Law & Justice
Florida Appeals Court Upholds Domestic Violence Order Despite Unprovocative Ferrari Visit
A Florida appeals court upheld a domestic‑violence protection order against Gerald Buchheit after he visited his estranged wife Cara Siciliano’s condo to ask about his Ferrari. The court ruled that a 62‑second video of the December 2024 visit did not show violence, but it affirmed the order because Siciliano had testified about three prior incidents in which Buchheit allegedly assaulted her. The couple had been separated since 2022, with Buchheit living in Buffalo, New York, and Siciliano in Fort Myers, Florida. In December, Buchheit entered the condo without notifying her, claiming he needed to collect mail, leave gifts bought in Italy, and locate his Ferrari. Siciliano said he entered her bedroom, shouted, recorded her, and threatened to return whenever he wanted. She sought a protection order, citing fear for her safety. Buchheit denied the allegations and argued the video proved he had not threatened or chased her. The trial court granted the order after considering the couple’s history. Buchheit appealed, but the Sixth District Court of Appeal upheld the order. The appeals court noted that the December visit alone could not justify the final order, but the earlier incidents—an alleged slam into a bedroom door in January 2023, a wine‑glass incident in June 2016, a choking and phone‑smashing episode in March 2020, and a punch‑fight at Mar‑a‑Lago in February 2022—were sufficient to establish Siciliano’s victim status and reasonable fear of further violence. The court emphasized that Florida law allows consideration of past domestic‑violence incidents without a time limit when assessing risk. Buchheit’s argument that the incidents were too old was dismissed because he raised it only after the trial court’s decision. The order remains in effect.}