LUDWINE FRANCOIS
v.
STATE OF FLORIDA

Fla. 4th DCA | 2022-05-18
No. 2021-2112
Florida District Court of Appeal, Fourth District (2022)

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Synopsis

The appellate court affirmed the defendant's convictions for battery on and resisting an officer with violence but reversed parts of her sentence. The court found the trial court erred in imposing costs for substance abuse and mental health evaluations and a batterer's intervention program as special probation conditions.


Holding

Yes, the trial court erred in imposing the costs for substance abuse and mental health evaluations and the batterer's intervention program as special probation conditions. These conditions were either not orally pronounced or not applicable to the defendant's specific convictions.


Headnotes

[1] A special probation condition requiring payment for substance abuse or mental health evaluations and treatment must be orally pronounced by the trial court at sentencing;…

[2] A batterers' intervention program may only be imposed as a special probation condition when a defendant is found guilty of a crime of domestic violence as defined by stat…

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Key Quotes

“Although the trial court orally pronounced a special probation condition requiring the defendant to obtain a substance abuse evaluation and a mental health evaluation within thirty days and successfully complete any recommended treatment, the trial court did not orally pronounce that the defendant would be responsible to pay the evaluation and treatment costs.”

Establishes the discrepancy between oral pronouncement and written order regarding payment for evaluations.

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Facts & Procedural History

The defendant was convicted of battery on a law enforcement officer and resisting an officer with violence. The written probation order included condi…

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Opinion of the Court

GERBER, J.

The defendant appeals from her convictions and sentences for battery on a law enforcement officer and resisting an officer with violence. On all arguments challenging the defendant’s convictions, we affirm without further discussion. On the arguments challenging the defendant’s sentences, only two arguments have merit.

First, we agree with the defendant’s argument that the trial court erred in imposing, in the written probation order only, the requirement that the defendant pay the costs of her substance abuse and mental health evaluation and treatment. Although the trial court orally pronounced a special probation condition requiring the defendant to obtain a substance abuse evaluation and a mental health evaluation within thirty days and successfully complete any recommended treatment, the trial court did not orally pronounce that the defendant would be responsible to pay the evaluation and treatment costs. Therefore, the payment requirement’s inclusion in the written probation order must be stricken. See, e.g., Edwards v. State, 814 So. 2d 1197, 1198 (Fla. 2d DCA 2002) (“[A] special condition, such as payment for alcohol or drug evaluation, must be stricken where the trial court fails to orally pronounce the special condition at sentencing.”).

Second, we agree with the defendant’s argument that the trial court erred in imposing, as a special probation condition, the requirement that the defendant complete and pay for a batterers’ intervention program. Although the defendant’s interaction with the officer arose from an alleged uncharged domestic violence incident involving the defendant’s family, the defendant’s convictions for battery on a law enforcement officer and resisting an officer with violence did not qualify her for a batterers’ intervention program. See § 741.281, Fla. Stat. (2019) (“If a person is found guilty of … a crime of domestic violence, as defined in s. 741.28, … the court shall order that the defendant attend and complete a batterers’ intervention program as a condition of probation.”) (emphasis added); § 741.28(2), Fla. Stat. (2019) (“‘Domestic violence’ means … any criminal offense resulting in physical injury or death of one family or household member by another family or household member.”) (emphasis added); Carty v. State, 79 So. 3d 239, 240 (Fla. 1st DCA 2012) (“Here, the batterer’s intervention program has no relationship to Appellant’s conviction for resisting an officer without violence, and there is nothing in the record to suggest that Appellant has a propensity towards domestic violence. … Accordingly, the condition is invalid.”).

We also note, on our own observation, that the written probation order contains a scrivener’s error where a box is checked indicating that the defendant entered a guilty plea to the two counts charged. Apparently the wrong box was checked, as the defendant was tried by a jury in this case. We direct the trial court to correct this scrivener’s error. On all other arguments raised but not addressed in this opinion, we affirm without further discussion. The defendant need not be present for the ministerial corrections directed above.

Affirmed in part, reversed in part, and remanded with directions.

DAMOORGIAN and KUNTZ, JJ., concur.


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