| Firm Sues Disney in Landmark Case for Theft of Epcot Idea
 On Tuesday November 19, 2002 a landmark lawsuit against the Disney World Corporation was filed in federal court for using the image and design of the Miniature Worlds theme park to create Disney's EPCOT. The Miniature Worlds theme park idea was originally conceived by U.S. Air Force Officer, Lt. Col. Robert M. Jaffray and expressed in a painting created by architectural artist Mark E. Waters of Hawaii. The copyright lawsuit against Disney was filed in Federal Court of the Middle District of Florida and is being brought by Orrin Monroe Corwin on behalf of the Estate of Mark Waters, the late artist.
The Miniature Worlds painting was shown to Disney executives in their New York City licensing and merchandising offices, as part of a presentation Jaffray made in the early 1960's. Nearly two decades later, what was supposed to be Walt Disney's vision of a future city-- the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow (EPCOT)-- opened in Orlando. However, the concept and design of EPCOT was not what Walt originally envisioned, but instead it bears a remarkable resemblance to the Miniature Worlds theme park concept designed by Jaffray and painted by Waters.
Read the original breaking investigative report by the Mike Sallah of theToledo Blade newspaper in Ohio and compare the theme park designs:
http://www.post-gazette.com/magazine/20000702epcot1.asp
http://www.local6.com/news/1793792/detail.html
http://orlando.bizjournals.com/orlando/stories/2003/04/14/daily36.html
Million Dollar Settlement in Irish Wrongful Death Rental Car Case
 After years of aggressive litigation, international media attention, three trips to Ireland, over 25 depositions, and dozens of complex and highly contested hearings, Dollar Rent-A-Car finally settled with the surviving children of a young Irish mother who was killed in Orlando in 1998 as a passenger in a rental car.
The two small children who survived their late Mother will have many of their physical needs taken care of as a result of the settlement. Our law firm secured a good result for these children in a very tough case and we were also very proud to go to bat for the safety of our Irish and British friends by helping to raise the standard of care used in rental car industry. Attorney Stemberger stated "The bottom line is that unless you are prepared to try cases in front of a juries, insurance companies will never pay the full value of a claim."
Firm Defends Constitutional Rights of Jewish Family to Worship in Home
 In March of 2002, The Firm filed a lawsuit in the Federal court of the Middle District of Florida challenging a decision by the Orange County Code Enforcement Board which ordered an observant Jewish family to stop holding prayer meetings in their home. Joseph Konikov and his family have gathered weekly with other Jewish believers in his south Orlando home for prayer, scripture reading and to share meals as required by his faith.
Orange County Code Enforcement Inspectors have twice ordered the Konikov family to "cease all operations at once." The Orange County Zoning laws have been interpreted to forbid "any function related to Synagogues or church services" in residential zones.
Orlando attorney John Stemberger stated, "Zoning is not some magic wand the government can just waive to trample core fundamental rights. If the county thinks they have traffic and parking issues, then the county needs to draft a content neutral law that addresses that secondary impact -- and not one which regulates speech and the reason for citizens assembling inside private homes. Oddly enough, the same people could meet in the same home for Monday night football or Tupperware meetings and that would be entirely permissible under the code with the exact same number of cars parked outside."
http://www.miami.com/mld/miami/3106380.htm
http://www.shmais.com/chabad_Detail.cfm?ID=188
Attorney Stemberger Elected as Chairman of Ninth Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission
Orlando attorney John Stemberger was appointed by Florida's Governor in the fall of 2001 to serve a four year term on the Judicial Nominating Commission (JNC) for the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida. The JNC has the task of screening, interviewing, and selecting judge candidates for the governor to appoint. In 2003-04, Stemberger will serve as the Chairman of the commission. Stemberger stated, "Judges have a huge role in determining whether a just result will be had for the parties in a case and it is therefore critical to the legitimacy of the judicial branch of our government, that men and women of strong character be chosen to steward the great power that a judge possesses."
http://www.ninja9.org/JNC-9th/default.htm
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