THOMAS WILSON, APPELLANT,
v.
STATE OF FLORIDA, APPELLEE
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Thomas Wilson appealed his sentence as a habitual felony offender, contending the trial court failed to make specific statutory findings regarding whether his prior convictions had been pardoned or set aside. The Fourth District Court of Appeal reversed in part and remanded for resentencing, holding that trial courts must make the requisite statutory findings even when a defendant concedes prior convictions.
A trial court must specifically make the findings required by section 775.084(1)(a) before sentencing a defendant as a habitual offender, even if the defendant concedes the prior convictions and does not inform the court that they were pardoned or set aside. The trial court erred by failing to make these requisite findings before sentencing.
[1] A trial court must make specific findings required by statute before sentencing a defendant as a habitual offender, even if the defendant concedes prior convictions and d…
[2] A defendant's concession of prior convictions does not waive the requirement that the trial court make statutory findings for habitual offender sentencing.
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligence“a trial court must specifically make the findings required by section 775.084(l)(a) before sentencing a defendant as a habitual offender even if the defendant concedes the prior convictions and does not inform the court that they were pardoned or set aside”
Establishes the core holding that statutory findings are mandatory regardless of defendant's concession
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceWilson was sentenced as a habitual felony offender under Florida Statutes section 775.084. He conceded his prior eleven convictions and did not inform…
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PER CURIAM.
Appellant contends that his sentence as a habitual felony offender pursuant to section 775.084, Florida Statutes (1989), should be reversed. We affirm in part; reverse in part and remand for resentencing.
The only point meriting discussion is appellant’s contention that his sentence must be reversed because the trial court failed to make the findings required by sub-sections 775.084(l)(a)3 and 4, Florida Statutes (1989), that would establish his prior convictions had not been pardoned or set aside.
The state argues that because the appellant conceded his prior eleven convictions and did not apprise the court that any had been set aside or pardoned, he had waived the issue. The state also maintains that the appellant has the burden to raise the issue as an affirmative defense. We disagree.
The language of sub-sections 775.-084(l)(a)3 and 4 simply require that the findings with regard to the predicate convictions must be made. Nonetheless, the state’s contention stems from the Supreme Court’s decision in Eutsey v. State, 383 So. 2d 219 (Fla.1980), which held that the state does not carry the burden of proof with respect to the predicate convictions.
However, we rely on the authority of Anderson v. State, 592 So. 2d 1119 (Fla. 1st DCA 1991); see also Rolle v. State, 586 So. 2d 1293 (Fla. 4th DCA 1991) and Van Bryant v. State, 602 So. 2d 582 (Fla. 4th DCA 1992), to hold that a trial court must specifically make the findings required by section 775.084(l)(a) before sentencing a defendant as a habitual offender even if the defendant concedes the prior convictions and does not inform the court that they were pardoned or set aside. Therefore, the trial court erred when it failed to make the requisite findings before sentencing appellant.
It is true the Supreme Court’s decision in Eutsey causes us concern as to the correctness of our conclusion here. Therefore, pursuant to Florida Rule of Appellate Procedure 9.030(a)(2)(A)(v), we certify the same question as we did in Van Bryant as one of great public importance:
DOES THE HOLDING IN EUTSEY V. STATE, 383 So. 2d 219 (Fla.1980), THAT THE STATE HAS NO BURDEN OF PROOF AS TO WHETHER THE CONVICTIONS NECESSARY FOR HABITUAL FELONY OFFENDER SENTENCING HAVE BEEN PARDONED OR SET ASIDE, IN THAT THEY ARE “AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSES AVAILABLE TO [A DEFENDANT],” EUTSEY, AT 226, RELIEVE THE TRIAL COURT OF ITS STATUTORY OBLIGATION TO MAKE FINDINGS REGARDING THOSE FACTORS, IF THE DEFENDANT DOES NOT AFFIRMATIVELY RAISE, AS A DEFENSE, THAT THE QUALIFYING CONVICTIONS PROVIDED BY THE STATE HAVE BEEN PARDONED BY THE STATE OR SET ASIDE?
For the foregoing reasons we remand for resentencing. The state concedes that on remand, the judgment form should be corrected to reflect that appellant did not enter a plea of nolo contendere On remand, after making the requisite findings supported by evidence, the appellant may again be sentenced as a habitual offender. Anderson; Van Bryant.
AFFIRMED IN PART; REVERSED IN PART AND REMANDED.
LETTS, J., concurs.
GLICKSTEIN, C.J., concurs specially with opinion.
STONE, J., concurs specially with opinion with which LETTS, J., also concurs.
GLICKSTEIN, Chief Judge,
concurring specially.
I concur with the reversal of Van Bryant v. State, 602 So. 2d 582 (Fla. 4th DCA 1992), and with the certification of the same question certified therein.
STONE, Judge,
concurring specially.
I concur in reversing only because this court has resolved any issue as to the findings required by subsections (a)3 and (a)4 in Van Bryant v. State and in Simon v. State, 589 So. 2d 381 (Fla. 4th DCA 1991). If I were writing on a clean slate, I would not mandate a trial court finding which has no basis in the record. The state does not have a burden to prove these points. Eutsey v. State.
Absent a dispute, I discern no reason to require a trial court to make a finding that a proven or undisputed prior conviction has not been set aside or been the subject of a pardon. In my judgment we would do no injustice to the statutory requirements by recognizing that these particular subsections are waived by the defendant’s failure to raise the issue.
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Crosby v. State, 609 So. 2d 630 (Fla. 4th DCA 1992)…he prior felony convictions were introduced at the sentencing hearing without objection. Nonetheless, this does not result in a waiver of the statutory requirements. Simultaneously with the release of this case, our court has issued Wilson v. State, 605 So. 2d 141 (Fla. 4th DCA 1992), which rejects the effectiveness of a waiver. It is true, however, that our Wilson opinion is somewhat critical of the state of the law. Nonetheless, we must follow it. We certify the same question which we asked of our Supreme…
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Thomas v. State, 605 So. 2d 143 (Fla. 4th DCA 1992)…PER CURIAM. This cause is reversed upon the authority of Wilson v. State, 605 So. 2d 141 (Fla. 4th DCA 1992), and remanded for resentenc-ing. We certify the same question as we did in Wilson and Van Bryant v. State, 602 So. 2d 582 (Fla. 4th DCA 1992): DOES THE HOLDING IN EUTSEY v. STATE, 383 So. 2d 219 (Fla.1980), THAT THE STATE HAS N…
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Harrelle v. State, 605 So. 2d 184 (Fla. 4th DCA 1992)…es (1991). We agree, however, that the trial court failed to make the findings required by subsections 775.084(l)(a)3 and 4, Florida Statutes (1991), that would establish his prior convictions had not been pardoned or set aside. See Wilson v. State, 605 So. 2d 141 (Fla. 4th DCA 1992); Crosby v. State, 17 F.L.W. 2038, 1992 WL 211709 (Fla. 4th DCA 1992); Van Bryant v. State, 602 So. 2d 582 (Fla. 4th DCA 1992); Anderson v. State, 592 So. 2d 1119 (Fla. 1st DCA 1991); Rolle v. State, 586 So. 2d 1293 (Fla. 4th DCA…
Previewing 3 of 5 citing cases — full citator treatment, depth of discussion, and citing context are member features.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceAuthorities Cited
- Fredford James Eutsey v. State, 383 So. 2d 219 (Fla. 1980)
- Anderson v. State, 592 So. 2d 1119 (Fla. 1st DCA 1991)
- van Bryant v. State, 602 So. 2d 582 (Fla. 4th DCA 1992)
- Rolle v. State, 586 So. 2d 1293 (Fla. 4th DCA 1991)
- Simon v. State, 589 So. 2d 381 (Fla. 4th DCA 1991)