Court Filings

The Fifth District Court of Appeal summarily affirmed the trial court's denial of Willie Nelson Hill's motion under Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.850. Hill, representing himself, appealed the circuit court's postconviction ruling. The appellate court issued a brief per curiam decision on April 30, 2026, without published opinion, concluding the lower court's disposition should stand. The judgment is subject to any timely motion for rehearing or other authorized relief under Florida appellate rules.

The Florida Fourth District Court of Appeal reviewed an appeal by Wilbert Griffin of a circuit court order denying his Rule 3.850 motion (postconviction relief). The court, in a short per curiam decision with no written opinion, affirmed the denial. The opinion notes the decision is not final until any timely motion for rehearing is resolved. No analysis or reasoning was provided in the published entry.

The Fourth District Court of Appeal affirmed the trial court's order denying Bachir Osias's motion under Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.850. Osias, proceeding pro se, appealed the denial of his postconviction relief motion filed in the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit, Palm Beach County. The appellate court issued a brief per curiam disposition, concluding there was no reversible error in the denial and therefore affirmed the lower court's decision. The opinion was unanimous and notes it is not final until any timely motion for rehearing is resolved.

The California Supreme Court held that trial courts may order pretrial detention of noncapital defendants only in the specific circumstances described by article I, section 12 (subdivisions (b) and (c)) of the California Constitution. Where detention is not authorized under section 12, a court may condition release on monetary bail only after an individualized assessment and must set bail in an amount that is reasonable and generally attainable given the defendant’s circumstances. The decision reconciles section 12 with article I, section 28(f)(3), reaffirming that public and victim safety remain primary considerations but do not expand the categories of offenses subject to detention.

The Fifth District Court of Appeal reviewed Gregory Simpson's appeal from a Marion County circuit court postconviction proceeding under Florida Rule 3.800. The court, in a brief per curiam opinion, affirmed the lower court's decision, citing Galindez v. State and Washington v. Recuenco to support its ruling. No appellee appearance was entered and the appellant proceeded pro se. The opinion concludes the appellate court saw no reversible error and affirmed the circuit court's disposition without extended discussion.

The First District Court of Appeal reviewed Gene Ramirez's appeal from a Leon County circuit court judgment involving the Florida Department of Corrections. The appellate court issued a short per curiam decision on April 27, 2026, affirming the lower court's ruling. No published opinion or extended explanation of reasoning is provided in the document; the judgment simply states AFFIRMED and notes concurrence by the three judges. Procedural rules for timely post-decision motions are referenced but no further substance is given.

The Appellate Division, Fourth Department affirmed a Wyoming County Supreme Court judgment denying Richard F. Mills' petition for a writ of habeas corpus challenging his confinement at Attica Correctional Facility. The appellate court unanimously affirmed without costs, adopting the reasons stated by the trial court (Justice Terrence M. Parker). No new factual findings or legal analysis appear in the short appellate disposition; the judgment below denying relief therefore stands.

The Appellate Division, Fourth Department, denied a CPLR article 78 petition by Leon Thomas challenging a prison disciplinary determination after a tier III hearing. The court confirmed the determination that Thomas violated certain incarcerated individual rules, noting Thomas pleaded guilty to two violations which barred review of the substantial-evidence claim as to those offenses, and it rejected his remaining challenges. The petition was dismissed and the determination confirmed without costs.

The Fifth District Court of Appeal issued a per curiam order affirming a prior trial-court denial of Geneva M. Kellum’s postconviction motion in Duval County criminal case number 16-2009-CF-006375-A. The court warned that Kellum’s continued filing of repetitive, abusive, or frivolous pro se postconviction claims arising from that case could lead to sanctions, including a prohibition on further pro se filings in this court and referral to prison officials for disciplinary measures. The caution cites state statute and precedent supporting restrictions on serial frivolous filings.

The appellate court affirmed the trial court's dismissal of Gerald Harrell's postconviction motion but found a clerical error in the dismissal directive. The judgment below correctly dismissed Harrell's motion for postconviction relief, yet the written order mistakenly identified the November 20, 2023 motion as dismissed with prejudice when it should have referred to the November 22, 2023 motion. The case is therefore remanded solely to correct that scrivener's error in the order; no change was made to the substantive dismissal.

The Fifth District Court of Appeal reviewed a pro se appeal by Keyon M. Paige from an order of the Duval County Circuit Court in a 3.800 proceeding (postconviction relief). The appellate court issued a short per curiam decision on April 23, 2026, affirming the lower court's ruling. No written opinion or extended reasoning is provided in the document; the court simply stated AFFIRMED and noted concurrence by three judges and the possibility of filing certain post-decision motions under Florida appellate rules.

The Fourth District Court of Appeal affirmed a circuit court's denial of Pedro Ortiz's rule 3.850 postconviction motion. Ortiz, representing himself, appealed the denial by the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit, Broward County. The appellate court issued a brief per curiam disposition affirming the lower court's order without published opinion, noting the decision is not final until any timely rehearing motion is resolved.

The Fifth District Court of Appeal considered Willie D. Upson's appeal from the denial of his Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.850 motion in the Circuit Court for Volusia County. After review, the appellate court issued a brief per curiam decision affirming the lower court's ruling. The opinion contains no published reasoning beyond the single-word disposition and notes that the decision is not final pending any timely post-judgment motions under Florida appellate rules.

The District Court of Appeal, Second District of Florida, affirmed a lower court ruling in an appeal brought by Silvia Perez under the Florida Rules of Appellate Procedure. The opinion is brief: the court issued a per curiam decision affirming the circuit court's ruling without published opinion. The judges concurred, and the decision may be revised before official publication. No specific factual or legal reasoning is provided in the document itself.

The Fifth District Court of Appeal reviewed an appeal by Zakariya Daud Clarke from the denial of a motion under Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.850 (postconviction relief) in the Circuit Court for Clay County. The appellate court, in a per curiam decision, affirmed the lower court's ruling. The opinion is brief and does not include detailed reasoning in the published entry; the appellate panel unanimously concurred and issued the decision on April 21, 2026.

The Fifth District Court of Appeal considered an appeal by Trevorisse Thomas from the denial of a Rule 3.850 motion in Duval County. The court issued a brief per curiam decision on April 21, 2026, affirming the lower court's ruling. No written opinion was provided and the state did not file an appearance. The panel unanimously concurred, and the decision is subject to any timely motion for rehearing or certification under Florida appellate rules.

The Fifth District Court of Appeal reviewed Timothy Barrett, Sr.'s appeal from the denial of his Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.850 postconviction motion. The court issued a brief per curiam opinion on April 21, 2026, concluding the appeal should be affirmed. No reasons are provided in the published entry; the panel judgment affirms the circuit court's ruling, and judges Jay, Edwards, and Kilbane concurred. The decision is subject to timely motion for rehearing or certification under the Florida appellate rules.

The Fifth District Court of Appeal reviewed Justin Ryan McMillian’s appeal from the trial court’s denial of his motion under Florida Rule 3.850 (postconviction relief). The appellate court, in a per curiam decision, affirmed the lower court’s ruling without published opinion or extended explanation. The court’s brief order indicates it found no reversible error in the trial court’s handling of McMillian’s 3.850 claims and left the circuit court’s disposition intact.

The Appellate Division, Third Department, denied petitioner Tyrone Winston's CPLR Article 78 challenge to a prison disciplinary finding from Auburn Correctional Facility. The court reviewed the Superintendent's determination that Winston violated a disciplinary rule and concluded the determination should be upheld. The court issued a brief order affirming the disciplinary finding and dismissed the petition, without issuing an opinion explaining its reasoning.

The Fifth District Court of Appeal reviewed Reginald Lawrence Perry Jr.'s appeal from the denial of his Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.850 postconviction motion by the Duval County Circuit Court. The appellate court, in a per curiam decision issued April 16, 2026, affirmed the lower court's ruling without published opinion. The panel unanimously concurred, and the opinion is not final until any timely permitted motions under the Florida Rules of Appellate Procedure are resolved.

The Ohio Supreme Court affirmed the Fourth District Court of Appeals’ dismissal of inmate Nikko N. Jones’s petition for a writ of habeas corpus. Jones argued that a judge who accepted his 2022 guilty pleas and sentenced him lacked authority because the judge had not been formally assigned to the case. The court held Jones’s petition was procedurally defective for failing to comply with R.C. 2969.25 and substantively deficient because any improper judicial assignment would make a judgment voidable, not void, and therefore is not a cognizable basis for habeas relief while his sentence remains unexpired.

The Ohio Supreme Court affirmed the Fifth District Court of Appeals’ dismissal of inmate Lewis Leroy McIntyre Jr.’s habeas petition seeking immediate release. The appeals court had dismissed the petition sua sponte for noncompliance with R.C. 2969.25(A) because McIntyre’s affidavit listing prior civil actions omitted required details for one listed case. McIntyre argued the case need not have been listed, but the Supreme Court held he voluntarily included it and therefore cannot complain under the invited-error doctrine. The dismissal was affirmed for failure to strictly comply with the statute.

The court reviewed an appeal by inmate Mourice Neal from the Richland County Common Pleas Court's dismissal of his writ of habeas corpus. The trial court had granted the warden's motion to dismiss Neal's petition, and the appellate court affirmed. The panel found Neal failed to support his assignments of error with citations to the record or legal authority as required by the appellate rules, so the court declined to consider the substantive claims and upheld the dismissal. Costs were assessed to Neal.