THEODORE DUKES, APPELLANT,
v.
THE STATE OF FLORIDA, APPELLEE

Fla. 3d DCA | 1993-09-14
No. 89-3009
Before FERGUSON, COPE and GODERICH, JJ.
623 So. 2d 857 Florida District Court of Appeal, Third District (1993) Positive Treatment
Cited by 4 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

Theodore Dukes appealed his convictions for second-degree murder with a firearm and unlawful possession of a firearm. The court affirmed the murder conviction, vacated the firearm possession conviction due to double punishment concerns, and vacated the habitual offender sentence.


Holding

The court affirmed the second-degree murder conviction because defense counsel expressly agreed to omit the justifiable and excusable homicide instructions, constituting an explicit waiver. However, the court vacated the unlawful possession of a firearm conviction because Florida law prohibits separate punishment for the firearm charge when the underlying murder conviction is enhanced to a life felony. The court also vacated the habitual offender sentence because the habitual offender act does not apply to life felonies.


Headnotes

[1] A defendant waives the right to jury instructions on justifiable or excusable homicide when defense counsel expressly agrees to their omission.

[2] A conviction for possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony is improper when the underlying felony conviction is enhanced to a life felony due to the use o…

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Key Quotes

“In the instant case, defense counsel expressly agreed that the trial court should not read the justifiable and excusable homicide instructions. Under the circumstances, the defense counsel's request constituted an explicit waiver.”

Establishes that the trial court's omission of justifiable and excusable homicide instructions was not error because defense counsel agreed to their exclusion.

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Facts & Procedural History

Dukes was charged with first-degree murder and unlawful display of a firearm during a criminal offense. A jury found him guilty of second-degree murde…

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Opinion of the Court
PER CURIAM.

PER CURIAM.

We grant the defendant’s motion for rehearing and substitute our opinion filed September 24, 1991, with this opinion.

The defendant, Theodore Dukes, appeals his convictions and sentences for second-degree murder with a firearm and unlawful possession of a firearm while engaged in a criminal offense. We affirm the defendant’s conviction for second-degree murder with a firearm, vacate the defendant’s conviction for unlawful possession of a firearm, vacate the habitual offender sentence and remand for resentencing consistent with this opinion.

The defendant was charged with first-degree murder and unlawful display of a firearm while éngaged in a criminal offense. The jury was instructed as to first-degree murder, second-degree murder, and manslaughter. However, the jury instructions did not include an instruction as to justifiable homicide or excusable homicide. During the charge conference, the court stated that it was going to strike the paragraph regarding excusable homicide and justifiable homicide from the introduction to the homicide instruction because it felt that it was not applicable. The defense counsel responded “Right.” The State also stated that the excusable homicide instruction should be left out. Defense counsel responded “I agree.”

The jury returned its verdict finding that the defendant was guilty of second-degree murder with a firearm and unlawful possession of a firearm while in the commission of a felony. The conviction for second-degree murder was enhanced from a first-degree felony to a life felony based on the defendant’s use of a firearm. See § 775.087(1), Fla.Stat. (1987).

The defendant contends that the trial court erred in not instructing the jury on justifiable homicide and excusable homicide in conjunction with the homicide and manslaughter instruction. We disagree. In the instant case, defense counsel expressly agreed that the trial court should not read the justifiable and excusable homicide instructions. Under the circumstances, the defense counsel’s request constituted an explicit waiver. Based on Cleveland v. State, 587 So. 2d 1145 (Fla.1991) and Montequin v. State, 605 So. 2d 944 (Fla. 3d DCA 1992), we find error in the defendant’s convictions and sentences for both second-degree murder with a firearm and possession of a firearm while in the commission of the same felony, when his second-degree murder conviction was enhanced to a life felony because of the firearm. Accordingly, we vacate the defendant’s conviction and sentence for unlawful possession of a firearm.

Based on the Florida Supreme Court’s decision in Lamont v. State, 610 So. 2d 435 (Fla.1992), holding that the habitual offender act does not apply to life felonies, we vacate the defendant’s habitual offender sentence and remand for resentencing consistent with this opinion.

As to the Neil issue raised by the defendant, we affirm based on the authority of Moorehead v. State, 597 So. 2d 841 (Fla. 3d DCA), rev. denied, 606 So. 2d 1165 (Fla.1992), cert. denied, — U.S. -, 113 S.Ct. 1003, 122 L.Ed.2d 152 (1993). The remaining point raised by the defendant lacks merit.

Accordingly, we affirm the defendant’s conviction for second-degree murder, vacate his conviction and sentence for unlawful possession of a firearm, vacate the habitual offender sentence and remand for resentencing consistent with this opinion.


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Citator

Cited By

  • Hall v. State, 677 So. 2d 1353 (Fla. 5th DCA 1996)
    …defendant’s request that the court fore-go instructing the jury as to the lesser included offenses cannot be construed as a specific waiver of, or affirmative request to limit, the justifiable and excusable homicide instruction. Cf. Dukes v. State, 623 So. 2d 857 (Fla. 3d DCA 1993); Harris v. State, 580 So. 2d 804 (Fla. 1st DCA 1991). Accordingly, we must reverse the defendant’s judgment and sentence for attempted second-degree murder and remand this matter to the trial court. AFFIRMED in part; REVERSED in…
  • Wallace v. State, 764 So. 2d 758 (Fla. 2d DCA 2000)
    …the jury instruction conference reveals that the allegedly erroneous language contained within the instructions was specifically requested by Wallace’s own trial counsel. Under these circumstances, any complaint is barred. See e.g., Dukes v. State, 623 So. 2d 857 (Fla. 3rd DCA 1993). Affirmed. BLUE, A.C.J., and CASANUEVA, J., Concur. . The applicable statute defines the term "identification card” to mean any card issued by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles or its agents or any id…

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