KENNETH S. YELVINGTON, APPELLANT,
v.
STATE OF FLORIDA, APPELLEE
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Appellant Yelvington challenges the trial court's denial of his motion to dismiss an amended information filed the day before trial, which expanded the time period of alleged sexual battery and added a new count of lewd conduct. The court affirms, holding that while the prosecutor's conduct was improper, appellant failed to move for a continuance or assert a speedy trial violation.
The court affirmed the trial court's denial of the motion to dismiss, holding that although the prosecutor's conduct in amending the information on the eve of trial was improper and appellant should have been entitled to a continuance, appellant failed to move for a continuance and his motion to dismiss did not assert a violation of his speedy trial right.
[1] A defendant must move for a continuance to preserve the issue of prejudice arising from the late filing of an amended information.
[2] A motion to dismiss an amended information does not preserve the issue of prejudice arising from the late filing if it does not assert a violation of the right to a speed…
Previewing 2 of 4 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“We do not condone the action of the prosecutor in this case in adding a new charge the day before trial was scheduled to commence. Appellant should not have been forced to go to trial under these circumstances, and was entitled to a continuance when the trial court permitted the state to amend the information.”
Establishes that while the court disapproved of the prosecutor's conduct, appellant's failure to seek a continuance or raise speedy trial concerns prevented reversal.
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceAn information filed in September 1993 charged Yelvington with sexual battery of a child, alleging offenses between September 1, 1989, and June 30, 19…
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PER CURIAM.
Appellant, Kenneth S. Yelvington, alleges error in the trial court’s denial of his motion to dismiss an amended information filed the day before trial. We affirm.
An information filed in September 1993 charged appellant with the crime of sexual battery of a child under the age of twelve. The information alleged the offense occurred between the dates of September 1, 1989, through June 30, 1990. On January 4, 1994, the state filed a notice of intent to rely upon out of court statements made by the alleged victim to her aunt, and to two professionals who interviewed the child. On January 12, 1994, appellant filed a motion for a statement of particulars as to the time period alleged in the information. The state did not respond to the defense motion which sought a narrowing of the time period alleged in the information. Rather, January 24, 1994, the day of jury selection, the state filed an amended information expanding the time frame of the sexual battery alleged in count one to “between the dates of October 4, 1986 and October 4, 1991.” The amended information added a second count of lewd or lascivious act in the presence of a child under the age of sixteen, this offense allegedly occurring between the dates of October 4,1986, and July 28, 1993. The trial took place the following day.
Before trial commenced, defense counsel announced for the record his previously unrecorded arguments made in opposition to the trial court’s ruling which permitted the state to file the amended information on the eve of trial. Appellant then entered a not guilty plea to count one of the amended information, and a no contest plea to count two. Defense counsel explained the no contest plea was entered, because the defense of count one would be prejudiced by trial of count two. Appellant specifically reserved the right to appeal the trial court’s denial of the motion to dismiss the amended information.
The ease proceeded to trial on the count one charge of sexual battery. The jury was unable to reach a verdict, and a mistrial was declared. On April 20, 1994, appellant was adjudicated guilty of the count two charge of lewd assault. The trial court imposed a sentence of 3½ years of incarceration, to be followed by 10 years of probation. The next day, the state formally announced a nolle prosequi with respect to count one.
Appellant relies upon four decisions from this court1 which he maintains require us to reverse the trial court’s ruling in this case. The cited cases are distinguishable in that they involve the accused’s right to speedy trial, or the denial of a motion for continuance. We do not condone the action of the prosecutor in this case in adding a new charge the day before trial was scheduled to commence. Appellant should not have been forced to go to trial under these circumstances, and was entitled to a continuance when the trial court permitted the state to amend the information. However, appellant failed to move for a continuance, and his motion to dismiss did not assert a possible violation of his right to speedy trial.
Accordingly, we must affirm the trial court’s ruling.
BOOTH, JOANOS and WOLF, JJ., concur. . See Oliver v. State, 569 So. 2d 1332 (Fla. 1st DCA 1990); Brown v. State, 424 So. 2d 950 (Fla. 1st DCA 1983); Harley v. State, 407 So. 2d 382 (Fla. 1st DCA 1981); Turner v. State, 376 So. 2d 429 (Fla. 1st DCA 1979).
Cases With Similar Vibessemantic neighbors from the corpus
Citator
Cited By
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Manuel v. State (Fla. 1st DCA 2005)…ppellant alleges the trial court erred in permitting the State to amend the information against him on the day of jury selection. Appellant is not entitled to relief on this issue because he failed to move for a continuance. See Yelvington v. State, 664 So. 2d 262 (Fla. 1st DCA 1995). Second, Appellant raises several challenges to the trial court’s denial of his motion for judgment of acquittal. There is no merit to Appellant’s argument that he should have been acquitted because a witness’s written statement…
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Lonzo Taylor v. State, 958 So. 2d 1069 (Fla. 4th DCA 2007)…defense is inherent to due process and the right to counsel.” Id. at 423. Even “morning of trial amendments where the new crime charged a different state of mind” have resulted in reversed convictions upon appeal. Id.; see also Yelvington v. State, 664 So. 2d 262 (Fla. 1st DCA 1995) (noting that a defendant should not have been forced to go to trial when the prosecutor added a new charge the day trial was to begin, but affirming his conviction because he failed to move for a continuance). [*1071] Taylor also…
Authorities Cited
- Brown v. State, 424 So. 2d 950 (Fla. 1st DCA 1983)
- Holland v. State, 376 So. 2d 429 (Fla. 4th DCA 1979)
- Harley v. State, 407 So. 2d 382 (Fla. 1st DCA 1981)
- Oliver v. State, 569 So. 2d 1332 (Fla. 1st DCA 1990)