Background
Robert J. Little, Jr., proceeding without counsel, appealed from a ruling of the Circuit Court for the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit in Palm Beach County. Circuit Judge Laura Christine Burkhart presided over the underlying case.
Laurie A. Little Lederer and the Florida Department of Revenue were the appellees. The Department was represented by the Attorney General’s Office through its Child Support Enforcement unit. The appellate opinion does not describe the challenged ruling, the parties’ arguments, or the underlying facts.
The Court’s Holding
The Fourth District Court of Appeal affirmed the circuit court’s ruling.
The court issued a per curiam decision consisting only of the word “Affirmed” and supplied no reasoning or discussion of the legal issues. Judges Conner and Klingensmith and Associate Judge Charles A. Schwab concurred.
Key Takeaways
- The circuit court’s ruling remains in effect.
- The appellate court provided no explanation for its affirmance.
- The opinion establishes no articulated rule of law or factual analysis for use in other cases.
Why It Matters
The decision resolves this appeal in favor of the appellees but offers practitioners no substantive guidance about the underlying family-law or child-support issues.
Because the court did not state its reasoning, the opinion should not be read as deciding any issue beyond affirming the particular circuit court ruling under review. The decision was not final until disposition of any timely filed motion for rehearing.