RICHARD KENNETH BOWERS, PETITIONER,
v.
KEN JENNE, AS SHERIFF OF BROWARD COUNTY, FLORIDA, RESPONDENT
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The court granted Bowers' petition for writ of habeas corpus, holding that the trial court improperly increased his bond sua sponte without adequate notice or a motion from the state. The decision clarifies that trial courts lack authority to increase bond on their own motion and that any modification requires proper notice and a showing of good cause by the prosecution.
A trial court may not increase bond on its own motion. Bond modifications require a motion from the state showing good cause with at least three hours' prior notice to counsel. The trial court's sua sponte increase was improper, and the same conduct that formed the basis of the denied recommit motion cannot be recast as good cause for bond increase.
[1] A trial court may not increase a defendant's bond on its own motion without adequate prior notice.
[2] The state must provide at least three hours' notice to counsel for the defendant before moving for modification of bond.
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligence“A trial court may not increase bond on its own motion.”
Establishes the core holding that trial courts lack sua sponte authority to modify bond
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceBowers was arrested and charged with attempted armed kidnapping, aggravated assault, grand theft, and battery. A committing magistrate set initial bon…
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PER CURIAM.
We grant the petition for writ of habeas corpus to quash the trial court order increasing Petitioner’s bond, holding that the trial court impermissibly increased the bond on its own motion, without adequate prior notice to Petitioner. Petitioner is charged with attempted armed kidnapping, aggravated assault, grand theft, and battery. He was arrested after the state filed an information charging these offenses, and from the record before us, it appears that the committing magistrate found probable cause and set bond totalling $10,500. The state subsequently filed a motion to arrest and recommit on the grounds that Petitioner violated a condition of his release by contacting a victim of the offenses. The trial court held a hearing on this motion and denied it, finding that Petitioner had not violated any condition of release as no condition had been imposed barring victim contact. However, the court then went beyond this determination, and sua sponte increased bond on grounds not raised by the state. The court observed that the case was a domestic violence prosecution which should not have been handled with standard bonds. The court found that the committing magistrate had not set bond, even though Petitioner’s appendix suggests the contrary to us. The trial court also determined that it had discretionary authority to revisit bond and increase the amounts of bond to total $76,000 on the three counts.
The state argues that the trial court was authorized to increase bond because this was a domestic violence case and that section 741.2901(3), Florida Statutes (1997), provides the factors to be considered for bond in such cases. It argues that this case should not have gone to a regular first appearance court, but rather should have gone to a designated domestic violence court for first appearance. It also argues that this court should regard the trial court’s order as if it were the first time bond was set by a judge, as required under chapter 741. Alternatively, it argues that bond could be regarded as properly increased based on a showing of good cause. That good cause is said to be the state’s showing that Petitioner contacted a victim of these offenses.
We reject the state’s arguments. First, we find that bond was originally set by the committing magistrate. Secondly, we look to rule 3.131(d)(2), Florida Rules of Criminal Procedure, which provides that the state may move for modification of bond by showing good cause and with at least three hours’ notice to counsel for the defendant. Here, the state did not move to increase bond on the grounds identified by the trial court, and no prior notice was given to Petitioner. A trial court may not increase bond on its own motion. Flemming v. Cochran, 694 So. 2d 131 (Fla. 4th DCA 1997).
To the extent that the trial court increased bond on the grounds of Petitioner’s prior record or evidence against him, this is improper because the state did not show that this information was not available to the committing magistrate who set the initial bond. Keane v. Cochran, 614 So. 2d 1186 (Fla. 4th DCA 1993); Kelsey v. McMillan, 660 So. 2d 1343 (Fla. 1st DCA 1990).
We also reject the state’s argument that good cause for increasing bond existed based on the state’s motion to recommit. The trial court denied the state’s motion, finding that no condition of release had barred victim contact at the time of Petitioner’s attempted contacts. The state should not be permitted to recast this same information as grounds for the trial court’s sua sponte decision to increase bond.
We therefore grant the petition for writ of habeas corpus and quash the order increasing the bond. This disposition is without prejudice to the state’s right to file an authorized motion for increase of bond under chapter 741, if appropriate, or any other legally sufficient grounds, and for the trial court to consider the same upon adequate notice to Petitioner. STONE, C.J., and FARMER and GROSS, JJ., concur.
Cases With Similar Vibessemantic neighbors from the corpus
Citator
Cited By
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Homerding v. Jenne, 804 So. 2d 349 (Fla. 4th DCA 2001)…(Fla. 4th DCA 1999), this court explained that increasing a defendant’s bond is improper unless the state shows that the increase is warranted by information not available to the committing magistrate who set the initial bond. See Bowers [v. Jenne, 710 So. 2d 681, 682 (Fla. 4th DCA 1998)]; Santos v. Garrison, 691 So. 2d 1172 (Fla. 4th DCA 1997); Keane v. Cochran, 614 So. 2d 1186, 1187 (Fla. 4th DCA 1993); Sikes v. McMillian, 564 So. 2d 1206 (Fla. 1st DCA 1990); Kelsey v. McMillan, 560 So. 2d 1343 (Fla. 1st D…
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Gerrard L. Simmons v. State, 915 So. 2d 732 (Fla. 2d DCA 2005)…ied its request. Subsequently, with no prior notice to Simmons, the trial court sua sponte increased the bond on grounds not raised by the State. The trial court was without authority to increase Simmons’ bond on its own motion. See Bowers v. Jenne, 710 So. 2d 681, 682 (Fla. 4th DCA 1998). Thus, the trial court erred by taking Simmons into custody and increasing his bond to $100,000. We therefore granted the petition, struck the order increasing the bond, and reinstated the previously ordered total bond of $1…
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Montgomery v. Jenne, 744 So. 2d 1148 (Fla. 4th DCA 1999)…tition for writ of habeas corpus and quash that portion of the order increasing her bond. A trial court does not have the authority to increase bond on its own motion. See Cousino v. Jenne, 717 So. 2d 599, 600 (Fla. 4th DCA 1998); Bowers v. Jenne, 710 So. 2d 681, 682 (Fla. 4th DCA 1998); Flemming v. Cochran, 694 So. 2d 131 (Fla. 4th DCA 1997). Athough the issue of Petitioner’s bond had been raised by her motion to reduce it, Petitioner was given no notice of any application to increase it. See Fla. R.Crim.…
Previewing 3 of 5 citing cases — full citator treatment, depth of discussion, and citing context are member features.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceAuthorities Cited
- Keane v. Cochran, 614 So. 2d 1186 (Fla. 4th DCA 1993)
- Kelsey v. McMILLAN, 560 So. 2d 1343 (Fla. 1st DCA 1990)
- State v. Girard, 694 So. 2d 131 (Fla. 5th DCA 1997)
- Thetus Flemming v. Cochran, 694 So. 2d 131 (Fla. 4th DCA 1997)