The First DCA affirms a first-degree murder conviction, holding that a trial court’s failure to hold a competency hearing is not fundamental error where the record lacks reasonable grounds to doubt the defendant’s competency.
The Fourth DCA holds that a pre-judgment denial of attorney’s fees merges into the final judgment and must be challenged in the initial appeal—failure to do so permanently waives the issue.
The Fourth DCA holds that a quitclaim deed between spouses executed during a divorce that is later dismissed constitutes an interspousal gift—a marital asset subject to equitable distribution in any subsequent dissolution.
Florida’s Fourth DCA reverses a lump sum child support award in a high-asset dissolution, holding that Section 61.30 provides no authority for lump sum child support while affirming undifferentiated temporary alimony and support awards.
The First DCA reversed the denial of a landlord’s motion for default judgment of possession in a residential eviction, addressing the requirements of section 83.60(2) when a tenant’s answer fails to assert payment or deposit rent into the court registry.
The First DCA reversed domestic battery by strangulation convictions, holding that an audio recording made by the victim’s minor daughter in the defendant’s home without his consent violated Florida’s wiretap statute (section 934.03) and should have been excluded.
The Third DCA affirmed a habitual violent felony offender sentence, holding that the trial court’s failure to submit prior-conviction findings to a jury under Erlinger v. United States was subject to harmless error review and was harmless where the record unambiguously established qualifying priors.
The First DCA affirmed summary judgment against a pari-mutuel permitholder challenging the constitutionality of a 2021 statutory provision requiring permit revocation from permitholders that had not operated in the previous fiscal year, rejecting due process, equal protection, and takings arguments.
The Third DCA reversed a summary judgment ruling that text messages between a tenant and property manager modified lease terms, holding that a court cannot grant summary judgment on a theory of contract modification that was never pled in the complaint.
The Fourth DCA partially reversed a partition order, holding that a co-tenant seeking credit for rent paid at an alternate property must present evidence of the reasonable rental value of the jointly-owned property, not merely evidence of rent paid elsewhere.