No. 25-6969

Samuel Lee Smith, Jr. v. Florida

Lower Court: Florida
Docketed: 2026-03-06
Status: Pending
Type: IFP
IFP Experienced Counsel
Tags: access-to-courts due-process effective-assistance-of-counsel fourteenth-amendment procedural-due-process sixth-amendment
Latest Conference: 2026-05-01
Question Presented (from Petition)

Did the Florida Supreme Court wrongly dismiss the Petitioner's appeal after Petitioner was arrested without any legal basis or cause, and the lower court judges violated due process, procedural due process, access to courts, Petitioner's right to notice and the opportunity to be heard, which effectively prevented the Petitioner from defending himself in violation of the Petitioner's 5th and 14th Amendment Right. Did the judges abuse their power by denying the Petitioner effective assistance of counsel, violating Petitioners Sixth Amendment Rights, which results in an abuse of power by the state?

Did the Supreme Court of Florida error when it dismissed the Petitioner's appeal challenging Third District Court of Appeal of Florida Case No: 3D2025-1411 against Respondent(s), state of Florida. Did the Supreme Court of Florida violate the Petitioner's fundamental right to due process, procedural due process, notice and opportunity to be heard, access to Courts and the right to be free from government abuse as guaranteed by the United States constitution preventing him from litigating the case.

Question Presented (AI Summary)

Whether the Florida Supreme Court wrongly dismissed Petitioner's appeal after an arrest without legal basis, and whether lower court judges violated due process, procedural due process, and access to courts in violation of the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments, and whether judges abused their discretion by denying effective assistance of counsel in violation of the Sixth Amendment

Docket Entries

2026-04-16
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 5/1/2026.
2026-03-02
Petition for a writ of certiorari and motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis filed. (Response due April 6, 2026)
2026-01-02
Application (25A766) granted by Justice Thomas extending the time to file until March 2, 2026.
2025-12-16
Application (25A766) to extend the time to file a petition for a writ of certiorari from December 30, 2025 to February 28, 2026, submitted to Justice Thomas.

Attorneys

Samuel Lee Smith
Samuel Lee Smith Jr. — Petitioner