Case Name: Robert J. CROUCH, Appellant, v. PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION, STATE OF FLORIDA, Appellee
Court: Florida District Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 2008-10-24
Citations: 993 So. 2d 148
Docket Number: No. 1D07-6060
Parties: Robert J. CROUCH, Appellant, v. PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION, STATE OF FLORIDA, Appellee.
Judges: BARFIELD, ALLEN, and KAHN, JJ., concur.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 993
Pages: 148–149

Head Matter:
Robert J. CROUCH, Appellant, v. PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION, STATE OF FLORIDA, Appellee.
No. 1D07-6060.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, First District.
Oct. 24, 2008.
Marie A. Mattox and James Garrity of Marie A. Mattox, P. A., Tallahassee, for Appellant.
Harold A. Mardenborough, Jr., and Jason Taylor of Carr Allison, Tallahassee, for Appellee.

Opinion:
PER CURIAM.
The appellant challenges an order by which the trial court awarded attorney's fees to the appellee under section 768.79, Florida Statutes, the offer of judgment statute. The trial court's order was entered subsequent to this court and the Florida Supreme Court awarding appellate attorney's fees to the appellee based on an offer of judgment after establishing that the appellant was not entitled to relief under sections 112.3187-112.31895, Florida Statutes, the Whistle-blower's Act. Crouch v. Public Serv. Comm'n, 913 So.2d 111 (Fla. 1st DCA 2005), rev. denied 933 So.2d 520 (Fla.2006). The appellant argues that the offer of judgment statute does not apply in whistle-blower actions. However, as applicability has been determined through the law of the case doctrine, we affirm. See Specialty Restaurants Corp. v. Elliott, 924 So.2d 834 (Fla. 2d DCA 2005). Further, this court declines to address the manifest injustice exception to the doctrine because applica bility of the offer of judgment statute was established by a higher appellate court during the original appeal on the merits.
Affirmed.
BARFIELD, ALLEN, and KAHN, JJ., concur.