JOCK EVERETT RIGGINS, APPELLANT,
v.
STATE OF FLORIDA, APPELLEE

Fla. 5th DCA | 1985-10-31
No. 85-143
ORFINGER, J., concurs., DAUKSCH, J., concurs specially with opinion.
477 So. 2d 663 Florida District Court of Appeal, Fifth District (1985) Negative Treatment
Cited by 30 cases

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.

Synopsis

Riggins was placed on probation for burglary, then his probation was revoked for forging a federal Treasury check. The trial court sentenced him three cells above the guideline range. Riggins argued the court could depart only one cell upward under the amended sentencing rule, but the court affirmed because additional valid reasons supported the further departure.


Holding

The trial court's three-cell departure was proper because although the amended rule allows departure to only the next higher cell without stated reasons, the court provided additional valid reasons for departing further: this was Riggins' second violation of probation and the violation involved commission of another criminal offense. The departure was not an abuse of discretion.


Headnotes

[1] A trial court may increase a sentence to the next higher sentencing cell without requiring a reason for departure upon revocation of probation.

[2] When revoking probation, a trial court may depart beyond the one-cell increase allowance if additional reasons for departure beyond the probation violation itself are pre…

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Key Quotes

“The sentence imposed after revocation of probation may be included within the original cell (guidelines range) or may be increased to the next higher cell (guidelines range) without requiring a reason for departure.”

Establishes the core rule permitting one-cell departure without stated reasons upon probation revocation.

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Facts & Procedural History

In 1982, Riggins pleaded guilty to burglary and was placed on six-year probation with 364 days jail time. In 1983, his probation was modified due to r…

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Opinion of the Court
SHARP, Judge.

SHARP, Judge.

The trial court aggravated Riggins’ sentence upward three cells after revoking his probation for forging a United States Treasury check in the amount of $245.87. The trial court gave the following reasons for departing from the guidelines:

Defendant was placed on probation; probation was previously modified. This violation is for another substantive offense. He does not abide by the law or by rules of probation.

Riggins contends that this was error because the court was not authorized to increase his sentence more than one cell above the recommended range. We affirm.

The record discloses in this case that Riggins pleaded guilty to a burglary charge in 1982. He was put on probation for six years on condition that he serve 364 days in jail. In 1983, his probation was modified because of Riggins’ failure to comply with the reporting condition of his probation. He again served jail time as a new condition.

In 1984, a second affidavit charging violation of probation was filed. The basis for this charge was Riggins’ forgery of a United States Treasury check. This had occurred in July 1983, and the United States Magistrate put him on probation and required restitution. Leniency was granted Riggins in that case because of his cooperation with prosecuting authorities. However, he did not tell his state probation officer about the offense, and when the officer learned of it in 1984, he filed the affidavit to revoke. Riggins pleaded guilty to the revocation and elected to be sentenced under the guidelines.

Riggins’ guideline scoresheet equated to thirty-five points and “any non-state prison sanction.” In imposing the four year sentence, the trial court “departed” upwards three cells. He could have given Riggins thirty months incarceration by going up only one cell, as Amended Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.701(d)(14) allows. However, the trial judge may also have been considering the fact that Riggins was entitled to one and one-half years for “time served.” Effectively, he gave Riggins a two year sentence, although we hasten to note that consideration for credit for time served should play no part in guideline sentencing.

Appellant’s sentencing occurred after the effective date of Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.701(d)(14),1 so he is entitled to any benefit it may afford him. The rule provides:

Sentences imposed after revocation of probation or community control must be in accordance with the guidelines. The sentence imposed after revocation of probation may be included within the original cell (guidelines range) or may be increased to the next higher cell (guidelines range) without requiring a reason for departure. (Emphasis added).

This rule permits the trial judge who is revoking probation, or after it is revoked, to go up one sentencing range without giving “clear and convincing reasons” for a departure. If violation of probation was the sole reason for departing, the trial court could not depart further. Boldes v. State, 475 So. 2d 1356 (Fla. 5th DCA 1985).

However, in this case, the court intended to depart beyond the one cell allowance of Rule 3.701(d)(14), and it gave additional reasons: This was in effect appellant’s second violation of probation for this offense; and the reason for his violation was the commission of another criminal offense. These reasons must be tested on an abuse of discretion basis. Albritton v. State, 476 So. 2d 158 (Fla.1985); Canakaris v. Canakaris, 382 So. 2d 1197 (Fla.1980). We cannot say the trial judge abused his discretion in this case.

AFFIRMED.

ORFINGER, J., concurs.

DAUKSCH, J., concurs specially with opinion.

. This amendment became effective on July 1, 1984. Ch. 84-328, Laws of Florida; The Florida Bar: Amendment to the Rules of Criminal Procedure (3.701; 3.988 — Sentencing Guidelines, 451 So. 2d 824 (Fla.1984). It was therefore in effect on January 11, 1985 when the judge sentenced Riggins and Riggins should have the benefit of the amended rule. Compare Joyce v. State, 466 So. 2d 433 (Fla. 5th DCA 1985) (Amendment inapplicable to defendant sentenced before its effective date).

Concurrence
DAUKSCH, Judge,

DAUKSCH, Judge,

concurring specially:

Appellant was given six years probation in 1982 for burglary. In 1983 he violated his probation, was given 120 days jail time and continued on probation thereafter. He was before the trial court in this case because of his second violation of probation. The judge revoked the probation and departed from the recommended guideline sentence upwards three guideline cells rather than the one-cell departure allowed under Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.701(d)(14). I agree it is a lawful departure because this is a twice-revoked probationer rather than a once-revoked probationer. Following the dictates of Albritton v. State, 476 So. 2d 158 (Fla.1985), I have considered the extent of the departure and do not deem it excessive.

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Citator

Cited By (15 total)

  • Dilar S. Booker v. State, 482 So. 2d 414 (Fla. 2d DCA 1985)
    …he violations occurring in July 1981 and May 1983. Thus, we find that the [*419] trial court did not err in departing more than one cell above the guidelines presumptive sentence based on the defendant’s violation of probation. See Riggins v. State, 477 So. 2d 663 (Fla. 5th DCA 1985). Cf. Thrasher v. State, 477 So. 2d 1083 (Fla. 1st DCA 1985). We recognize the supreme court’s recent disapproval of “double dipping” in guidelines scoring. Hendrix v. State, 475 So. 2d 1218 (Fla.1985). Nevertheless, our view is r…
  • Adams v. State, 490 So. 2d 53 (Fla. 1986)
    …her cell, but that further departure must be supported by another reason or reasons, Boldes v. State, 475 So. 2d 1356 (Fla. 5th DCA 1985), and, also, that multiple probation violations can support a departure of more than one cell. Riggins v. State, 477 So. 2d 663 (Fla. 5th DCA 1985). . Five years, § 775.082(3)(d), Fla.Stat. (1985).…
  • Gordon v. State, 483 So. 2d 22 (Fla. 2d DCA 1985)
    …t that Gordon had violated his probation twice for substantially the same causes. It is proper for a trial judge to depart from the sentencing guidelines using a second violation of probation by a defendant as a basis for doing so. Riggins v. State, 477 So. 2d 663 (Fla. 5th DCA 1985). We, therefore, affirm the judgment and sentence entered herein. . However, there is a discrepancy in the amount of credit for time served indicated on the written sentencing document (74 days) and that reflected on the order o…

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