Case Name: The SCHOOL BOARD OF BROWARD COUNTY, Florida and Pacific Indemnity Insurance Company, Appellants, v. Gilbert E. SURETTE et al., and Arthur Galiardo, Jr., et al., Appellees
Court: Florida Supreme Court
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 1977-05-12
Citations: 348 So. 2d 301
Docket Number: No. 50283
Parties: The SCHOOL BOARD OF BROWARD COUNTY, Florida and Pacific Indemnity Insurance Company, Appellants, v. Gilbert E. SURETTE et al., and Arthur Galiardo, Jr., et al., Appellees.
Judges: OVERTON, C. J., and SUNDBERG, HATCHETT and KARL, JJ., concur.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 348
Pages: 301–303

Head Matter:
The SCHOOL BOARD OF BROWARD COUNTY, Florida and Pacific Indemnity Insurance Company, Appellants, v. Gilbert E. SURETTE et al., and Arthur Galiardo, Jr., et al., Appellees.
No. 50283.
Supreme Court of Florida.
May 12, 1977.
Rehearing Denied July 28, 1977.
William S. Gardella, Walton, Lantaff, Schroeder & Carson, Fort Lauderdale, for appellants.
Edward A. Perse, Horton, Perse & Ginsberg, Miami, and Robert Sussman, Hialeah, for appellees.
Robert L. Shevin, Atty. Gen., and Thomas A. Beenck, Asst. Atty. Gen., for intervenor.

Opinion:
PER CURIAM.
This marks the third appearance of this cause in this Court. School Board of Broward County v. Surette, 281 So.2d 481 (Fla.1973); School Board of Broward County v. Surette, 339 So.2d 194 (Fla.1976). The occasion for its most recent visit stems from an order entered by the Circuit Court of the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit for Broward County, Florida, ruling upon a motion by the appellants to suppress and to sever. By their motion appellants urged that the appellant insurance carrier named in the third amended complaint be severed from the trial "and/or" any mention of insurance to the jury be suppressed. Appellants contended that such result is compelled by the provisos contained in Sections 234.03(4) and 455.06(2), Florida Statutes (1975). Section 234.03(4) states:
. Provided, however, no attempt shall be made in the trial of any action against a school board to suggest the existence of any insurance which covers in whole or in part any judgment or award which may be rendered in favor of the plaintiff .
Section 455.06(2) reads:
. provided, however, no attempt shall be made in the trial of any action against a political subdivision to suggest the existence of any insurance which covers the whole or in part any judgment or award which may be rendered in favor of the plaintiff .
Appellants essentially contended that our decision in Carter v. Sparkman, 335 So.2d 802 (Fla.1976), required or at least authorized the suppression and severance sought.
In his order ruling upon the motion, the trial judge determined (i) that the decision in School Board of Broward County v. Surette, 281 So.2d 481 (Fla.1973), established the law of the case; (ii) that "the provisions of Florida Statutes 455.06(1) [sic] and 234.-03(4) are unconstitutional and hereby to be void as contrary to the Florida Constitution Article 5, Section, 2(a);" and (iii) that our decision in Carter v. Sparkman, supra, is not controlling in the instant case. As a result of the trial court's ruling on the constitutionality of the statutes involved, notice of appeal was filed in this Court. We have jurisdiction pursuant to Article V, Section 3(b)(3), Florida Constitution, and review this matter by certiorari. We dispense with oral argument pursuant to Florida Appellate Rule 3.10e.
Subsequent to filing the notice of appeal, The Honorable Robert L. Shevin, as Attorney General of Florida, moved to intervene, which motion was granted. Additionally, appellees have filed their motion to quash and/or dismiss and request for attorneys' fees to which appellants have addressed a motion to dismiss and deny. We hereby deny the motions filed by the appellees and the appellants.
Although jurisdiction vests in this Court by virtue of the trial court's ruling upon the constitutionality of the indicated sections of the Florida Statutes, we do not deem it necessary or appropriate to reach the constitutional issue presented. This is so because the trial court was eminently correct in determining that our decision in School Board of Broward County v. Surette, 281 So.2d 481 (Fla.1973), established the law of the case in this cause which is unaffected by our decision in Carter v. Sparkman, supra. See Airvac, Inc. v. Ranger Insurance Co., 330 So.2d 467 (Fla.1976); Harwell v. Sheffield, 112 So.2d 377 (Fla.1959); 2 Pla. Jur. Appeals § 398 (1963).
Accordingly, certiorari is granted and the order of the trial court is approved.
It is so ordered.
OVERTON, C. J., and SUNDBERG, HATCHETT and KARL, JJ., concur.
ENGLAND, J., concurs with an opinion.