Title: In Re: Amendment to Florida Rule of Appellate Procedure 9.130
Citation: N/A
Docket Number: SC2023-0701
State: Florida
Issuer: Florida Supreme Court
Date: December 14, 2023

Supreme Court of Florida 
 
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No. SC2023-0701 
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IN RE: AMENDMENT TO FLORIDA RULE OF APPELLATE 
PROCEDURE 9.130. 
 
December 14, 2023 
 
PER CURIAM. 
 
 
Previously in this case and on our own motion, we amended 
Florida Rule of Appellate Procedure 9.130 (Proceedings to Review 
Nonfinal Orders and Specified Final Orders) to amend the list of 
nonfinal orders appealable to the district courts of appeal to include 
those “deny[ing] a motion to dismiss on the basis of the 
qualifications of a corroborating expert witness under subsections 
766.102(5)-(9), Florida Statutes.”  Because the amendment was not 
published for comment prior to its adoption, we gave interested 
persons seventy-five days in which to file comments on the 
amendment.  Three comments were received by the Court. 
 
Having considered the comments filed, we further amend rule 
9.130(a)(3)(H) to reference subsection (12) of section 766.102, 
 
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because subsection (12) also articulates the qualifications of a 
corroborating expert witness.   
 
Accordingly, we amend the Florida Rules of Appellate 
Procedure as reflected in the appendix to this opinion.  New 
language is indicated by underscoring.  The amendment shall 
become effective immediately upon the release of this opinion. 
 
It is so ordered. 
MUÑIZ, C.J., and CANADY, COURIEL, GROSSHANS, FRANCIS, 
and SASSO, JJ., concur. 
LABARGA, J., dissents with an opinion. 
 
THE FILING OF A MOTION FOR REHEARING SHALL NOT ALTER 
THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS AMENDMENT. 
 
LABARGA, J., dissenting. 
 
 
Recently, the majority amended Florida Rule of Appellate 
Procedure 9.130 on its own motion, the effect of which was to 
“permit interlocutory review of nonfinal orders that deny motions to 
dismiss on the basis of the qualifications of a corroborating witness 
in medical malpractice cases.”  In re Amend. to Fla. Rule of App. 
Proc. 9.130, 367 So. 3d 1204, 1205 (Fla. 2023) (Labarga, J., 
dissenting).  I dissented to the majority’s action on the ground that 
rather than invite the submission of comments after the fact, this 
 
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Court should have sent a referral to the appropriate rules 
committee beforehand.  See id.  
Indeed, in response to the amendment, the Appellate Court 
Rules Committee submitted a detailed comment that may lead to 
further amendments.  Although I understand that sua sponte rule 
amendments may occasionally be necessary to address pressing 
matters, my concern is that a pattern of rule amendments involving 
significant changes—with a retroactive comment period—does not 
always reflect the most efficient nor the most effective way of fully 
incorporating the input of relevant entities. 
Original Proceeding – Florida Rules of Appellate Procedure 
 
Elaine D. Walter, Chair, Appellate Court Rules Committee, Miami, 
Florida, Joshua E. Doyle, Executive Director, The Florida Bar, 
Tallahassee, Florida, and Heather Savage Telfer, Bar Liaison, The 
Florida Bar, Tallahassee, Florida; Jordan A. Dulcie of Searcy, 
Denney, Scarola, Barnhart & Shipley, P.A., West Palm Beach, 
Florida; and George Pavlidakey, Clearwater, Florida, 
 
 
Responding with comments 
 
 
 
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APPENDIX 
 
 
RULE 9.130. 
PROCEEDINGS TO REVIEW NONFINAL ORDERS  
AND SPECIFIED FINAL ORDERS 
 
(a) Applicability. 
 
(1)-(2) 
[No Change] 
 
(3) Appeals to the district courts of appeal of nonfinal  
orders are limited to those that: 
 
(A)-(G) 
[No Change] 
 
(H) deny a motion to dismiss on the basis of the  
qualifications of a corroborating expert witness under subsections  
766.102(5)-(9), and (12), Florida Statutes. 
 
(4)-(5) [No Change] 
 
(b)-(i) 
[No Change] 
 
Committee Notes 
[No Change]