Unpled liability, tort for undetected illness, trade secrets, and corn flan with grilled brussel sprouts and pistachios

Civil procedure -- Discovery -- Order requiring non-parties to disclose confidential and personal financial information and potentially privileged attorney-client communications departed from essential requirements of law and would cause material injury that cannot be remedied on appeal

MARK ROUSSO and THE ALHADEFF LAW GROUP, P.L., Petitioners, v. WILLIAM SCOTT HANNON, individually, and G & S REALTY ADVISORS CORP., a Florida corporation, Respondents. 3rd District.

Civil procedure -- Discovery -- Trade secrets -- Trial court departed from essential requirements of law in requiring non-party to produce documents containing trade secrets without findings to support conclusion that requesting party demonstrated a reasonable necessity for the documents that outweighed interest in maintaining confidentiality of trade secrets

LASER SPINE INSTITUTE, LLC, Petitioner, v. ROBERT WILLIAM GREER, JR., LESLIE DOUCETTE, CLARA DOUCETTE, and LESLIE DOUCETTE, JR., Respondents. 1st District.

Condominiums -- Dispute between association and unit owner regarding, among other issues, removal of certain improvements to allow access to rooftop for repairs -- Error to enter order requiring owner to “permanently” remove all improvements from parapet walls where permanent removal was not sought in association's pleadings

BARRY YAMPOL, Appellant, v. TURNBERRY ISLE SOUTH CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION, INC., etc., Appellee. 3rd District.

Torts -- Negligence -- Plaintiffs sued laboratory alleging its cytotechnologists negligently failed to identify abnormalities in plaintiff's pap smears and that this negligence caused a delay in plaintiff's cancer diagnosis -- Evidence -- Standard of care -- Expert witness testimony -- District court abused discretion in excluding testimony of plaintiff's expert witness concerning alleged breach of standard of care for cytotechnologists based on conclusion that her methodology was unreliable where witness was qualified to testify about cytotechnologists' standard of care, her methodology was reliable, and her testimony would assist the trier of fact -- District court manifestly erred in concluding that expert's methodology is an ipse dixit assessment that is devoid of any methodology that would allow another expert to challenge it in any objective sense and is not a peer-reviewable evaluation where expert formed her opinion by using reliable tools, applying an established body of medical knowledge, and drawing on her extensive, relevant experience in the fields of cytopathology and cytotechnology -- District court committed an error of law by concluding that expert's methodology did not satisfy the generally accepted standards in areas of pathology and cytotechnology, faulting expert for failing to conduct a blinded review, which is the standard set by the profession based on litigation guidelines created by interested industry groups -- District court's ruling runs afoul of Supreme Court decisions in Daubert and Kumho, which do not allow courts to delegate to interested industry groups the court's gatekeeping duties to screen out speculative, unreliable expert testimony -- District court supplanted jury's factfinding role when it determined that expert's methodology was unreliable because review bias is inherent in a non-blinded review, and expert admitted in her deposition that she had a philosophical bent toward a plaintiff who has developed cervical cancer -- District court's reasoning that expert's testimony was unreliable because her approach did not account for similar conditions and surrounding circumstances under which a cytotechnologist works was manifestly erroneous

CHRISTINA NICOLE ADAMS, CHRISTOPHER L. ADAMS, Plaintiffs-Appellants, v. LABORATORY CORPORATION OF AMERICA, Defendant-Appellee. 11th Circuit.

Unclaimed property -- Life insurance funds -- Statutory requirement that insurers remit to Department of Financial Services any life insurance funds that remain unclaimed for certain period of time after the funds become “due and payable” -- Department's declaratory statement interpreting statute to mean that life insurance funds become “due and payable” at time of insured's death is clearly erroneous -- Life insurance funds become due and payable at time insurer receives proof of death and surrender of policy, when insurer knows that insured has died, or when insured attained or would have attained limiting age -- There is no requirement that insurers search death records in order to ascertain whether an insured had died

THRIVENT FINANCIAL FOR LUTHERANS, Appellant, v. STATE OF FLORIDA, DEPARTMENT OF FINANCIAL SERVICES, Appellee. 1st District.

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Fraudulent transfers, habeas corpus, foreclosures and purple spinach with walnuts sauteed in olive oil, greek oregano and garlic

Appeals -- Summary affirmance is appropriate where initial brief fails to demonstrate preliminary legal or factual basis for reversal of the appealed orders

MARTINA SPENCER, Appellant, v. FLORIDA POWER LIGHT/ BROADSPIRE, Appellees. 1st District.

Attorneys -- Discipline -- Referee properly found counsel, in his repeated rude, abusive and threatening behavior, violated Rules Regulating the Florida Bar pertaining to making a statement a lawyer knows to be false or with reckless disregard as to its truth or falsity concerning the qualifications or integrity of a judge, mediator, arbitrator, adjudicatory officer, or public legal officer; engaging in conduct intended to disrupt a tribunal; violations of the Rules of Professional Conduct; and engaging in conduct in connection with the practice of law that is prejudicial to the administration of justice, including knowingly or through callous indifference disparaging or humiliating other lawyers -- Referee properly made recommendations as to guilt -- Considering prior similar misconduct, referee's recommended sanction of ninety-day suspension was improper and a two-year suspension is imposed instead

THE FLORIDA BAR, Complainant, v. JEFFREY ALAN NORKIN, Respondent. Supreme Court of Florida.

Bankruptcy -- Fraudulent transfers -- Avoidance -- Liability of transferee -- Chapter 7 trustee may not recover the value of debtors' donation from defendant church as an initial transferee under Section 550(a)(1) of Bankruptcy Code, because donation to church is avoidable as fraudulent transfer under Section 548 and defendant church served as mere conduit for debtors' donation and acted in good faith and as an innocent participant in debtors' fraudulent transfer -- Church did not have control over debtor's donation, even though funds were deposited into church's general operating account, where funds were specifically earmarked for a third-party charitable organization, defendant separately accounted for donation it received from debtors, and defendant ultimately transferred funds to a third-party charitable organization

In re: ULRICH FELIX ANTON ENGLER and PRIVATE COMMERCIAL OFFICE, INC., Debtors. U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Middle District of Florida, Tampa Division.

Civil rights -- Law enforcement officers -- False arrest -- District court properly denied qualified immunity for arresting officer where facts viewed in light most favorable to plaintiff show that he lacked arguable probable cause to arrest plaintiff -- Error to deny qualified immunity to defendant who was not present during alleged false arrest

MONIQUE WILKERSON, Plaintiff - Appellee, v. THEDIOUS SEYMOUR, Dekalb County Police Officer, O.B. PARKER, Dekalb County Police Sergeant, Defendants - Appellants. 11th Circuit.

Child custody -- Jurisdiction -- Trial court erred in finding home state of minor children to be Colorado where children had resided in Florida within six-month period prior to father's filing of petition -- Under Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act, children's home state was Florida

ORION CHRISTIAN BARNES, Appellant, v. LACEY M. MORRISON BARNES, Appellee. 4th District.

Criminal law -- Attempted second degree murder -- Habeas corpus -- Ineffective assistance of appellate counsel -- Sentencing -- Trial court's incorrect statement that there existed “testimonial evidence that drugs were involved” indicated court was considering unsubstantiated allegations in its sentencing decision, and state failed to demonstrate that this improper consideration played no part in sentence imposed -- Prejudice -- Trial court's consideration of unsubstantiated factual claim undermines confidence in fairness, regularity, and propriety of petitioner's sentence -- Appellate counsel's failure to raise error on appeal was deficient performance that prejudiced petitioner -- Remand for resentencing

JUSTIN A. MARTINEZ, Petitioner, v. STATE OF FLORIDA, Respondent. 1st District.

Criminal law -- Counsel -- Appellate -- Ineffectiveness -- Burglary -- Second degree felony murder -- Jury instructions -- Appellate counsel was ineffective for failure to argue fundamental error where jury was provided with the circular instruction that, to commit the offense of burglary, the defendant was required to have a “fully formed, conscious intent to commit the offense of burglary in that structure” -- Remand for new trial

CHRISTOPHER DEAN, Petitioner, v. STATE OF FLORIDA, Respondent. 4th District.

Criminal law -- Counsel -- Ineffectiveness claim may not be raised on direct appeal where ineffectiveness is not apparent on face of record

JAMES MICHAEL ZIMMERMAN, Appellant, v. STATE OF FLORIDA, Appellee. 5th District.

Criminal law -- Double jeopardy -- Increase in restitution -- Double jeopardy violation resulted when trial court imposed obligation to pay victim's student loans when original restitution order required restitution only for expenses related to victim's medical costs -- New hearing required

TONY LEMAR FISHER, Appellant, v. STATE OF FLORIDA, Appellee. 5th District.

Criminal law -- Habeas corpus -- Malice murder -- District court properly denied relief on claim that state trial court's jury instructions on venue, an essential element of crime charged, improperly shifted burden of proof to petitioner and claim that state trial court's 25-year delay in resolving petitioner's motion for new trial violated his due process rights under Fourteenth Amendment -- Venue is essential element of Georgia offense of malice murder -- Instruction that jurors “shall” consider cause of death to have occurred where body was found created mandatory presumption which violated petitioner's constitutional rights -- Error was harmless -- Delay in ruling on motion for new trial -- Supreme Court has never held that there is constitutional right to speedy direct appeal in state criminal case, and appellate court finds no precedent suggesting that constitutional violation arises from untimely ruling on motion for new trial -- It cannot be said that state court's decision denying petitioner's motion for new trial was contrary to, or unreasonable application of, clearly established federal law

CHARLES EDWARD OWENS, Petitioner - Appellant, v. GREGORY MCLAUGHLIN, Respondent - Appellee. 11th Circuit.

Dissolution of marriage -- Alimony -- In awarding alimony, trial court erred by not making findings regarding husband's net income

KARL RENTEL, Appellant, v. SUN RENTEL, Appellee. 4th District.

Dissolution of marriage -- Child custody -- Timesharing -- Modification -- Trial court erred in entering order modifying timesharing agreement which exceeded scope of relief requested, and without notice that modification issue was set for hearing

HEATHER ANN WORTHINGTON, Appellant, v. TIMOTHY GAIL WORTHINGTON, Appellee. 2nd District.

Foreclosure -- Unpaid homeowners association fees -- Trial court erred in denying request to stay proceedings and to vacate summary judgment of foreclosure where defendant notified court that he was serving on active duty in the U.S. Army, attached copy of his military orders which required him to be in Pennsylvania two weeks before scheduled summary judgment hearing, and requested relief under the Soldier and Sailors Civil Relief Act -- Although defendant did not strictly comply with provisions of SCRA, in that he did not provide a letter or other evidence from his commanding officer stating that his military duty prevented his appearance, court should have given defendant an opportunity to supplement his request for stay before proceeding

DAVID S. HIGGINS, Appellant, v. TIMBER SPRINGS HOMEOWNERS, ETC., Appellee. 5th District.

Garnishment -- Wages -- Dissolution of writ -- Trial court erred in dissolving writ of garnishment served on debtor's employer based solely on debtor's affirmations that, pursuant to a vow of poverty, she had renounced all earnings and paid her wages directly to religious order of which she was a member and for which she was purportedly acting as agent -- Debtor lacks standing to assert religious order's claim to garnished wages -- Debtor failed to prove existence of agency relationship where there was no evidence of religious order's acknowledgment that debtor acted as its agent or that it controlled her actions and no evidence of a contractual agreement between employer and the religious order regarding debtor's employment

MERRIMAN INVESTMENTS, LLC, etc., Appellant, vs. THERESE UJOWUNDU, et al., Appellees. 3rd District.

Jurisdiction -- Civil procedure -- Service of process -- Evidentiary hearing -- Although summons was regular on its face in contradiction of defendant's allegation, trial court erred in not holding an evidentiary hearing after defendant submitted affidavit of non-service alleging summons was improperly left on her apartment doorstep

TIARA DAVIS, Appellant, v. NATIONAL COLLEGIATE STUDENT LOAN TRUST 2004-2, a Delaware Statutory Trust, Appellee. 4th District.

Receivership -- Condominiums -- Court's inherent, equitable authority to appoint a receiver in cases involving a non-profit condominium association is not restricted by statutes

GRANADA LAKES VILLAS CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION, INC., Petitioner, vs. METRO-DADE INVESTMENTS CO., et al., Respondents. Supreme Court of Florida.

Res judicata -- District court properly dismissed antitrust counterclaim in instant case where claim raised was identical to claim raised and litigated in another antitrust lawsuit between the same parties, and circuit court affirmed dismissal of that complaint -- Appellees' request for award of fees and costs under rule 38 denied

AKANTHOS CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LLC, CNH CA MASTER ACCOUNT, L.P., et al., Plaintiffs-Appellees, v. ATLANTICUS HOLDINGS CORPORATION, Defendant-Appellant. 11th Circuit.

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Contempt, condos, wrongful death, and broccolini with garlic, tomatoes, and organic goat cheese

Attorney's fees -- Prevailing party -- Condominiums -- Where bank obtained foreclosure judgments on condominium units, condominium association claimed assessment liens in excess of the statutory limit of bank's liability for condominium assessments, and bank filed post-judgment motions against association in foreclosure actions requesting application of the statutory cap to association's liens and an award of attorney's fees pursuant to statute which provides that prevailing party is entitled to attorney's fees in disputes between unit owners and condominium associations, trial court properly found that it had jurisdiction to entertain bank's post-judgment motions on the merits, but erred in finding that post-judgment procedure was not a proper forum to litigate the request for fees -- Having accepted post-judgment process as proper forum to decide the merits of disputes over unpaid assessments, association cannot now argue that post-judgment proceedings were an improper forum to award prevailing party attorney's fees -- Bank was not barred from recovering award of attorney's fees by the “no pleading, no fees” rule where entitlement to fees did not exist from the outset of bank's foreclosure actions against condominium unit owners

OCEAN BANK, Appellant, vs. CARIBBEAN TOWERS CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION, INC., Appellee. 3rd District.

Contempt -- Dissolution of marriage -- Error to hold husband in indirect civil contempt for failing to pay substantial child support arrearages where all agreed husband did not receive proper notice of wife's motion and hearing date -- Error to set a purge amount without imposing a coercive sanction that the purge would remove -- Error to order husband to pay $25,000 within four weeks without sufficient evidence of ability to comply -- Gross receipts of business in which husband owned roughly a one-third interest not sufficient basis for valuation

GHASSAN MANSOUR, Appellant, v. DALAL HELMI MANSOUR, Appellee. 2nd District.

Wrongful death -- Nursing homes -- Arbitration -- Trial court erred in denying defendant nursing home's motion to compel arbitration without an evidentiary hearing where there was a substantial issue as to the making of the arbitration provision in admission agreement -- Trial court erred in ruling that agreement was void as against public policy because it required arbitration under the American Arbitration Association Commercial Arbitration Rules or the JAMS Comprehensive Arbitration Rules -- Trial court erred in finding that agreement violated public policy because it limited plaintiff's statutory remedies where agreement did not contain language limiting compensatory or punitive damages -- Information provided by plaintiff was insufficient to invalidate arbitration agreement due to prohibitive cost of arbitration

FI-EVERGREEN WOODS, LLC, ET AL., Appellants, v. THE ESTATE OF VIRGINIA A. VRASTIL, ETC., Appellee. 5th District.

Wrongful death -- Product liability -- Tobacco -- Engle progeny case -- Manifestation of disease for purpose of inclusion in Engle class membership -- Trial court did not err in instructing jury that decedent's manifestation of peripheral vascular disease occurred when he had symptoms of the disease, instead of when decedent was on notice of the causal connection between his smoking and the disease -- Conflict certified -- Trial court did not err in denying defendant's motion for directed verdict on the basis that plaintiff failed to introduce reliable medical evidence demonstrating that decedent experienced symptoms of PVD prior to class membership cutoff date -- Trial court erred in allowing plaintiff to recover punitive damages under theory of gross negligence since that cause of action was not pled in original Engle class case and jury found for defense on concealment and conspiracy claims

R.J. REYNOLDS TOBACCO COMPANY, Appellant, v. PAMELA CICCONE, as Personal Representative of the Estate of GEORGE N. CICCONE, deceased, Appellee. 4th District.

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