Case Name: NOVARTIS PHARMACEUTICALS CORP., f/k/a Sandoz Pharmaceutical Corp., Petitioner, v. Connie CARNOTO, Rene Carnoto, and Celina Poy-Wing, M.D., Respondents
Court: Florida District Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 2003-03-19
Citations: 840 So. 2d 410
Docket Number: No. 4D02-4436
Parties: NOVARTIS PHARMACEUTICALS CORP., f/k/a Sandoz Pharmaceutical Corp., Petitioner, v. Connie CARNOTO, Rene Carnoto, and Celina Poy-Wing, M.D., Respondents.
Judges: GUNTHER, J., concurs.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 840
Pages: 410–411

Head Matter:
NOVARTIS PHARMACEUTICALS CORP., f/k/a Sandoz Pharmaceutical Corp., Petitioner, v. Connie CARNOTO, Rene Carnoto, and Celina Poy-Wing, M.D., Respondents.
No. 4D02-4436.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, Fourth District.
March 19, 2003.
Benjamine Reid and Wendy Frank Lumish of Carlton Fields, Miami, R. Lay-ton Mank of Wilsom, Elser, Moskowitz, Edelman & Dicker, Miami, and Joe G. Hollingsworth, Katharine R. Latimer, Martin C. Calhoun, Cynthia L. Kendrick of Spriggs & Hollingsworth, Washington, D.C., for petitioner.
Richard A. Sherman of Law Offices of Richard A. Sherman, P.A., and Wilton L. Strickland of Wilton L. Strickland, P.A., Fort Lauderdale, for respondents.

Opinion:
FARMER, J.
We have a petition for a writ of prohibition to disqualify a trial judge based on comments he gave to the press about a pending case. The trial judge dismissed the motion to disqualify as untimely. Upon a review of the pertinent documents, we conclude that the petition was in fact timely filed.
Because the judge found the motion untimely, he did not pass on its legal suffi ciency. We therefore return the ease to the trial court for such a determination. We are confident that if this experienced trial judge finds the motion legally sufficient, he will disqualify himself without further intervention of this court.
GUNTHER, J., concurs.
KLEIN, J., dissents with opinion.