FRANKLIN D. BOLES, JR., APPELLANT,
v.
STATE OF FLORIDA, APPELLEE

Fla. 5th DCA | 1980-08-06
No. 80-531
COBB and FRANK D. UPCHURCH, JJ„ concur.
388 So. 2d 581 Florida District Court of Appeal, Fifth District (1980) Positive Treatment
Cited by 7 cases

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Holding

The appellate court held that the trial court applied an incorrect legal standard in denying bail pending appeal, requiring remand for reconsideration.


Headnotes

[1] A trial court abuses its discretion by denying bail pending appeal based on the belief that the appeal has little or no chance of success, rather than whether the appeal…

[2] Good faith in the context of bail pending appeal means the appeal is not vexatious and assigns errors that are open to debate and about which reasonable questions exist.

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Facts & Procedural History

Appellant was convicted of selling a controlled substance and sentenced to five years imprisonment. He appealed and moved for bail pending appeal, whi…

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Opinion of the Court
ORFINGER, Judge.

ORFINGER, Judge.

Appellant asks this court to review an order of the trial court denying bail following conviction, and pending appeal. Rule 9.140(e)(4), Fla.R.App.P. Appellant was convicted by a jury of selling a controlled substance and after motion for a new trial was denied, was sentenced to imprisonment for five years. He immediately filed a notice of appeal and asked for bail pending the appeal, pursuant to Rule 3.691, Florida Rules of Criminal Procedure. He alleged in his motion before the trial court that the appeal was not frivolous and was not taken for delay, that appellant was a long-time resident of Pasco County, Florida, that his parents owned property there and that he had always answered every call to court. At the hearing on the motion, which was the same hearing at which the motion for new trial was argued and at which appellant was sentenced, the trial court stated:

“. . . on a supersedeas after a conviction, it is strictly discretionary, unless I find that the appeal is very likely to succeed. I have reviewed it, and of course, sit [sic] through the trial, I am of the opinion, even though I do not believe that you take frivolous appeals, I believe this appeal has got little or no chance of success unless they reverse me on that number two.”

The “number two” referred to by the court was a ground stated in the motion for new trial wherein it was alleged that the trial court erred in refusing to declare a mistrial requested by appellant because of alleged improper comment by the court.

Appellant contends that he is entitled to bail pending appeal under the principles enunciated in Younghans v. State, 90 So. 2d 308 (Fla.1956); that the appeal is not frivolous and is made in good faith and on grounds fairly debatable. He contends that the trial court abused its discretion in denying bail pending appeal.

Younghans v. State, supra, declared that the threshold question to be determined by the trial court on a motion to set bail pending appeal was whether the appeal is taken in good faith, on grounds not frivolous but fairly debatable.1 This was further amplified in Baker v. State, 213 So. 2d 285 (Fla. 4th DCA 1968) wherein the court said:

“. . . Good faith does not mean there is probable cause to believe the judgment will be reversed, but simply that the appeal is not vexatious and the defendant has assigned errors that are open to debate and about which reasonable questions exist. . . ” id. at 287.

Thus, the standard as applied by the trial court that the appeal “must be very likely to succeed” imposes a greater burden upon a defendant than is required by law under both Younghans and Baker. We should point out that even where a defendant hurdles the threshold question, the trial court may still exercise its discretion to deny bail if there are circumstances to indicate that the accused will flee and thus evade punishment if his conviction is affirmed.

. Thus, in addition to the question of whether the appeal is taken “in good faith, on grounds not frivolous but fairly debatable,” the trial judge might consider (1) the habits of the individual as to respect for the law, (2) his local attachments to the community, by way of family ties, business, or investments, (3) the severity of the punishment imposed for the offense, and any other circumstances relevant to the question of whether the person would be tempted to remove himself from the jurisdiction of the court. In a case where the term of imprisonment imposed is short, the trial court might also consider whether the denial of bail would render nugatory the right to appeal from the judgment of conviction. . Younghans at 310.

Additionally, the court may also consider the defendant’s general record, reputation and character, which goes to establish not only the likelihood of his appearance upon disposition of the appeal but also what the probability of his conduct will be while on bail. Baker v. State, supra.

Since the trial court denied bail on the sole ground that he believed the appeal would not succeed, which is not the correct “standard of judicial action”, Younghans, supra, we remand this matter to the trial court for further consideration in accordance with this opinion. In so doing, we do not in any way express any opinion on the merits of the appeal.

REMANDED.

COBB and FRANK D. UPCHURCH, JJ„ concur. . The burden of making the showing is on the defendant. Rule 3.691, Fla.R.Cr.P.


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Citator

Cited By

  • Wyon Dale Childers v. State, 847 So. 2d 1120 (Fla. 1st DCA 2003)
    …reasonable questions. See Baker. After all, most issues raised on appeal have been presented to the trial court and rejected. Application of an incorrect standard in a bond proceeding is an abuse of discretion requiring reversal. See Boles v. State, 388 So. 2d 581 (Fla. 5th DCA 1980)(reversing the trial court’s denial of bond pending appeal where the trial court applied an incorrect standard requiring the appeal to be very likely to succeed). Therefore, we grant appellant’s motion in part and remand this matt…
  • Evans v. State, 863 So. 2d 384 (Fla. 1st DCA 2003)
    …BOOTH, J., dissents. I would affirm the trial court’s order denying bond pending appeal by this convicted possessor of child pornography. The trial court is afforded discretion in deciding to deny bail pending review. Boles v. State, 388 So. 2d 581 (Fla. 5th DCA 1980). I agree with the reasons set forth in the trial court’s order for denying bail, and further note there is sufficient evidence to support the trial court’s finding that appellant poses a danger in the community to children. The…
  • Petersen v. State, 187 So. 3d 283 (Fla. 1st DCA 2016)
    …A 2006)). As outlined in rule 3.691(a), the “threshold question to be determined by the trial court on a motion to set bail pending appeal was whether the appeal is taken in good faith, on grounds not frivolous but fairly debatable.” Boles v. State, 388 So. 2d 581 (Fla. 5th DCA 1980) (citing Younghans v. State, 90 So. 2d 308 (Fla.1956)). Several courts of this state have opined on the meaning of “not frivolous but fairly debatable.” In Childers v. State, this court reviewed an order of the trial court which…
    1 / 2

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