(1) The officers and members of the supreme governing body or of any subordinate body of a society shall not be personally liable for any benefits provided by the society.
(2)(a) Any person may be indemnified and reimbursed by any society for expenses reasonably incurred by, and for liabilities imposed upon, such person in connection with or arising out of any action, suit, or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative, or investigative, or threat thereof, in which the person may be involved by reason of the fact that she or he is or was a director, officer, employee, or agent of the society or of any firm, corporation, or organization which she or he served in any capacity at the request of the society.

Terms Used In Florida Statutes 632.608

  • Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • Indemnification: In general, a collateral contract or assurance under which one person agrees to secure another person against either anticipated financial losses or potential adverse legal consequences. Source: FDIC
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Liabilities: The aggregate of all debts and other legal obligations of a particular person or legal entity.
  • person: includes individuals, children, firms, associations, joint adventures, partnerships, estates, trusts, business trusts, syndicates, fiduciaries, corporations, and all other groups or combinations. See Florida Statutes 1.01
  • Plea: In a criminal case, the defendant's statement pleading "guilty" or "not guilty" in answer to the charges, a declaration made in open court.
  • Quorum: The number of legislators that must be present to do business.
  • Settlement: Parties to a lawsuit resolve their difference without having a trial. Settlements often involve the payment of compensation by one party in satisfaction of the other party's claims.
  • Society: shall mean fraternal benefit society, unless otherwise indicated. See Florida Statutes 632.604
(b) A person shall not be so indemnified or reimbursed:

1. In relation to any matter in such action, suit, or proceeding as to which she or he shall finally be adjudged to be or have been guilty of breach of a duty as a director, officer, employee, or agent of the society, or
2. In relation to any matter in such action, suit, or proceeding, or threat thereof, which has been made the subject of a compromise settlement,

unless in either such case the person acted in good faith for a purpose the person reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, the best interests of the society and in addition, in a criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe that her or his conduct was unlawful.

(c) The determination as to whether the conduct of such person met the standard required in order to justify indemnification and reimbursement in relation to any matter described in subparagraph (b)1. or subparagraph (b)2. may only be made by the supreme governing body or board of directors by a majority vote of a quorum consisting of persons who were not parties to such action, suit, or proceeding or by a court of competent jurisdiction. The termination of any action, suit, or proceeding as to such person by judgment, order, settlement, or conviction, or upon a plea of no contest, shall not in itself create a conclusive presumption that the person did not meet the standard of conduct required in order to justify indemnification and reimbursement. The foregoing right of indemnification and reimbursement shall not be exclusive of other rights to which such person may be entitled as a matter of law and shall inure to the benefit of her or his heirs, executors, and administrator.
(3) A society shall have power to purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a director, officer, employee, or agent of the society, or who is or was serving at the request of the society as a director, officer, employee, or agent of any other firm, corporation, or organization, against any liability asserted against such person and incurred by her or him in any such capacity or arising out of her or his status as such, whether or not the society would have the power to indemnify the person against such liability under this section.
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