Court Filings

The Appellate Division, Third Department granted attorney Norika Kunii’s motion to be reinstated to the practice of law after a suspension imposed in October 2021. The court reviewed Kunii’s affidavit, exhibits, and the Committee’s response and found by clear and convincing evidence that she satisfied the reinstatement requirements, complied with the suspension order and court rules, demonstrated the requisite character and fitness, and that reinstatement served the public interest. The court ordered immediate reinstatement under the court’s disciplinary reinstatement rules.

The Georgia Court of Appeals granted the Georgia Department of Early Care & Learning's application for discretionary appeal in the case against iCare Child Development Center, Inc. The order allows the appellant to file a Notice of Appeal within 10 days of the April 21, 2026 order and directs the superior court clerk to include a copy of the appellate order in the record transmitted to the Court of Appeals. This is a procedural grant of permission to pursue appellate review, not a decision on the merits of the underlying dispute.

The Ohio Supreme Court granted a writ of mandamus ordering the Adams County Board of Elections to hold a hearing within ten days on Christopher Hicks’s October 3, 2025 challenge to Prosecuting Attorney Aaron Haslam’s voter registration. The court ruled that Hicks, a qualified Ohio elector, has statutory standing under R.C. 3503.24(A). It held that res judicata and issue preclusion do not bar this action because no prior quasi-judicial hearing adjudicated the residency issue. The board abused its discretion and clearly disregarded R.C. 3503.24(B) by denying the challenge without a hearing when its records were insufficient to resolve material factual disputes about residency.

The Florida Supreme Court adopted several amendments to the Florida Rules of Appellate Procedure proposed by The Florida Bar’s Appellate Court Rules Committee. The amendments update cross-references and wording, remove outdated references to the prior e-filing system, align paper filing and service requirements with recent changes to the Rules of General Practice and Judicial Administration, and revise certificate-of-service forms. The Court explained each change, incorporated consistency edits (for example replacing “pro se” with “unrepresented”), and set the effective date as July 1, 2026. No comments were received on the proposal.