ROBERT WESLEY
v.
ARAMIS D. AYALA

9th Cir. Ct. App. Div. | 2018-12-31
No. 18-AP-21
1 FLCA 6397 Ninth Judicial Circuit Court, Appellate Division (2018)

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Synopsis

Appellant sought to appeal denial of his motion to suppress evidence following an open guilty plea in Orange County. The court affirmed the judgment and sentence, holding that Appellant failed to properly reserve his right to appeal the suppression ruling as required by Florida law.


Holding

Appellant did not properly preserve the right to appeal the denial of the motion to suppress. Under the circumstances, the court could not infer from the record that Appellant entered his plea believing he could appeal the suppression ruling, since there was neither a ruling nor stipulation from the lower court establishing the reservation.


Headnotes

[1] A defendant who enters a plea of guilty or nolo contendere must expressly reserve the right to appeal a legally dispositive issue.

[2] The reservation of the right to appeal a dispositive issue after a guilty or nolo contendere plea may be established by a ruling from the lower tribunal or by stipulation…

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Key Quotes

“a defendant who enters a plea of guilty or nolo contendere must expressly reserve the right to appeal a legally dispositive issue”

Establishes the controlling legal standard under Florida Statutes section 924.06(3)

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Facts & Procedural History

Appellant entered an open plea of guilty in Orange County Circuit Court. The lower court had previously denied Appellant's motion to suppress evidence…

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Opinion of the Court

Appeal from the County Court for Orange County, Florida, Evellen H. Jewett, County Court Judge

Robert Wesley, Public Defender and Marie E. Taylor, Assistant Public Defender, For Appellant

Aramis D. Ayala, State Attorney and Kenneth Nunnelley, Assistant State Attorney, For Appellee

Before HARRIS, MARQUES, and BLACKWELL, J.J.

Appellant contests the denial of his motion to suppress evidence following entrance of an open plea. Pursuant to section 924.06(3), Florida Statutes, a defendant who enters a plea of guilty or nolo contendere must expressly reserve the right to appeal a legally dispositive issue. This reservation may be established either by a ruling from the lower tribunal or by stipulation of the parties. Lewis v. State, 262 So. 3d 859 (Fla. 1st DCA December 31, 2018). A reservation may be inferred from the record where the lower court gives the impression that by entering a plea, the defendant is preserving a specific issue for appeal. Lamb v. State, 55 So. 3d 751 (Fla. 2d DCA 2011).

After the lower court adjudicated Appellant guilty and imposed sentence, trial counsel requested a finding that the denial of the motion to suppress was dispositive. The State refused to stipulate, and the lower court did not rule. We cannot infer, under these facts, that Appellant entered his plea believing that he could appeal the denial of his motion to suppress. Accordingly, the issues on appeal were not preserved. We otherwise affirm Appellant’s judgment and sentence.

AFFIRMED. DONE AND ORDERED in Chambers, at Orlando, Orange County, Florida, on this day of July, 2019.

JENIFER M. HARRIS

Presiding Circuit Judge MARQUES and BLACKWELL, J.J., concur. CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

I HEREBY CERTIFY that a true and correct copy of the foregoing has been furnished to the Honorable Evellen H. Jewett, 425 North Orange Avenue, Orlando, Florida 32801; to Kenneth Nunnelley, Assistant State Attorney, 415 N. Orange Ave., Suite 200, Orlando, FL 32801; and to Marie E. Taylor, 435 North Orange Avenue, Suite 400, Orlando, Florida 32801, this day of July, 2019.

Judicial Assistant


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