GEORGE MONSOUR, APPELLANT/CROSS APPELLEE,
v.
STATE OF FLORIDA, APPELLEE/CROSS APPELLANT
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George Monsour was convicted of grand theft, dealing in stolen property, and making false statements in automobile documents. The court affirmed his convictions and sentence, rejecting both Monsour's claims of instructional error and the state's argument that retroactively applied amended sentencing guidelines violated ex post facto protections.
The convictions are affirmed. The trial court did not commit fundamental error in its jury instructions. The retroactive application of amended sentencing guidelines does not violate the ex post facto clause because only a disadvantaged offender, not the state, may raise such a challenge. The state lacks standing to complain of retroactive application of ameliorative sentencing guidelines.
[1] A defendant's convictions will be affirmed when the trial court adequately instructs the jury as to the defendant's theory of defense and does not commit fundamental erro…
[2] The state lacks standing to challenge the retrospective application of amended sentencing guidelines as an ex post facto violation, as only a disadvantaged offender may r…
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligence“only a disadvantaged offender, and not the state, may complain of a violation of the ex post facto clause”
Establishes that the state lacks standing to challenge retroactive application of sentencing guidelines
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceMonsour was convicted of four counts of grand theft, five counts of dealing in stolen property, and one count of making a false statement in automobil…
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PER CURIAM.
Appellant/cross appellee George Mons-our was convicted of four counts of grand theft, five counts of dealing in stolen property, and one count of making a false statement in automobile documents. The state cross appeals the downward departure of sentence imposed under the 1988 amendment to the Florida Sentencing Guidelines for offenses which occurred prior the enactment of the amendment.
We find no merit to Monsour’s argument that the trial court failed to adequately instruct the jury as to his theory of defense or that the trial court committed fundamental error in directing the jury to use their “imaginations” during deliberations. Monsour’s convictions are, therefore, affirmed.
The state’s appeal of Monsour’s sentence, while also unavailing, nevertheless requires further discussion. Retrospective application of the amended sentencing guidelines in this instance is not, as the state urges, violative of the prohibition against ex post facto laws, see article I, section 10, Florida Constitution, or in direct conflict with our prior decision in State v. Williams, 546 So. 2d 809 (Fla. 4th DCA), rev. denied, 553 So. 2d 1168 (Fla.1989). Although in Williams we remanded for sentencing in compliance with the sentencing guidelines in effect at the date of the offense, we did not address the question of whether the state has standing “in that it is not an offender which is adversely affected by retroactive application of the law.” State v. Whiddon, 554 So. 2d 651 (Fla. 1st DCA 1989). We join the first district and answer in the negative, holding that only a disadvantaged offender, and not the state, may complain of a violation of the ex post facto clause. Accord Rober son v. State, 555 So. 2d 976 (Fla. 1st DCA 1990).
Before leaving the area, we note it could be argued that even ameliorative retrospective application of the amended guidelines to Monsour’s previously committed offense would be in violation of article X, section 9 of the Florida Constitution which provides that “[rjepeal or amendment of a criminal statute shall not affect prosecution or punishment for any crime previously committed.” Whiddon at 652. Such a holding would be in keeping with a “basic fairness” doctrine requiring that a person should be sentenced for a crime in accordance with the law as it existed on the date of the offense. As in Whiddon, however, the applicability of article X, section 9 was not raised either before the trial court or on appeal and is, therefore, waived.
The remaining issue raised by the state as to appellant’s sentence is without merit.
Accordingly, we affirm as to appellant’s judgments and sentence.
GLICKSTEIN and WALDEN, JJ., and OFTEDAL, RICHARD L., Associate Judge, concur.
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Hight v. State, 253 So. 3d 1137 (Fla. 4th DCA 2018)…ure, in enacting the Youthful Offender Act had purported to make its maximum punishment provisions apply retroactively to crimes committed prior to its effective date, it would have been unconstitutional” under the Savings Clause); Monsour v. State, 572 So. 2d 18, 19 (Fla. 4th DCA 1990) (stating, in dicta, that ameliorative retroactive application of amended sentencing guidelines would violate the Savings Clause). Because the Savings Clause applies to both the prosecution of crimes as well as their subseque…
Authorities Cited
- Roberson v. State, 555 So. 2d 976 (Fla. 1st DCA 1990)
- State v. Whiddon, 554 So. 2d 651 (Fla. 1st DCA 1989)
- Blands v. State, 546 So. 2d 809 (Fla. 4th DCA 1989)
- State v. Ira Williams, 546 So. 2d 809 (Fla. 4th DCA 1989)