Case Name: Joshua CUMMINGS, Petitioner, v. Brilliant MONTALVO, Respondent
Court: Florida District Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 2014-02-03
Citations: 135 So. 3d 389
Docket Number: No. 5D13-4431
Parties: Joshua CUMMINGS, Petitioner, v. Brilliant MONTALVO, Respondent.
Judges: SAWAYA, PALMER and LAWSON, JJ., concur.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Third Series
Volume: 135
Pages: 389–389

Head Matter:
Joshua CUMMINGS, Petitioner, v. Brilliant MONTALVO, Respondent.
No. 5D13-4431.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, Fifth District.
Feb. 3, 2014.
Adam Pollack, Law Office of Adam L. Pollack, P.A., Orlando, for Petitioner.
No appearance for Respondent.

Opinion:
PER CURIAM.
Petitioner seeks prohibition following an order denying his motion to disqualify the trial judge. The motion, which sought disqualification based upon the judge's statements indicating that she had strongly and definitively prejudged Petitioner's credibility in an unfavorable fashion, should have been granted. See Brown v. St. George Island, Ltd., 561 So.2d 253, 257 (Fla.1990). Because Petitioner has alleged facts that would create in a reasonably prudent person a well-founded fear of not receiving a fair and impartial trial, id., we quash the order denying the motion to disqualify and remand to the trial court for further proceedings consistent with this opinion. We trust that the issuance of a formal writ will be unnecessary.
PETITION GRANTED.
SAWAYA, PALMER and LAWSON, JJ., concur.