Tracy Than Hunter v. State of Florida
CourtDistrict Court of Appeal of Florida
Date FiledOctober 14, 2026
Docket4D2026-2744
StatusPublished
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Full Opinion
DISTRICT COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF FLORIDA
FOURTH DISTRICT
RUEL GREEN, SHARIKA MORGAN, SYLVESTER JEFFERSON CUFFY,
and TRACY THAN HUNTER,
Petitioners,
v.
STATE OF FLORIDA,
Respondent.
Nos. 4D2026-2733, 4D2026-2742, 4D2026-2743, 4D2026-2744
[October 14, 2026]
Consolidated petitions for writ of habeas corpus to the Seventeenth
Judicial Circuit, Broward County; Tim Bailey, Edward H. Merrigan, Jr.,
and Michael Rothschild, Judges; L.T. Case Nos. 062026CF010681A88810,
062026CF010906A88810, 062026CF010646A88810, and
062026CF010907A88810.
Ruel Green, Sharika Morgan, Sylvester Jefferson Cuffy, and Tracy Than
Hunter, Fort Lauderdale, pro se.
No appearance required for respondent.
GERBER, C.J.
By prior order, we dismissed the habeas corpus petitions in these four
consolidated cases with a warning against the unlicensed practice of law.
This opinion follows to explain our reasoning and hopefully curtail similar
instances of the unlicensed practice of law in these and other cases.
Petitioners were arrested for felony fraud offenses and are being
detained pending trial in the Broward County jail. The habeas corpus
petitions, which appear AI-generated and are nearly identical, attempt to
challenge petitioners’ pretrial release conditions. As jail inmates,
petitioners have no access to the internet and cannot file documents
electronically.
However, the pro se petitions were filed through the court system’s e-
filing portal. The documents apparently were prepared and filed by a non-
lawyer on petitioners’ behalf. By prior order, we dismissed the petitions
as unauthorized and served copies of the order on petitioners at the jail.
See Forman v. State Dep’t of Child. & Fams., 956 So. 2d 476, 477 (Fla. 4th
DCA 2007) (“[P]leadings filed by a non-lawyer on behalf of another are a
nullity.”). The person (or persons) filing these documents is likely engaged
in the unlicensed practice of law, which is a third-degree felony. § 454.23,
Fla. Stat. (2026).
Any further unauthorized filing will result in referral of this matter to
the Florida Bar and the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s
Office for investigation. See R. Reg. Fla. Bar 10-1.2 (“The Florida Bar, as
an official arm of the court, is charged with the duty of considering,
investigating, and seeking the prohibition of matters pertaining to the
unlicensed practice of law and the prosecution of alleged offenders.”).
Petitions dismissed with admonition.
GERBER, C.J., LEVINE and FORST, JJ., concur.
* * *
Not final until disposition of timely-filed motion for rehearing.
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