Background
Edward Eugene Williams appealed a judgment or sentence entered against him in the Circuit Court for Escambia County, Florida, before Judge Linda L. Nobles. He was represented on appeal by the Office of the Public Defender for the Second Judicial Circuit, with Assistant Public Defender Kathleen Elizabeth Pafford handling the matter. The State was represented by the Office of the Attorney General.
The underlying details of the conviction — the charges, the evidence, and the specific trial court rulings challenged on appeal — are not disclosed in the appellate court’s disposition, which issued without a written opinion.
The Court’s Holding
A three-judge panel consisting of Judges Bilbrey, Nordby, and Treadwell unanimously affirmed the circuit court’s judgment in a one-word per curiam decision. The court issued no written opinion explaining its reasoning.
Under Florida Rule of Appellate Procedure 9.330 and 9.331, the decision is not yet final and remains subject to any timely and authorized motion for rehearing or rehearing en banc.
Key Takeaways
- The First DCA affirmed the Escambia County circuit court’s ruling against Williams without written opinion.
- The decision was unanimous among the three-judge panel.
- Because no written opinion was issued, the case carries no precedential value and provides no publicly available legal analysis.
Why It Matters
Per curiam affirmances without opinion are routine dispositions in Florida’s district courts of appeal, signaling that the appellate panel found no reversible error warranting discussion. For practitioners, the absence of a written opinion means the decision cannot be cited as precedent and offers no guidance on the underlying legal issues.
Attorneys monitoring this docket should note that the mandate has not yet issued, and the window for post-decision motions under Florida Rules of Appellate Procedure 9.330 and 9.331 remains open as of the decision date.