Case Name: Joseph TURANO, Appellant, v. MICHAEL PIRATES WORLD, INC., Appellee
Court: Florida District Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 1995-08-30
Citations: 659 So. 2d 1275
Docket Number: No. 94-2809
Parties: Joseph TURANO, Appellant, v. MICHAEL PIRATES WORLD, INC., Appellee.
Judges: Before NESBITT, GODERICH and GREEN, JJ.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 659
Pages: 1275–1276

Head Matter:
Joseph TURANO, Appellant, v. MICHAEL PIRATES WORLD, INC., Appellee.
No. 94-2809.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, Third District.
Aug. 30, 1995.
Michael Gale, Coral Gables; David Pollack, Miami Beach, for appellant.
Michael Halpem, Key West, for appellee.
Before NESBITT, GODERICH and GREEN, JJ.

Opinion:
PER CURIAM.
Appellant Joseph Turano, defendant below, appeals an order striking his pleadings and entering judgment against him on the issue of liability after his counsel failed to appear at a pretrial conference. We reverse because we find that this sanction was too severe to visit upon a litigant where, as here, the record is completely devoid of any evidence reflecting counsel's wilful or flagrant disregard of the court's authority. Paris Int'l Records & Filmworks, Inc. v. Rodriguez, 539 So.2d 5 (Fla. 3d DCA 1989); Aller v. Editorial Planeta, S.A., 389 So.2d 321 (Fla. 3d DCA 1980).
Reversed and remanded for further proceedings.