Troy Rambaransingh v. Bank of America National Association, Individually and as Successor by Merger to LaSalle Bank, et al.

The United States Constitution vests the “judicial power” in Article III courts. Florida’s Constitution has similar language, however, it proceeds to explain the jurisdiction of its various courts, including the Florida Supreme Court, which “[m]ay review any decision of a district court of appeal that expressly declares valid a state statute, or that expressly construes a provision of the state or federal constitution, or that expressly affects a class of constitutional or state officers, or that expressly and directly conflicts with a decision of another district court of appeal or of the supreme court on the same question of law!' Based on the highlighted language, the issuance of a PC A without written opinion effectively eliminates the jurisdiction of the Florida Supreme Court to hear the case, even if the outcome of the case would differ among the DCAs. This is troubling, to say the least, as it allows the District Courts to control the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court and allows unsettled issues to remain unsettled and/or allows rulings that are inconsistent with settled issues to become final judgments with no recourse. The questions presented are: 1. Whether it is constitutional for district appellate courts in Florida to restrict or determine the Florida Supreme Court’s jurisdiction through the issuance of a PCA, especially for unsettled or unclear legal issues and whether or not it undermines the separation of powers.