\"   width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" title=\"ABFF2025_Day4_LoveJones_AJT_6856.jpeg\" alt=\"Love Jones co-stars Nia Long and Larenz Tate share a laugh with journalist and Access Hollywood co-host Scott Evans. The two reminisced with Evans about the film, its legacy and where their characters would be in 2025.\"\/>                                                                                    Love Jones co-stars Nia Long and Larenz Tate share a laugh with journalist and Access Hollywood co-host Scott Evans. The two reminisced with Evans about the film, its legacy and where their characters would be in 2025.                                                                                                                                                                        Courtesy of American Black Film Festival.                                                                                        <\/p>\n<p>The American Black Film Festival is leaving Miami Beach for Los Angeles, with its co-founder Jeff Friday, citing rising hotel and production costs.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.miamiherald.com\/news\/local\/obituaries\/article316990851.html\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">\u2018A voice that would swallow you up.\u2019 Miami musician Latimore dies at 86<\/a><\/p>\n<p>                                          <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"responsive-image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1787884811_576_3-10252012-10000480AA.JPG\"   width=\"1200\" height=\"1381\" title=\"3-10252012-10000480AA.JPG\" alt=\"Press photo dated Nov. 9, 1974, of R&amp;B\/soul singer Benny Latimore during his time on Miami\u2019s T.K. Records. On his records he just needed one name, Latimore.\"\/>                                                                                    Press photo dated Nov. 9, 1974, of R&amp;B\/soul singer Benny Latimore during his time on Miami\u2019s T.K. Records. On his records he just needed one name, Latimore.                                                                                            Mario Algaze                                                                            Miami Herald file                                                                                        <\/p>\n<p>Miami Herald reporter Howard Cohen wrote about Miami-based crooner Benny Latimore, who died Aug. 23 in Tampa.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.miamiherald.com\/news\/local\/community\/miami-dade\/north-miami\/article317024791.html\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">North Miami council members violated city charter, judge says. Will they be removed from office?<\/a><\/p>\n<p>                                          <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"responsive-image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1787884812_86_north miami collage.png\"   width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" title=\"north miami collage\" alt=\"North Miami council members Pierre Frantz Charles, Mary Estime-Irvin, and Kassandra Timothe.\"\/>                                                                                    North Miami council members Pierre Frantz Charles, Mary Estime-Irvin, and Kassandra Timothe.                                                                                                                                                                        City of North Miami                                                                                        <\/p>\n<p>A judge ruled three North Miami city council members violated the city charter by asking third parties to pressure the city manager to intervene in the public works director\u2019s termination. The ruling came three years after a civil suit filed by a resident.<\/p>\n<p>OUTSIDE THE 305:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/08\/24\/arts\/design\/kehinde-wiley-painting-embassy-dominican-republic.html?unlocked_article_code=1.8lA.mDEx.uUpcWDLxkS6o&amp;smid=url-share\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Trump Officials Propose Sale of \u2018Woke\u2019 Painting by Kehinde Wiley<\/a><\/p>\n<p>                                          <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"responsive-image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/2018-02-12T155436Z_45021184_HP1EE2C18700A_RTRMADP_3_USA-OBAMA-PORTRAIT.JPG\"   width=\"1200\" height=\"831\" title=\"2018-02-12T155436Z_45021184_HP1EE2C18700A_RTRMADP_3_USA-OBAMA-PORTRAIT.JPG\" alt=\"Former U.S. President Barack Obama greets artist Kehinde Wiley during the unveiling of his portrait at the Smithsonian\u2019s National Portrait Gallery in Washington, U.S., February 12, 2018. REUTERS\/Jim Bourg\"\/>                                                                                    Former U.S. President Barack Obama greets artist Kehinde Wiley during the unveiling of his portrait at the Smithsonian\u2019s National Portrait Gallery in Washington, U.S., February 12, 2018. REUTERS\/Jim Bourg                                                                                            JIM BOURG                                                                            REUTERS                                                                                        <\/p>\n<p>The State Department wants to sell a painting by the celebrated artist Kehinde Wiley that the director of its Art in Embassies program called \u201cvery woke\u201d and \u201caesthetically terrifying.\u201d It was removed from the U.S. Embassy in the Dominican Republic last week, The New York Times reported.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/capitalbnews.org\/trump-mail-voting-restrictions-midterms\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Trump Is Moving to Restrict Mail Voting Just Months Before the Midterms<\/a><\/p>\n<p>                                          <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"responsive-image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/MIA_4_Souls_to_the_Polls_MJO.JPG\"   width=\"1200\" height=\"642\" title=\"MIA_4_Souls_to_the_Polls_MJO.JPG\" alt=\"Phil Roundtree, a member of 100 Black Men of South Florida, points to the sticker he received after early voting at the North Dade Regional Library on Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026, in Miami Gardens, Fla.\"\/>                                                                                    Phil Roundtree, a member of 100 Black Men of South Florida, points to the sticker he received after early voting at the North Dade Regional Library on Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026, in Miami Gardens, Fla.                                                                                            Photo by Matias J. Ocner                                                                            mocner@miamiherald.com                                                                                        <\/p>\n<p>In the wake of the Supreme Court ruling that the Trump Administration could move forward with its restrictions on mail voting, Capital B reports on how this could have ramifications for Black voters during key midterm elections.<\/p>\n<p>HIGH CULTURE:<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"Follow nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.miamiherald.com\/news\/nation-world\/world\/americas\/haiti\/article316954668.html\">Jacqueline Charles in conversation with author Edwidge Danticat<\/a><\/p>\n<p>                                          <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"responsive-image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/DeyCover.jpg\"   width=\"1200\" height=\"594\" title=\"DeyCover.jpg\" alt=\"Edwidge Danticat\u2019s new novel, \u201cD\u00e8y,\u201d was partly inspired by a frightening 2017 false alarm at Aventura Mall, where she thought she was caught in a mass shooting. Danticat will discuss the book with Miami Herald Haiti\/Caribbean correspondent Jacqueline Charles on Saturday, Aug. 29 at Coral Gables Congregational Church.\"\/>                                                                                    Edwidge Danticat\u2019s new novel, \u201cD\u00e8y,\u201d was partly inspired by a frightening 2017 false alarm at Aventura Mall, where she thought she was caught in a mass shooting. Danticat will discuss the book with Miami Herald Haiti\/Caribbean correspondent Jacqueline Charles on Saturday, Aug. 29 at Coral Gables Congregational Church.                                                                                                                                                                        (Photo courtesy Penguin Random House)                                                                                        <\/p>\n<p>Miami Herald Haiti correspondent Jacqueline Charles will be in conversation with author Edwidge Danticat on Saturday in Coral Gables. The two will discuss Danticat\u2019s new novel \u201cDey,\u201d which focus on a Haitian-American woman grappling with the trauma of a shooting. More details about the event can be found at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eventbrite.com\/e\/dey-an-evening-with-edwidge-danticat-in-discussion-with-jacqueline-charles-tickets-1986650846160\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">eventbrite.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"North Miami council members Pierre Frantz Charles, Mary Estime-Irvin, and Kassandra Timothe. City of North Miami On Wednesday,&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":382748,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[123,125,124],"class_list":["post-383159","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-miami","tag-miami","tag-miami-headlines","tag-miami-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/383159","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=383159"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/383159\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/382748"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=383159"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=383159"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=383159"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}