Background
D.W., the mother of minor children J.M., D.H., and A.W., appealed an order entered in a dependency proceeding in the Circuit Court for Marion County. Circuit Judge Brad King presided below.
The Department of Children and Families appeared as appellee, and the statewide Guardian ad Litem participated through appellate counsel. The Fifth District’s opinion does not describe the challenged order, the underlying facts, the parties’ arguments, or the trial court’s reasoning.
The Court’s Holding
The Fifth District Court of Appeal affirmed the circuit court’s ruling in a per curiam decision. Judges Lambert, Boatwright, and MacIver concurred.
The court provided no written analysis or explanation for the affirmance. The opinion therefore establishes only that the challenged ruling remained in effect; it does not announce a legal rule or identify the grounds supporting the result.
Key Takeaways
- The Fifth District affirmed the circuit court’s ruling in the dependency case.
- The decision was unanimous among the three identified panel judges.
- Because the court issued an unexplained per curiam affirmance, the opinion supplies no factual or legal analysis for use in other cases.
Why It Matters
The affirmance leaves the circuit court’s disposition intact as to D.W. and the minor children. But the opinion’s lack of reasoning sharply limits what attorneys can infer about the panel’s view of any particular dependency-law issue.
The decision was not final until disposition of any timely and authorized motion under Florida Rules of Appellate Procedure 9.330 or 9.331.