LUCKNER BOURJOLLY, APPELLANT,
v.
THE STATE OF FLORIDA, APPELLEE
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.
Luckner Bourjolly appealed the trial court's summary denial of his Rule 3.850 motion for ineffective assistance of counsel. The appellate court affirmed the denial, finding the motion procedurally barred because Bourjolly filed it more than six months after the two-year deadline and failed to establish that he was unaware of the facts supporting his claim through the exercise of due diligence.
The motion was procedurally barred as untimely. Bourjolly failed to meet the two-year deadline by more than six months, and he could not invoke the discovery rule because he was aware—or should have been aware through due diligence—of the true nature of his sentence prior to the two-year deadline, as evidenced by his August 1992 motion questioning his sentence.
[1] A motion for postconviction relief is procedurally barred if filed more than two years after the judgment and sentence become final, unless the movant alleges facts unkno…
[2] A defendant's awareness of the true nature of their sentence, demonstrated by prior motions seeking clarification or mitigation, precludes a claim of newly discovered fac…
Previewing 2 of 3 headnotes on this case. FLexlaw’s editorially structured points of law — every proposition, pinpointed — are reserved for members.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligence“Defendant's motion is procedurally barred under rule 3.850. Defendant had until June 2, 1993 to file a motion. Defendant has failed to meet that deadline by more than six months.”
Establishes the procedural bar based on the two-year filing deadline and the defendant's failure to meet it.
Previewing 1 of 2 key quotes on this case — the court’s exact language, pinpointed for members.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceBourjolly was charged with first-degree murder, robbery, and burglary on September 19, 1990, and entered a nolo contendere plea to second-degree murde…
The full statement of facts, procedural history, and disposition for this case are member content.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligence© FLexlaw, Inc. — AI-generated enrichments are proprietary. All rights reserved.
Explore caselaw by topic → Browse Motion To Mitigate Sentence cases and more on FLexlaw
PER CURIAM.
This is an appeal from the trial court’s summary denial of a rule 3.850 motion.
On September 19, 1990, the state charged defendant with first degree murder, robbery, and burglary. On May 2, 1991, defendant plead nolo contendere to second degree murder, robbery, and burglary. No appeal was taken. On December 23, 1993, defendant filed a rule 3.850 motion alleging ineffective assistance of trial counsel. The trial court summarily denied this motion on January 21, 1994.
The trial court correctly denied defendant’s motion. Defendant’s motion is procedurally barred under rule 3.850. Defendant had until June 2, 19931 to file a motion. Defendant has failed to meet that deadline by more than six months.
Defendant attempts to recover from this procedural bar by alleging that he has just now become aware2 that his trial counsel was ineffective. Specifically, defendant alleges that his trial counsel promised that if defendant would accept the plea bargain he would not serve more than four years in prison. Defendant now alleges that after speaking to prison officials on November 16 or 17, 1993, he became aware that he would be serving more than four years of his forty year sentence. Further, defendant attaches a sworn affidavit by his father in which his father states that defendant’s trial counsel promised defendant that he would only serve four years in prison.
On August 5, 1992, defendant filed a motion seeking mitigation of sentence and early release. Defendant cited the imminent death of his father, which has yet to occur, the needs of his younger brothers and defendant’s outstanding behavior in prison as reasons to allow him early release. In that motion defendant stated that he had previously sought clarification of his sentence based on a clerical error. Defendant’s motion to mitigate sentence was denied without a hearing and that denial was affirmed by this court. Bourjolly v. State, 623 So. 2d 870 (Fla. 3d DCA 1993).
Defendant is aware of the true nature of his sentence. His motion to mitigate indicates that he questioned and sought clarification of his - sentence in the trial court prior to August of 1992. Thus, defendant was, or by the exercise of due diligence should have been, aware of the true nature of his sentence prior to his alleged discovery in November of 1993.
Since defendant was aware of the true nature of his sentence prior to August of 1992 this 3.850 motion is untimely and the trial court’s summary denial is affirmed.
Affirmed.
. No motion shall be considered if filed more than two years after judgment and sentence become final. See Fla.R.Crim.P. 3.850(b). Defendant’s sentence became final thirty days after the trial court accepted his plea.
. Rule 3.850 motions are subject to a discovery rule. Thus, if a movant alleges facts which were unknown and could not have been ascertained by the exercise of due diligence movant may avoid the two year limitation. See Fla.R.Crim.P. 3.850(b)(1).
Cases With Similar Vibessemantic neighbors from the corpus
Citator
Authorities Cited
- Bourjolly v. State, 623 So. 2d 870 (Fla. 3d DCA 1993)
- Roberts v. State, 623 So. 2d 870 (Fla. 3d DCA 1993)