JOSE P. HERNANDEZ, APPELLANT,
v.
STATE OF FLORIDA, APPELLEE

Fla. 2d DCA | 1993-09-15
No. 92-01317
SCHOONOVER, A.C.J., and PATTERSON J., concur.
624 So. 2d 782 Florida District Court of Appeal, Second District (1993) Caution
Cited by 12 cases

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Synopsis

Hernandez was convicted of indirect criminal contempt based on battery and violation of a domestic violence injunction—the same conduct for which he had already been convicted in county court. The appellate court reversed, holding that prosecuting him for contempt after obtaining convictions for the underlying substantive offenses violates the Double Jeopardy Clause under United States v. Dixon.


Holding

The conviction for criminal contempt violates the Double Jeopardy Clause. Under United States v. Dixon, the Double Jeopardy Clause prohibits subsequent prosecution for criminal contempt when the basis of that contempt charge is a substantive offense for which a prior conviction has already been obtained.


Headnotes

[1] A subsequent prosecution for criminal contempt, the basis of which is a substantive offense for which a conviction has already been obtained, violates the Double Jeopardy…

[2] The Double Jeopardy Clause prohibits the subsequent prosecution for a substantive offense that underlies a criminal contempt charge for which one has been convicted.

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Key Quotes

“Dixon establishes that the Double Jeopardy Clause prohibits the subsequent prosecution for a substantive offense that underlies a criminal contempt charge for which one has been convicted. It also holds that the converse, i.e., subsequent prosecution for criminal contempt, the basis of which is a substantive offense for which a conviction has been obtained, violates the Double Jeopardy Clause.”

Establishes the controlling legal principle that successive prosecution for contempt based on underlying substantive offenses violates double jeopardy

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Facts & Procedural History

On January 3, 1992, Hernandez went to the victim's home, grabbed her by the throat, and threatened her. The victim had previously obtained an injuncti…

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Opinion of the Court
ALTENBERND, Judge.

ALTENBERND, Judge.

Jose P. Hernandez: appeals a conviction for indirect criminal contempt. We conclude that the conviction for criminal contempt violates double jeopardy because the state had already prosecuted Mr. Hernandez for battery and for violation of an injunction for protection, which two offenses were the foundation for the contempt charge. Accordingly, we reverse this conviction.

On January 3, 1992, Mr. Hernandez went to the victim’s home, grabbed her by the throat, and threatened to get her “out of the way.” Prior to that date, the victim had obtained an injunction for protection against repeat domestic violence by Mr. Hernandez. As a result of this conduct, Mr. Hernandez was convicted on February 4,1992, in county court of battery and violation of an injunction for, protection and was sentenced to six months in the county jail. § 741.31, Fla.Stat. (1991).1

On January 23, 1992, the state also filed a petition for order to show cause for indirect criminal contempt against Mr. Hernandez in circuit court. The petition was based on a complaint affidavit, charging Mr. Hernandez with the same battery and violation of an injunction for protection. At a hearing in circuit court on February 14, 1992, Mr. Hernandez filed a motion to dismiss the indirect criminal contempt charge based on double jeopardy. The trial court denied the motion to dismiss. Thereafter, Mr. Hernandez pleaded no contest and received a thirty-day jail sentence, concurrent with his six-month jail term. He reserved the right to appeal the denial of his motion to dismiss.

The subsequent indirect criminal contempt conviction was based solely on the violation of the injunction and the battery, offenses for which Mr. Hernandez had already been convicted. At the time of Mr. Hernandez’s convictions, there was some confusion regarding what constituted a “successive prosecution” for the same offense which would violate the Double Jeopardy Clause. See Grady v. Corbin, 495 U.S. 508, 110 S.Ct. 2084, 109 L.Ed.2d 548 (1990). This was particularly true when one conviction involved a substantive offense and the other a contempt of court. The Supreme Court has recently receded from Grady and its “same conduct” test. United States v. Dixon, — U.S. -, 113 S.Ct. 2849, 125 L.Ed.2d 556 (1993). Dixon establishes that the Double Jeopardy Clause prohibits the subsequent prosecution for a substantive offense that underlies a criminal contempt charge for which one has been convicted. It also holds that the converse, i.e., subsequent prosecution for criminal contempt, the basis of which is a substantive offense for which a conviction has been obtained, violates the Double Jeopardy Clause. — U.S. at - - -, - - -, -, 113 S.Ct. at 2858-56, 2868-69, 2881.

In light of Dixon, the successive prosecution for indirect criminal contempt in this case violates the Double Jeopardy Clause and that conviction must be reversed.

Reversed.

SCHOONOVER, A.C.J., and PATTERSON J., concur. . Section 741.31, Florida Statutes (1991), states:

Violation of an injunction for protection against domestic violence — Any person who willfully violates the provisions of an injunction for protection against domestic violence, issued pursuant to s. 741.30, by refusing to vacate the dwelling that the parties share, or returning to said property, shall, in addition to any penalty which may be imposed through contempt of court proceedings, be guilty of a misdemeanor of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.

(Emphasis added.)


Cases With Similar Vibessemantic neighbors from the corpus


Citator

Cited By

  • Walker v. Honorable E. Randolph Bentley, 660 So. 2d 313 (Fla. 2d DCA 1995)
    …31, Florida Statutes (Supp.1994), does not preclude the use of the power of indirect criminal contempt. In making this determination, however, the court must be mindful of the impbeations of the Double Jeopardy Clause. See, e.g., Hernandez v. State, 624 So. 2d 782 (Fla. 2d DCA 1993). CONCLUDING COMMENTS AND CERTIFIED QUESTIONS Like the supreme court, we too “recognize the extreme importance of having domestic violence issues addressed in an expeditious, efficient, and debberative manner[ ] [and] ... do not…
    1 / 2
  • State v. Miranda, 644 So. 2d 342 (Fla. 2d DCA 1994)
    …eatedly follows or harasses another person commits the offense of aggravated stalking, a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084. .Another example of this situation is found in Hernandez v. State, 624 So. 2d 782 (Fla. 2d DCA 1993). In that case a subsequent prosecution for contempt was barred because the defendant had previously been prosecuted for battery and for violation of an injunction for protection, which two offenses were the foundation for the cont…
  • Richardson v. Celveta Lewis, 639 So. 2d 1098 (Fla. 2d DCA 1994)
    …arising out of a battery or entry onto the former girlfriend’s premises, requires proof of a knowing and willful violation of the court-ordered injunction, unlike the substantive criminal offenses. This court’s prior decision in Hernandez v. State, 624 So. 2d 782 (Fla. 2d DCA 1993), is distinguishable. Mr. Hernandez was convicted of violation of an injunction for protection, pursuant to section 741.31, Florida Statutes (1991), and simple battery. We held that a subsequent prosecution for criminal contempt vi…

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