ROBERT FOULDS, APPELLANT,
v.
STATE OF FLORIDA, APPELLEE

Fla. 2d DCA | 1998-08-14
No. 97-03223
FRANK, A.C.J., and THREADGILL and QUINCE, JJ., concur.
716 So. 2d 324 Florida District Court of Appeal, Second District (1998)

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Synopsis

Robert Foulds appealed a trial court's post-conviction relief order, challenging three sentencing issues. The appellate court affirmed the denial of an ineffective assistance of counsel claim and the propriety of consecutive sentences, but reversed and remanded because the imposed sentence of 27 years exceeded the maximum guidelines range of 22 years without written justification for an upward departure.


Holding

The court affirmed that consecutive sentences were properly imposed for the two distinct criminal acts and that the victim injury points assessment was appropriate. However, the court held that the cumulative consecutive sentence of 27 years exceeded the maximum guidelines sentence of 22 years and, lacking written reasons for departure, required resentencing within the guidelines range.


Headnotes

[1] Consecutive sentences may be imposed for distinct criminal acts even if they arise from the same incident.

[2] The assessment of victim injury points without objection at trial does not constitute fundamental error and is therefore not preserved for appellate review.

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Key Quotes

“Because the State presented proof of two distinct criminal acts, the trial court properly imposed consecutive sentences for these counts.”

Establishes the legal standard for imposing consecutive sentences under Florida law.

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Facts & Procedural History

Foulds was convicted of a lewd and lascivious act and handling and fondling a child under age sixteen. The trial court imposed consecutive sentences o…

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Opinion of the Court
PER CURIAM.

PER CURIAM.

Robert Foulds challenges the trial court’s order partially denying his motion for post-conviction relief but granting relief to the extent of resentencing. We affirm the portion of the trial court’s order denying relief based on ineffective assistance of counsel without further discussion. However, because the newly imposed sentence exceeds the maximum guidelines range, we remand for resentencing within the guidelines.

Foulds alleges three sentencing errors, one of which requires reversal. First, he alleges a sentencing error based on consecutive terms imposed for counts I and II, a lewd and lascivious act and handling and fondling a child under age sixteen, respectively. Because the State presented proof of two distinct criminal acts, the trial court properly imposed consecutive sentences for these counts. See § 775.021(4)(a), Fla. Stat. (1993); Knickerbocker v. State, 619 So. 2d 18 (Fla. 2d DCA 1993).

The second sentencing error alleged is the addition of twenty victim injury points to Foulds’ sentencing score. While victim injury points cannot be scored without evidence in the record to support such injury, doing so does not constitute fundamental error. See State v. Montague, 682 So. 2d 1085 (Fla.1996).

Since Foulds failed to object to the victim injury points below, this issue is not preserved for appellate review.1 The final sentencing error alleged by Foulds, that his cumulative sentence exceeds the guidelines range, requires reversal. As a preliminary matter, we note that this error was properly preserved as required by section 924.051, Florida Statutes (Supp.1996).

Foulds’ total sentencing score was 393. This score gave Foulds a permitted sentencing range of nine to twenty-two years.

The trial court imposed a cumulative consecutive sentence of twenty-seven years (fifteen years on count I and twelve years on count II). This sentence exceeds the maximum permissible guidelines sentence (twenty-two years) by five years. See Fla. R.Crim. P. 3.988(b). Because appellant’s consecutive sentences exceed the maximum guidelines sentence and the court provided no written reasons to support an upward departure, we remand for resentencing within the permissible guidelines range. See § 921.001(6), Fla. Stat. (1993); Gibson v. State, 661 So. 2d 288 (Fla. 1995).

FRANK, A.C.J., and THREADGILL and QUINCE, JJ., concur. . Even if this issue had been properly preserved for review, based on the victim’s testimony we conclude the assessment of victim injury points was appropriate in this case.


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