Alex Diaz De La Portilla v. State of Florida

In this marital dissolution case, what initially was a spat over the family dogs spiraled into a direct criminal contempt order that is now the subject of this appeal. During the course of the proceeding, which the couple has now settled, the former husband, Alex Diaz de la Portilla, was ordered (by the first of two trial judges in this case) to turn over one of the couple’s two dogs by February 16, 2011. He failed to do so, resulting in his now-former wife filing a motion for contempt, which was set for hearing by the trial judge who issued a show cause order compelling Diaz de la Portilla…