Supreme Court of Florida _ No. SC14-987 _ THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF FLORIDA, et al., Petitioners, vs. DATA TARGETING, INC., et al., Respondents. [May 27, 2014] PER CURIAM. This case is before the Court on an emergency petition for the issuance of a constitutional writ, filed by the League of Women Voters of Florida, Common Cause, and eleven individually named parties, who are all plaintiffs in an ongoing lawsuit challenging the constitutional validity of the 2012 plan apportioning Florida’s...
Supreme Court of Florida _ No. SC14-914 _ IN RE: AMENDMENTS TO FLORIDA RULE OF CIVIL PROCEDURE FOR INVOLUNTARY COMMITMENT OF SEXUALLY VIOLENT PREDATORS 4.470. [June 5, 2014] PER CURIAM. The Supreme Court’s Criminal Court Steering Committee (Committee) has filed a petition to amend Florida Rule of Civil Procedure for Involuntary Commitment of Sexually Violent Predators 4.470 (Post Commitment Proceedings). We have jurisdiction. See art. V, § 2(a), Fla. Const. The Committee unanimously proposes...
Supreme Court of Florida _ No. SC14-866 _ SHANNON L. CLARK, Petitioner, vs. MICHAEL D. CREWS, etc., Respondent. [November 20, 2014] PER CURIAM. This case came before the Court on the petition of Shannon L. Clark for a writ of habeas corpus.1 In an order dated June 23, 2014, the Court denied Clark’s petition and expressly retained jurisdiction to pursue any possible sanctions against petitioner based upon the volume of petitioner’s meritless and inappropriate filings. Clark v. Crews, No. SC14-...
Supreme Court of Florida _ No. SC14-759 _ THE FLORIDA BOARD OF BAR EXAMINERS RE: J.R.B. [November 20, 2014] PER CURIAM. The Florida Board of Bar Examiners (“Board”) has filed a “Report and Recommendation” regarding the application of J.R.B. for admission to The Florida Bar. See art. V, § 15, Fla. Const. The Board recommended that J.R.B. be conditionally admitted, subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the Board’s Report. See Fla. Bar Admiss. R. 3-22.5(b) & 5-15. The Court disapproves...
Supreme Court of Florida _ No. SC14-721 _ IN RE: AMENDMENTS TO FLORIDA RULE OF JUDICIAL ADMINISTRATION 2.520. [November 26, 2014] PER CURIAM. We have for consideration an out-of-cycle report proposing amendments to Florida Rule of Judicial Administration 2.520 (Documents) filed by The Florida Bar’s Rules of Judicial Administration Committee (Committee). See Fla. R. Jud. Admin. 2.140(e). We have jurisdiction1 and adopt these noncontroversial amendments as proposed. BACKGROUND According to the...
Supreme Court of Florida _ No. SC14-623 _ IN RE: STANDARD JURY INSTRUCTIONS IN CIVIL, CRIMINAL, AND CONTRACT & BUSINESS CASES—JURORS’ USE OF ELECTRONIC DEVICES. [December 4, 2014] PER CURIAM. The Supreme Court Committees on Standard Jury Instructions in Civil, Criminal, and Contract and Business Cases (Committees) have submitted proposed changes to their respective standard jury instructions and ask that the Court authorize the amended standard instructions for publication and use. We have...
Supreme Court of Florida _ No. SC14-583 _ ROBERT EUGENE HENDRIX, Appellant, vs. STATE OF FLORIDA, Appellee. [April 10, 2014] PER CURIAM. Robert Eugene Hendrix, a prisoner under sentence of death, appeals an order from the Fifth Judicial Circuit denying his successive postconviction motion filed under Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.851. We have jurisdiction. See art. V, § 3(b)(1), Fla. Const. For the reasons that follow, we affirm the circuit court’s order. I. Background Hendrix is...
Supreme Court of Florida _ No. SC14-569 _ IN RE: AMENDMENTS TO FLORIDA RULE OF JUDICIAL ADMINISTRATION 2.420. [December 18, 2014] PER CURIAM. The Court has for consideration amendments to Florida Rule of Judicial Administration 2.420 (Public Access to Judicial Branch Records) proposed by the Florida Courts Technology Commission (Commission or FCTC),1 with input from The Florida Bar’s Rules of Judicial Administration Committee (RJA Committee). The more significant amendments conform the rule...
Supreme Court of Florida _ No. SC14-398 _ ROBERT L. HENRY, Appellant, vs. STATE OF FLORIDA, Appellee. [March 14, 2014] PER CURIAM. Robert Henry is a prisoner under sentences of death for whom a death warrant has been signed and execution set for March 20, 2014. In 1988, Henry was convicted of the first-degree murders of Phyllis Harris and Janet Thermidor, armed robbery with a deadly weapon, and arson. Henry now appeals the denial of his second successive motion for postconviction relief, filed...
Supreme Court of Florida _ No. SC14-364 _ IN RE: STANDARD JURY INSTRUCTIONS IN CRIMINAL CASES— REPORT NO. 2014-02. [September 11, 2014] PER CURIAM. The Supreme Court Committee on Standard Jury Instructions in Criminal Cases (Committee) has submitted proposed changes to the standard jury instructions and asks that the Court authorize the amended standard instructions for publication and use. We have jurisdiction. See art. V, § 2(a), Fla. Const. The Committee proposes amendments to the following...
Supreme Court of Florida _ No. SC14-35 _ JUAN CARLOS CHAVEZ, Appellant, vs. STATE OF FLORIDA, Appellee. [January 31, 2014] PER CURIAM. Juan Carlos Chavez, a prisoner under sentence of death, appeals from the denial of his second successive motion for postconviction relief filed pursuant to Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.851. We have jurisdiction. Art. V, § 3(b)(1), Fla. Const. Chavez filed the action after Governor Rick Scott signed a death warrant on January 2, 2014. For the reasons...
Supreme Court of Florida _ No. SC14-236 _ IN RE: AMENDMENTS TO THE FLORIDA FAMILY LAW RULES OF PROCEDURE. [December 18, 2014] PER CURIAM. The Family Law Rules Committee (Committee) has filed its regular-cycle report proposing amendments to the Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure.1 The Committee proposes new rules 12.012 (Minimization of Sensitive Information) and 12.364 (Social Investigations). It also proposes amendments to rules 12.070 (Process); 12.200 (Case Management and Pretrial...
Supreme Court of Florida _ No. SC14-2350 _ IN RE: CERTIFICATION OF NEED FOR ADDITIONAL JUDGES. [December 22, 2014] PER CURIAM. This opinion fulfills our constitutional obligation to determine the State’s need for additional judges in Fiscal Year 2015/2016 and to certify our “findings and recommendations concerning such need” to the Legislature.1 Certification is “the sole mechanism established by our constitution for a systematic and uniform 1. Article V, section 9, of the Florida Constitution...
Supreme Court of Florida _ No. SC14-227 _ IN RE: AMENDMENTS TO THE FLORIDA RULES OF APPELLATE PROCEDURE. [November 6, 2014] PER CURIAM. The Appellate Court Rules Committee (Committee) has filed its regular- cycle report proposing amendments to the Florida Rules of Appellate Procedure. The regular-cycle report is submitted pursuant to Florida Rule of Judicial Administration 2.140(b). We have jurisdiction. See art. V, § 2(a), Fla. Const. BACKGROUND Consistent with rule 2.140(b), the Committee...
Supreme Court of Florida _ No. SC14-227 _ IN RE: AMENDMENTS TO THE FLORIDA RULES OF APPELLATE PROCEDURE. [November 6, 2014] CORRECTED OPINION PER CURIAM. The Appellate Court Rules Committee (Committee) has filed its regular- cycle report proposing amendments to the Florida Rules of Appellate Procedure. The regular-cycle report is submitted pursuant to Florida Rule of Judicial Administration 2.140(b). We have jurisdiction. See art. V, § 2(a), Fla. Const. BACKGROUND Consistent with rule 2.140(b),...
Supreme Court of Florida _ No. SC14-219 _ IN RE: AMENDMENTS TO THE FLORIDA RULES OF JUDICIAL ADMINISTRATION. [October 30, 2014] PER CURIAM. We have for consideration the regular-cycle report of proposed rule amendments filed by The Florida Bar’s Rules of Judicial Administration Committee (Rules Committee). See Fla. R. Jud. Admin. 2.140(b)(4). We have jurisdiction1 and adopt the amendments as proposed. BACKGROUND The Rules Committee proposes amendments to Florida Rules of Judicial Administration...
Supreme Court of Florida _ No. SC14-2026 _ CHADWICK D. BANKS, Appellant, vs. STATE OF FLORIDA, Appellee. [November 3, 2014] PER CURIAM. Chadwick D. Banks, a prisoner under sentence of death for whom a warrant has been signed and execution set for November 13, 2014, appeals the circuit court’s orders denying his second successive motion for postconviction relief and sustaining objections to his public records requests, which were filed under Florida Rules of Criminal Procedure 3.851 and 3.852...
Supreme Court of Florida _ No. SC14-1972 _ IN RE: AMENDMENTS TO FLORIDA PROBATE RULE 5.590. [November 6, 2014] PER CURIAM. In response to recent legislation, The Florida Bar’s Probate Rules Committee (Committee) has filed an out-of-cycle, fast-track report proposing an amendment to Florida Probate Rule 5.590 (Application for Appointment as Guardian; Disclosure Statement; Filing). We have jurisdiction. See art. V, § 2(a), Fla. Const.; Fla. R. Jud. Admin. 2.140(e). The Committee proposes amending...
Supreme Court of Florida _ No. SC14-167 _ PAUL AUGUSTUS HOWELL, Appellant, vs. STATE OF FLORIDA, Appellee. [February 20, 2014] PER CURIAM. Paul Augustus Howell is a prisoner under sentence of death for whom a death warrant has been signed and execution set for February 26, 2014. Howell was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death when the bomb he constructed, for the specific purpose of killing a witness, instead detonated and killed a Florida Highway Patrol Trooper. Howell v....
Supreme Court of Florida _ No. SC14-1545 _ IN RE: AMENDMENTS TO FLORIDA RULE OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE 3.992—CRIMINAL PUNISHMENT CODE SCORESHEETS. [September 4, 2014] PER CURIAM. This matter is before the Court for consideration of proposed amendments to Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure Rule 3.992(a) (Criminal Punishment Code Scoresheet). We have jurisdiction. See art. V, § 2(a), Fla. Const. The Supreme Court Criminal Court Steering Committee (Steering Committee) proposes amendments to rule 3.992(...
