GARY BOUYER A/K/A GARY BOYER, APPELLANT,
v.
STATE OF FLORIDA, APPELLEE
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Gary Bouyer appeals his three-and-a-half-year sentence as illegal, arguing the trial judge improperly departed one sentencing range above the presumptive guideline sentence without clear and convincing reasons. The court agrees and reverses, finding the judge misapplied sentencing rules by relying on probation status as a departure reason when that factor should have been scored on the sentencing sheet instead.
The trial judge improperly applied Rule 3.701(d)(14) because probation had not been revoked at the time of sentencing, making that rule inapplicable. Additionally, even if the judge intended to depart based on probation status, that cannot serve as a clear and convincing reason for departure because probation status is a factor that must be scored on the sentencing scoresheet and cannot simultaneously be used as grounds for departure.
[1] A trial court may increase a sentence to the next higher guidelines cell without requiring a reason for departure only if the sentence is imposed after revocation of prob…
[2] A defendant's status of being on probation at the time of committing an offense is a factor that must be scored on a sentencing scoresheet.
Previewing 2 of 3 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“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.”
Establishes the text of Rule 3.701(d)(14) and its applicability only when probation has been revoked
Previewing 1 of 3 key quotes on this case — the court’s exact language, pinpointed for members.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceBouyer was on probation when he committed aggravated battery (after pleading guilty to a lesser charge; the burglary charge was nolle prossed). At sen…
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SHARP, Judge.
Bouyer appeals his guideline sentence as illegal because the trial judge departed from the presumptive sentence of community control or twelve to thirty months incarceration, and imposed a sentence of three and one-half years, a sentence one range above. Appellant argues that the trial judge erroneously applied Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.701(d)(14) in sentencing him one range above the presumptive sentence under the guidelines without giving clear and convincing reasons for a departure. Fla.R.Crim.P. 3.701(d)(ll). We agree.
The trial judge intended to impose a sentence consistent with the guidelines and Rule 3.701(d)(14). That 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).
The judge gave as his sole reason for departure the fact that the defendant was on probation at the time he committed the offense for which he was being sentenced. He also stated at the sentencing hearing he thought he could go up one range on the guidelines sentences in such a case without stating a reason for it.
The fact that Bouyer was on probation at the time he committed the present offense1 was established by Bouyer’s admission to the court at the sentencing hearing. However, the record does not clearly establish that his probation had been revoked at the time of sentencing. We therefore hold that Rule 3.701(d)(14) was not applicable to this case, since revocation of probation had not then occurred.
Being on probation at the time an offense is committed is a factor which should be scored on a sentencing scoresheet. This was not done in this case. Bouyer received a score of 116, which if properly scored to account for this factor, would be increased to 152. However, this corrected score does not push Bouyer’s presumptive sentence up to the next range.
We therefore cannot sustain the sentence given in this case. The trial judge did not intend to depart from the presumptive range and he misapplied Rule 3.701(d)(14). But assuming he departed based on Bouyer’s being on probation, that cannot be a “clear and convincing” reason for departure since an element which is required to be scored cannot also be used as a ground for departure.2
VACATE SENTENCE AND REMAND FOR RESENTENCING.
DAUKSCH and COWART, JJ., concur. . Bouyer was originally charged with burglary and aggravated battery, but pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of aggravated battery. Thereafter the state nolle prossed the burglary charge.
. Insofar as our decision in Carter v. State, 452 So. 2d 953 (Fla. 5th DCA 1984) is in conflict with this case, this result is mandated by Hendrix v. State, 475 So. 2d 1218 (Fla.1985) and Albritton v. State, 476 So. 2d 158 (Fla. Aug. 29, 1985).
Cases With Similar Vibessemantic neighbors from the corpus
Citator
Cited By
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Eldridge v. State, 531 So. 2d 741 (Fla. 5th DCA 1988)…, and reverse the departure sentence in this case and remand for resen-tencing within the recommended guidelines range. . See Carter v. State, 452 So. 2d 953 (Fla. 5th DCA 1984) and the long line of cases following Carter. See also Bouyer v. State, 478 So. 2d 882 (Fla. 5th DCA 1985). . See Fla.R.Crim.P. 3.701 d.2. . However, in this situation, the committee note to Rule 3.701 d.5., inexplicably, states that if the prior offense resulted in probation now to be revoked, the prior offense should be scored as…
Authorities Cited
- Hendrix v. State, 475 So. 2d 1218 (Fla. 1985)
- City OF Atl. Beach v. Bull, 476 So. 2d 158 (Fla. 1985)
- Albritton v. State, 476 So. 2d 158 (Fla. 1985)
- Carter v. State, 452 So. 2d 953 (Fla. 5th DCA 1984)