Court Filings

The Florida Fourth District Court of Appeal affirmed the lower court's judgment in a criminal appeal by Bridges Avery Grossi. The appeal arose from a conviction and sentence entered in the Circuit Court for the Nineteenth Judicial Circuit, Indian River County. The appellate court issued a brief per curiam opinion affirming the trial court's decision without published opinion and noted that the decision is not final until any timely motion for rehearing is resolved.

The Fourth District Court of Appeal reviewed an appeal by Aniel Escobar from a circuit court order denying his Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.800(a) motion. The appellate court, in a short per curiam disposition, affirmed the trial court's denial without published opinion or extended discussion. Judges Ciklin, Conner, and Shaw concurred. The judgment is not final until any timely motion for rehearing is resolved.

The Fourth District Court of Appeal affirmed the trial court's judgment in favor of Allamanda Gardens Condominium Inc. and Sheldon R. Rosenthal in an appeal brought by Alexandria Investment, LLC. The appeal arose from a Broward County circuit court case (No. 062022CA004954AXXXCE). The appellate panel issued a per curiam opinion simply stating 'Affirmed' without elaborating on the reasoning in the published entry. The decision is subject to any timely motion for rehearing before it becomes final.

The Florida Fourth District Court of Appeal affirmed the trial court's judgment in favor of Wells Fargo USA Holdings, Inc. in an appeal brought by 5307 CWELT-2008. The appeal arose from a Broward County circuit court case (062016CA004032AXXXCE). The appellate panel issued a short per curiam opinion simply stating “Affirmed,” with no published opinion or extended reasoning included in the decision summary. The court noted the decision is not final until any timely motion for rehearing 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 Florida Supreme Court denied pro se petitioner Armando Arce’s mandamus request to remove Chief Judge Timothy D. Osterhaus’s circuit judge Jennie Kinsey from administrative supervision of First Judicial Circuit cases. The Court found Arce’s filings were frivolous attempts to circumvent prior denials and recusal efforts related to two Okaloosa County domestic-relations cases, and it imposed a filing restriction: the Clerk must reject any future filings by Arce concerning those two case numbers unless signed by a licensed Florida lawyer. The Court expressly retained jurisdiction earlier and declined motions for rehearing.

The Florida Supreme Court affirmed the trial court’s summary denial of James Ernest Hitchcock’s successive postconviction motion and denied his motion for a stay of execution. Hitchcock, a death-row inmate with a warrant set for April 30, 2026, sought public records from FDOC and FDLE to support a proposed Eighth Amendment challenge to Florida’s lethal-injection procedures and also raised an actual-innocence claim. The Court concluded Hitchcock’s requests were not tethered to a cognizable rule 3.851 claim, he failed to show a colorable method-of-execution claim or identify an available less painful alternative, and Florida does not recognize a freestanding postconviction actual-innocence claim.

The Second District Court of Appeal affirmed the lower court's judgment in the criminal case against James L. Hudson. The court issued a brief per curiam affirmance without additional comment, but explicitly noted that Hudson remains free to pursue a claim of ineffective assistance of counsel under Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.850. The decision leaves the underlying conviction intact while preserving Hudson's right to seek postconviction relief through the appropriate rule-based motion in the trial court.

The Second District Court of Appeal denied a petition for writ of certiorari from plaintiffs Carolyn Hoskins and Lolita Johns challenging a trial court order that dismissed without prejudice their direct-liability medical-malpractice claim against Women's Care of Florida for failure to satisfy presuit notice under chapter 766. The appellate court concluded the petitioners failed to show the required irreparable harm from the without-prejudice dismissal. Because certiorari is an extraordinary remedy and jurisdictional prerequisites were not met, the court dismissed the petition without addressing the trial court's legal ruling on presuit notice.

The appellate court (Florida Second District) reviewed an appeal by Troy Markeith Griffin, Jr. from a decision of the Circuit Court for Pinellas County. After considering the arguments and record, the court issued a per curiam decision simply stating the judgment is affirmed. No published opinion or extended reasoning appears in the document; the panel of judges concurred and the opinion is subject to revision before official publication.

The Second District Court of Appeal affirmed the trial court's order revoking Joshua Aaron Edwards's probation and the resulting sentence for his 2022 conviction for possession of a controlled substance. The court clarified that a defendant does not enter a "plea" to an alleged violation of probation but may admit the violation; the rules governing guilty pleas on charged offenses do not apply to violation proceedings. The court explained that an admission waives the State's burden to prove the violation, while the decision to revoke remains reviewable for abuse of discretion and the post-revocation sentence may also be reviewed.

The First District Court of Appeal affirmed the circuit court's decision in a criminal case brought by the State of Florida against appellant Sophina Webb. The appellate panel, writing per curiam, held that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in imposing a departure sentence. The court relied on controlling precedent that sentencing departures are discretionary and will be upheld on review unless the trial court clearly abused that discretion. The judgment of the lower court is therefore affirmed.

The Florida First District Court of Appeal affirmed Shakel Devon McClain’s convictions for attempted first-degree murder, carjacking with a deadly weapon, and fleeing or attempting to elude an officer. McClain argued the trial court wrongly admitted his text messages to his girlfriend from days before the crimes as improper character evidence. The appellate court held that even if admission of the messages was error, it was harmless beyond a reasonable doubt because there was no reasonable possibility the messages contributed to the guilty verdicts, citing controlling harmless-error precedent.

The Second District Court of Appeal dismissed Neelam Uppal’s petition for a writ of certiorari challenging a Pinellas County circuit court decision. The petition named multiple respondents including a condominium association, management companies, mortgage entities, and individual defendants. The court issued a short per curiam order simply stating “Dismissed” without extended reasoning, and three judges concurred. The filing indicates counsel appearances for some respondents and no appearance for others; the opinion is subject to revision before official publication.

The State of Florida appealed a county court decision concerning defendant Stephen Bryce Balsinger. The District Court of Appeal, Second District, reviewed the appeal and unanimously affirmed the lower court's decision. The opinion is per curiam (unsigned) and provides no additional reasoning in the published entry. The panel—Chief Judge Lucas and Judges Sleet and Rothstein-Youakim—concurred. The decision is subject to possible revision before official publication.

The district court reviewed an appeal by Louis Serball from a Pasco County circuit court decision. After considering the record, the appellate panel issued a brief per curiam decision affirming the lower court's judgment. No opinion explaining the court's reasoning was published beyond the simple affirmation, and the appellee did not file an appearance in the appeal. The mandate affirms the trial court's ruling, leaving the circuit court's judgment intact.

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 Second District Court of Appeal reviewed a pro se appeal by Jenouch Ivory Pasco from a Pinellas County circuit court order. The appellate court, in a brief per curiam decision, affirmed the lower court's judgment. No published opinion or extended reasoning was provided in the document; the three-judge panel simply announced affirmation and noted the opinion may be revised before official publication.

The Second District Court of Appeal reviewed Michael Ortega's appeal from a Pinellas County circuit court order under Florida Rule of Appellate Procedure 9.141(b)(2). The appellate court, in a brief per curiam decision, affirmed the lower court's ruling. No opinion text or substantive reasoning was provided in the published entry beyond the affirmance and the judges who concurred.

The Florida Second District Court of Appeal affirmed the lower court's decision in a criminal appeal filed by Christopher Clayton Miller against the State of Florida. The appellate panel issued a per curiam decision, with Judges Kelly, Khouzam, and Sleet concurring, and concluded that the trial court's ruling should stand. No detailed reasoning, factual background, or citations were included in the published opinion, and the opinion may be revised before official publication.

The Second District Court of Appeal affirmed the circuit court's decision in a criminal appeal filed by Mark A. Kalina against the State of Florida. The appeal was taken under the Florida Rules of Appellate Procedure rule governing appeals in criminal cases. The opinion is per curiam, brief, and concludes without published reasoning; the panel of judges concurred and the judgment of the lower court stands.

The Second District Court of Appeal reviewed a criminal appeal by Darryl Johnson from a Pinellas County circuit court under Florida Rule of Appellate Procedure 9.141(b)(2). The panel issued a short, per curiam decision affirming the lower court's judgment. No opinion elaborating reasoning or issues was published; the decision notes concurrence by three judges and that the opinion may be revised before official publication.

The appellate court reviewed a pro se appeal by Jesse Cleveland Harrell from a DeSoto County circuit court criminal proceeding under the Florida rules for collateral review. The Second District issued a short per curiam disposition and affirmed the lower court’s decision without published opinion. The court provided no extended reasoning in the order and the panel concurred. The mandate affirms the circuit court’s judgment or order as challenged by Harrell, leaving the trial-court outcome intact.

The Second District Court of Appeal affirmed the lower court's decision in an appeal by Dondre R. Hale against the State of Florida. The appeal was taken under Florida Rule of Appellate Procedure 9.141(b)(2) from the Pinellas County circuit court before Judge Philip J. Federico. The appellate panel issued a per curiam decision—joined by Judges Northcutt, LaRose, and Rothstein-Youakim—simply stating 'Affirmed' without further published opinion and noted the opinion may be revised prior to official publication.

The court reviewed an appeal by C.H. challenging the actions of the Department of Children and Families and the Statewide Guardian ad Litem Program in a dependency matter involving children J.H. and G.B. After considering the record and arguments, the district court issued a brief per curiam decision affirming the lower court's ruling. The decision affirms the circuit court's handling of the dependency-related proceedings without further comment, and the panel of three judges concurred. No additional factual findings or legal analysis are included in the published entry.

The Second District Court of Appeal reviewed an appeal by Jason Funk from a Hillsborough County circuit court criminal postconviction or sentencing matter under Florida Rule of Appellate Procedure 9.141(b)(2). The court, in a per curiam decision, affirmed the lower court's ruling. No published opinion or additional reasoning was provided in the order; the panel (Kelly, Morris, and Guard, JJ.) concurred and the decision is subject to revision before official publication.

The Florida Second District Court of Appeal affirmed the trial court's decision in a criminal matter. Appellant Bruce Cowart appealed a decision from the Circuit Court for Manatee County, represented by the public defender, with the State of Florida represented by the Attorney General. The appellate court issued a per curiam opinion on April 22, 2026, summarily affirming the lower court's ruling without published opinion and with three judges concurring. No additional reasoning or factual detail was provided in the published entry.

The Florida Second District Court of Appeal affirmed the lower court's decision in a criminal postconviction appeal. The appeal was taken under Florida Rule of Appellate Procedure 9.141(b)(2) from a Hillsborough County circuit court order, and the appellate panel issued a brief per curiam opinion simply stating: Affirmed. All three judges concurred. No further explanation or published reasoning was included in the opinion as filed on April 22, 2026.

The Second District Court of Appeal reviewed Jermaine Antwane Brown, Jr.'s appeal from a Pinellas County circuit court criminal postconviction order under Florida Rule of Appellate Procedure 9.141(b)(2). The panel, in a brief per curiam decision, affirmed the lower court's ruling. No extended reasoning or factual discussion is provided in this opinion; the court simply announced affirmance and noted the opinion may be revised before official publication.

The Fourth District Court of Appeal affirmed the trial court's denial of the appellant Timothy Joseph Ferguson's challenge in three criminal cases. The panel issued a short per curiam opinion, relying on precedent to hold that the defendant was not entitled to an express written explanation for the denial of a motion to downward departure from sentencing. The court cited Venter v. State to support its view that due process does not require a specific explanation for such denials and therefore found no reversible error.