STATE OF FLORIDA, APPELLANT,
v.
SYLVESTER ANDRE STEVENS, APPELLEE

Fla. 1st DCA | 1986-12-23
No. BM-500
MILLS and JOANOS, JJ., concur.
500 So. 2d 288 Florida District Court of Appeal, First District (1986) Positive Treatment
Cited by 2 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

Stevens pleaded nolo contendere to trafficking in cocaine and was sentenced to five years with a three-year mandatory minimum. The trial court reduced his sentence based on his willingness to cooperate with authorities, but the appellate court reversed, holding that only the state attorney can move for sentence reduction under the applicable statute, and the state properly exercised its discretion in declining to do so.


Holding

The court held that absent a motion by the state attorney under section 893.135(3), the sentencing court lacks authority to suspend or reduce the mandatory minimum sentence. The State did not abuse its discretion by declining to move for reduction based on Stevens' lack of information beneficial to the State.


Headnotes

[1] A sentencing court lacks authority to suspend or reduce a mandatory minimum sentence absent a motion by the state attorney.

[2] A state attorney has broad discretion to determine whether a defendant has rendered substantial assistance warranting a sentence reduction.

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Key Quotes

“absent a motion by the state attorney pursuant to [section 893.135(3)] the sentencing court lacks authority to suspend or reduce the mandatory minimum sentence”

Establishes the core holding that judicial authority to reduce mandatory minimums is contingent on a state motion.

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Facts & Procedural History

Stevens entered a plea of nolo contendere to trafficking in cocaine in exchange for dismissal of a firearm charge. At sentencing, the prosecutor state…

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Opinion of the Court
SHIVERS, Judge.

SHIVERS, Judge.

The appellee in this case, Sylvester Andre Stevens, entered a plea of nolo conten-dere to one count of trafficking in cocaine in exchange for the State’s dismissal of one count of carrying a concealed firearm. At the sentencing hearing held on February 3, 1986, the prosecutor stated that in the event Stevens rendered substantial assistance leading to either the arrest or conviction of his coconspirators, the State might move to mitigate his sentence pursuant to section 893.135(3).1 The State explained, however, that it would be the sole determiner of whether Stevens had rendered substantial assistance. Stevens was then sentenced on Count I to five years’ imprisonment with a statutory mandatory minimum of three years and a $50,000 fine.

On March 27, 1986, appellee filed a petition for reduction or modification of sentence pursuant to Rule 3.800(b), Fla.R. Crim.P., stating as grounds that he had rendered substantial assistance to federal authorities and was ready, willing and able to render assistance to the State. At the final hearing on the petition, the State argued against reduction of Stevens’ sentence on the basis that Stevens had chosen to cooperate first with the federal authorities and had no information left which would be helpful to the State. On May 9, 1986, the trial court entered an order granting Stevens’ petition and eliminating the three-year mandatory minimum portion of his sentence on the basis that Stevens had been willing to cooperate with the State and that the State’s failure to recommend a sentence reduction was unjust. The court also found that the State had waived its right to recommend a sentence reduction by failing to do so within sixty days of sentencing, thus allowing the court the authority to act on appellee’s petition.

Subsequent to the trial court’s order sub judice, this court held, in Mack v. State (Fla. 1st DCA 1986), opinion filed October 2, 1986 [11 F.L.W. 2093] that “absent a motion by the state attorney pursuant to [section 893.135(3) ] the sentencing court lacks authority to suspend or reduce the mandatory minimum sentence.” 11 F.L.W. at 2093. We must, therefore, reverse the trial court’s ruling that it had the authority to act on appellee’s petition absent a recommendation for reduction by the State. See also State v. Cuesta, 490 So. 2d 239 (Fla. 2d DCA 1986) and State v. Bateman, 423 So. 2d 577 (Fla. 2d DCA 1982).

Although the Mack decision recognizes that prosecutorial overreaching or abuse in dealing with section 893.135(3) may entitle a defendant to relief,2 the State has not acted improperly in this case. Instead, it has merely exercised its broad discretion under subsection 3 to determine that Stevens had no information which would be of benefit to the State.

Accordingly, the trial court’s order granting appellee’s petition for reduction of sentence is reversed and the matter is remanded to the trial court with instructions that Stevens’ original sentence be reinstated.

MILLS and JOANOS, JJ., concur. . Section 893.135(3), F.S. provides as follows:

(3) The state attorney may move the sentencing court to reduce or suspend the sentence of any person who is convicted of a violation of this section and who provides substantial assistance in the identification, arrest, or conviction of any of his accomplices, accessories, coconspirators, or principals. The arresting agency shall be given an opportunity to be heard in aggravation or mitigation in reference to any such motion. Upon good cause shown, the motion may be filed and heard in camera. The judge hearing the motion may reduce or suspend the sentence if he finds that the defendant rendered such substantial assistance.

. See State v. Bateman, supra, and State v. Werner, 402 So. 2d 386 (Fla.1981).


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Citator

Cited By

  • Gregory v. State, 506 So. 2d 99 (Fla. 1st DCA 1987)
    …PER CURIAM. AFFIRMED. Mack v. State, 504 So. 2d 1252 (Fla. 1st DCA 1986); and State v. Stevens, 500 So. 2d 288 (Fla. 1st DCA 1986). SMITH, SHIVERS and WENTWORTH, JJ., concur.…

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