Nothing is more frustrating to a Tampa appellate attorney than the letters – PCA. Simply put, it is essentially the fatal conclusion of an appeal. It stands for per curiam affirmed, which is obviously Latin.
The practical meaning of the phrase is that the appellate court proceeding over the case did not feel it warranted a written opinion, so they simply affirmed the lower level court’s decision. The effects of the ruling are significant since there is no written opinion, it is nearly impossible to appeal further. While one can file a motion requesting a written opinion, those are more often than not unsuccessfully. The practical effect of the PCA is that it literally kills the appeal and its potential for going forward to the Florida Supreme Court. Unfortunately, these are becoming increasingly more prevalent as case loads increase.
If you or someone you know has questions concerning an appellate opinion or filing an appeal in Tampa, contact the Tampa appellate attorney for a free case consultation. If you would like to contact one of our Tampa appellate attorneys immediately, please use the “contact us now” tab in the upper right hand corner of our website. We appreciate you checking out our Tampa appellate attorney blog and we look forward to working with you.