CHARLES JOHNSON, APPELLANT,
v.
THE STATE OF FLORIDA, APPELLEE
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A natural parent cannot be convicted of kidnapping their own child under Florida Statute § 787.01(1)(b).
[1] A biological parent cannot be convicted of kidnapping their own child under statutes defining kidnapping by confinement without the consent of a parent or legal guardian.
[2] A trial court may reconsider whether a departure from sentencing guidelines is appropriate when a corrected scoresheet is presented on remand.
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceThe defendant took his girlfriend and their child from the girlfriend's parents' home. He was convicted of kidnapping both. The defendant argued he co…
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PER CURIAM.
Charles Johnson appeals from a judgment of conviction and sentences for two counts of kidnapping. We affirm in part and reverse in part.
On March 13, 1992, Johnson entered the bedroom of his girlfriend, Katrina Swasey, in the home of her parents. Katrina was asleep at the time with their one-year-old child, Tinequa. Although Johnson and Katrina never married and paternity was never formally adjudicated, all parties concede that Johnson is Tinequa’s biological father. Johnson apparently was upset that Katrina had moved out of his house and had taken Tine-qua with her. Johnson forced Tinequa and Katrina to leave with him.
Johnson was arrested and charged with, among other things, one count of kidnapping Katrina and one count of kidnapping Tine-qua. At trial, Johnson argued that he could not be found guilty of kidnapping Tinequa as he was her biological parent. Section 787.-01(l)(a), Florida Statutes (1991) provides: “The term ‘kidnapping’ means forcibly, secretly, or by threat confining ... another person against his will....” With regard to children, section 787.01(l)(b) further defines confinement: “Confinement of a child under the age of 13 is against his will within the meaning of this subsection if such confinement is without the consent of his parent or legal guardian.”
The jury found Johnson guilty of the kidnapping charges. The original sentencing guidelines computed by the state showed a recommended range of 9 to 12 years per count and a permitted range of 7 to 17 years per count. The trial court found no reason to depart and sentenced Johnson to two concurrent 15-year sentences. Thereafter, the state determined that it had erred in computing the guidelines and that the actual permitted sentencing range was between 5½ years and 12 years per count. The trial court then found that there was, in fact, reason to depart and imposed the same 15-year concurrent sentences. Johnson appeals.
We reverse Johnson’s conviction for kidnapping Tinequa because, as her natural father, he cannot be held criminally liable under section 787.01(l)(b). See State v. Badalich, 479 So. 2d 197 (Fla. 5th DCA 1985). In Badalich, the court held that the natural father of a child cannot be criminally hable for false imprisonment of that child. Id. at 199.1 The false imprisonment statute which the fifth district construed contains language identical to that of the kidnapping statute.2 The fifth district determined that the false imprisonment statute “clearly requires that the confinement contemplated by this charge must be without the consent of the child’s ‘parent or legal guardian.’ -(Emphasis added.) It does not say both parents must consent.” Id.
We agree with the fifth district’s reasoning as expressed in Badalich and hold that a biological parent cannot be convicted of kidnapping his own child under section 787-01(l)(b).3 See also People v. Algarin, 200 Ill.App.3d 740, 146 Ill.Dec. 494, 558 N.E. 2d 457 (biological father could not be convicted of kidnapping his 11-year-old daughter), appeal denied; 133 IU.2d 560, 149 Ill.Dec. 325, 561 N.E. 2d 695 (1990); William B. Johnson, Annotation, Kidnapping Or Related Offense By Taking Or Removing Of Child By Or Under Authority Of Parent Or One In Loco Parentis, 20 A.L.R. 4th 823, 827 (1983) (In absence of a court order awarding custody, “[t]he general rule is that a parent cannot be found guilty of kidnapping or a similar crime for taking his child from the other parent. ...”); compare State v. Viramontes, 163 Ariz. 334, 788 P. 2d 67, 70 (1990) (where defendant’s purpose in taking his own child was to further the commission of a separate felony, he was properly charged with kidnapping). We find no merit in Johnson’s appeal as to his conviction for kidnapping Katrina, and affirm.
As to the sentencing issues, the trial court properly departed from the corrected seoresheet’s permitted range of 5⅞ years to 12 years and imposed a 15-year sentence for the kidnapping of Katrina. See Roberts v. State, 547 So. 2d 129, 131 (Fla.1989) (“[I]t is proper for the judge to reconsider whether a departure from the guidelines is appropriate when the corrected guidelines scoresheet is before him on remand.”) Furthermore, the trial court entered contemporaneous written findings that specifically set forth the reasons for departure. We find these reasons valid and sufficient to support the departure. See Keys v. State, 500 So. 2d 134 (Fla.1986) (trial court properly departed from the sentencing guidelines upon a showing of defendant’s escalating pattern of violent conduct).
In sum, we reverse the judgment of conviction for kidnapping Tinequa. We affirm the judgment of conviction for kidnapping Katrina, and the resulting sentence.
Affirmed in part; reversed in part.
. We note that the trial judge decided this case without having been apprised of Badalich as neither the state nor the defense cited it at trial.
. Section 787.02, Florida Statutes, provides in pertinent part: "False imprisonment— ... (b) Confinement of a child under the age of 13 is against his will within the meaning of this section if such confinement is without the consent of his parent or legal guardian.”
.We express no opinion as to whether Johnson could have been convicted of interference with custody under section 787.03, as he was not charged with that crime. In Badalich, the court held that a natural father could be convicted of interference with lawful custody as there was no exception in the statute for parents. 479 So. 2d at 200.
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Hollice Lafleur v. State, 661 So. 2d 346 (Fla. 3d DCA 1995)…armed kidnapping of the child, Hollice Jr., by “forcibly, secretly, or by threat, confin[ing], abduct[ing] or imprisoning him] against his [will] with the intent to hold [him] for ransom or reward or as a shield or hostage.” Citing Johnson v. State, 637 So. 2d 3 (Fla. 3d DCA 1994), review denied, 649 So. 2d 235 (Fla.1994), he claims, in essence, that one may never be guilty of kidnapping his own child. We disagree. The kidnapping statute provides as follows: 787.01 Kidnapping; kidnapping of child under ag…
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Davila v. State, 75 So. 3d 192 (Fla. 2011)…father of the victim and that there was no court order which deprived him of custody rights. Id. The district court observed that, as a general rule, a parent cannot be convicted of kidnapping his or her own child. Id. at 7 (citing Johnson v. State, 637 So. 2d 3, 4 (Fla. 3d DCA 1994)). The court then noted: “We have recognized an exception, however, to the general rule where the parent ‘does not simply exercise his rights to the child, but takes [the child] for an ulterior and unlawful purpose which is spec…
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Previewing 3 of 6 citing cases — full citator treatment, depth of discussion, and citing context are member features.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceAuthorities Cited
- Keys v. State, 500 So. 2d 134 (Fla. 1986)
- Doyal Powell Roberts v. State, 547 So. 2d 129 (Fla. 1989)
- State v. Badalich, 479 So. 2d 197 (Fla. 5th DCA 1985)