STATE OF FLORIDA, APPELLANT,
v.
LEOLA S. SHERMAN, APPELLEE
AI-generated. These summaries, headnotes, and key points are machine-generated and may contain errors or omissions. Always verify against the full opinion text below. Not legal advice.
The Florida District Court of Appeal reversed an order quashing an information, holding that the state could refile a felony charge even after a nolle prosequi on a misdemeanor charge, despite the speedy trial rule. The court clarified that a nolle prosequi does not toll speedy trial times but also does not prevent the state from refiling a more serious charge based on the same conduct.
Yes, the state can enter a nolle prosequi on a misdemeanor charge and refile a felony charge based on the same conduct. While a nolle prosequi does not toll speedy trial times, it does not prevent the state from prosecuting a new, more serious charge based on the same criminal episode.
[1] A nolle prosequi entered by the state does not toll the time limits provided by the speedy trial rule for bringing a defendant to trial on a felony charge.
[2] A defendant is not entitled to discharge under the speedy trial rule based on the expiration of time for a misdemeanor charge when the state subsequently files a felony c…
Previewing 2 of 4 headnotes on this case. FLexlaw’s editorially structured points of law — every proposition, pinpointed — are reserved for members.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligence“While the nolle prosequi will not operate to toll the times provided for in [Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.191(a)(1)], nevertheless appellant ought to be in no better position because a misdemeanor charge was indeed filed than he would have been had one not been filed insofar as the time within which he must be brought to trial on the felony charge is concerned ....”
This quote explains the court's reasoning from a prior analogous case regarding the effect of a nolle prosequi on speedy trial times.
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceLeola Sherman was arrested and charged with leaving the scene of an accident. The initial information did not allege "willfully" leaving, leading Sher…
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DANAHY, Judge.
The state appeals an order of the trial court granting Leola Sherman’s motion to quash an information charging her with willfully leaving the scene of an accident. The trial court granted the motion apparently because it concluded that Sherman was entitled to discharge under the speedy trial rule.1 We reverse.
Sherman was arrested on October 29, 1979, and charged by an information in circuit court on January 5, 1980, with leaving the scene of an accident involving personal injury. The information, however, did not allege that she “willfully” left the accident scene. As a result of this omission, on February 12, 1980, Sherman contended that she was only charged with a misdemeanor2 and was entitled to discharge because she had not been brought to trial within ninety days of her arrest. She also moved to have the case transferred to county court for the entry of the discharge order. The trial court initially granted the motion to transfer without prejudice to the state’s refiling the information. On the same day, the state entered a nolle prosequi to the misdemeanor and filed an information charging Sherman with the felony of “willfully” leaving the scene of the accident. On March 11, 1980, the court granted Sherman’s motion to quash the second information.
Our previous decision in Crain v. State, 302 So. 2d 433 (Fla. 2d DCA 1974), presented a factual situation analogous to the one at bar. In that case, Crain was charged by an information with possession of less than five grams of marijuana, a misdemeanor. After more than ninety days had elapsed from the time of his arrest, Crain moved for discharge under the speedy trial rule. The court heard argument on the motion, but before a decision was rendered, the state entered a nolle prosequi to the charge and filed a second information charging Crain with felony possession of marijuana. More than 180 days after his arrest, Crain again moved for discharge and the trial court denied the motion.
On appeal, this court first noted that the felony charge was not precluded merely because the time to bring Crain to trial on the misdemeanor charge had expired. In reaching this decision the majority reasoned as follows:
While the nolle prosequi will not operate to toll the times provided for in [Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.191(a)(1)], nevertheless appellant ought to be in no better position because a misdemeanor charge was indeed filed than he would have been had one not been filed insofar as the time within which he must be brought to trial on the felony charge is concerned .... 3
Of course, since Crain was not brought to trial within 180 days of his arrest, this court ultimately held that he was entitled to discharge from the felony charge.
Sherman contends that Crain’s relevant language is dicta and, therefore, not controlling in the instant case. Moreover, she maintains that the above quoted statement in Crain is incorrect because in its majority opinion this court failed to consider Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.191(h)(2).4 While we tend to agree that Crain is not controlling, the court in its majority opinion in that case clearly did consider Rule 3.191(h)(2) 5 and we believe correctly stated the law applicable to this case.
Accordingly, the order granting Sherman’s motion to quash the second information is reversed and the case is remanded for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.
SCHEB, C. J., and HOBSON, J., concur. . Fla.R.Crim.P. 3.191.
. Shortly after the trial court entered the order appealed from in this case, the Florida Supreme Court declared that only a felony is created by section 316.027 with or without the word “willfully.” Stanfill v. State, 384 So. 2d 141 (Fla.1980).
. The court clearly understood and considered Rule 3.191(h)(2) as evidenced by its footnote. See Crain v. State, 302 So. 2d 433, 434 n.1 (Fla. 2d DCA 1974).
. 3.191(h)(2) Nolle Prosequi; Effect, Florida Rules of Criminal Procedure provides as follows:
The intent and effect of this Rule shall not be avoided by the State by entering a nolle pros-equi to a crime charged and by prosecuting a new crime grounded on the same conduct or criminal episode, or otherwise by prosecuting new and different charges based on the same conduct or criminal episode whether or not the pending charge is suspended, continued, or is the subject of entry of a nolle prosequi.
. See note 3 supra.
Cases With Similar Vibessemantic neighbors from the corpus
Citator
Cited By
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State v. Johnson, 479 So. 2d 279 (Fla. 2d DCA 1985)…of failure to comply with the speedy trial requirement. See Weed v. State, 411 So. 2d 863 (Fla.1982). The felony charge, however, was not barred by rule 3.191(h)(1) merely because Johnson had been discharged from the misdemeanors. State v. Sherman, 403 So. 2d 1022 (Fla.2d DCA 1981). Although the trial court’s order is not explicit, we conclude that termination of the proceeding in Case No. CF84-3401 was deemed to have brought rule 3.191(h)(2) into play with the result that prosecution of the information in th…
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Spurlock v. The Honorable Michael F. Cycmanick, 584 So. 2d 1015 (Fla. 5th DCA 1991)…ause of failure to comply with the speedy trial requirement. Weed v. State, 411 So. 2d 863 (Fla.1982). The felony charge, however, was not barred by Rule 3.191(h)(1) merely because Johnson had been discharged from the misdemeanors. State v. Sherman, 403 So. 2d 1022 (Fla. 2d DCA 1981). Although the trial court’s order is not explicit, we conclude that termination of the proceedings in Case Number CF 84-3401 was deemed to have brought Rule 3.191(h)(2) into play with the result that prosecution of the information…
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State v. Ona T. McDONALD, 538 So. 2d 1352 (Fla. 2d DCA 1989)…court from entering a formal order of discharge. See State v. Johnson, 479 So. 2d 279 (Fla. 2d DCA 1985). We reach a different conclusion, however, with respect to the theft charge. We believe the present situation is governed by State v. Sherman, 403 So. 2d 1022 (Fla. 2d DCA 1981), and Crain v. State, 302 So. 2d 433 (Fla. 2d DCA 1974). In both those cases the defendants originally were charged with misdemeanors, Sherman with leaving the scene of an accident and Crain with possession of marijuana. Both cases…
Authorities Cited
- Stanfill v. State, 384 So. 2d 141 (Fla. 1980)
- Crain v. State, 302 So. 2d 433 (Fla. 2d DCA 1974)