STEVEN BROUGHTON, APPELLANT,
v.
STATE OF FLORIDA, APPELLEE

Fla. 2d DCA | 2001-06-08
No. 2D00-3608
PARKER, A.C.J., and NORTHCUTT, J., Concur.
790 So. 2d 1118 Florida District Court of Appeal, Second District (2001) Positive Treatment
Cited by 17 cases

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Holding

The court held that the jury instruction regarding the judge's role in sentencing was proper, but the mandatory minimum sentence under the Prison Releasee Reof-fender Punishment Act (PRRPA) was improperly applied to a conviction for burglary of an unoccupied dwelling.


Headnotes

[1] A jury instruction that reiterates the judge's role in sentencing and the jury's role in determining guilt is permissible in non-capital cases, even when the state intend…

[2] The policy behind rules precluding jury instructions on potential penalties is to ensure that a jury decides a case based solely on the law and evidence, disregarding the…

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Facts & Procedural History

Steven Broughton was convicted of burglary of an unoccupied dwelling and sentenced as a habitual offender with a minimum mandatory term under the PRRP…

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Opinion of the Court
CASANUEVA, Judge.

CASANUEVA, Judge.

After a trial where several eyewitnesses identified him as the perpetrator, Steven Broughton was convicted of burglary of an unoccupied dwelling and sentenced to fifteen years in prison as a habitual offender, with a fifteen-year minimum mandatory term based on section 775.082(9), Florida Statutes (1999), the Prison Releasee Reof-fender Punishment Act (PRRPA). He appeals his conviction and sentence raising three issues: the sufficiency of the evidence to convict him, an allegedly mislead ing jury instruction, and the fifteen-year minimum mandatory designation on his sentence as a prison releasee reoffender (PRR) for the crime of which he was convicted. We affirm in part and reverse in part.

The sufficiency of the evidence claim is without merit. We reject Mr. Broughton’s contentions on this issue without further discussion and turn to the merits of his jury instruction claim. In charging the jury, the trial court gave the following standard jury instruction: “Your duty is to determine if the defendant has been proven guilty or not in accord with the law. It is the judge’s job to determine a proper sentence if the defendant is guilty.” Because the State had noticed its intention to seek PRR status in sentencing, Mr. Broughton argues that this instruction misled the jury because the Florida Supreme Court has decided in State v. Cotton, 769 So. 2d 345 (Fla.2000), that it is no longer the judge’s job to determine a proper sentence if the defendant is guilty. This is so, Mr. Broughton’s argument goes, because a trial court no longer has any discretion in sentencing a convicted offender under the PRRPA. We reject Mr. Broughton’s argument on this issue. Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.390(a) precludes the judge, in a noncapital case, from instructing the jury on the sentence that may be imposed. In spite of Mr. Broughton’s interpretation of the effect of State v. Cotton, it remains the sole province of the judge to impose sentence. Admittedly, the trial court’s discretion as to what that sentence will be is severely constrained in PRR cases. However, we cannot agree with Mr. Broughton’s argument that in a potential PRR case the jury, if it convicts, both determines guilt and imposes a mandatory penalty. Only after the jury has decided that all the elements of the crime have been proven - beyond a reasonable doubt will possible sentencing enhancements come into play. See Knight v. State, 668 So. 2d 596 (Fla.1996). Even though the State may decide to proceed under the PRRPA, the trial court must still determine if the State has met its burden to prove that a defendant qualifies for that designation. Moreover, a properly charged jury may acquit or convict of a lesser crime, in which ease the PRR designation may become a moot point.

The challenged instruction appropriately reiterates the evolving policy of removing from a noncapital jury any knowledge of potential penalties for the crimes with which a defendant is charged. As stated in Legette v. State, 718 So. 2d 878, 881 (Fla. 4th DCA 1998), the policy behind a 1984 amendment to Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.990(a)1 was to insure “that the jury should decide a case in accordance with the law and the evidence and disregard the consequences of its verdict.” Accordingly, we conclude that the instruction Mr. Broughton challenges did not mislead the jury. Because there was sufficient evidence of guilt and the jury was not misled by this instruction, we affirm Mr. Broughton’s conviction for burglary of an unoccupied dwelling.

Mr. Broughton has, however, presented a meritorious argument regarding his sentence. After the trial court sentenced Mr. Broughton to fifteen years as a habitual offender with fifteen years to be served as a minimum mandatory term as a PRR, the Florida Supreme Court decided State v. Huggins, 26 Fla. L. Weekly S174, - So. 2d -, 2001 WL 278107 (Fla. Mar. 22, 2001). Huggins determined that the PRRPA is not applicable to defendants, like Mr. Broughton, who are convicted of burglary of an unoccupied dwelling. Accordingly, we affirm Mr. Broughton’s fifteen-year sentence as a habitual offender but strike the minimum mandatory portion imposed pursuant to the PRRPA. Conviction and habitual offender sentence affirmed; mandatory minimum term and PRR designation stricken.

PARKER, A.C.J., and NORTHCUTT, J., Concur. . Prior to the amendment, Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.990(a) provided that, upon request of the State or the defendant, the trial judge should include the maximum and minimum sentences' for the crimes charged in its jury instructions.


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Cited By

  • Knight v. State, 919 So. 2d 628 (Fla. 3d DCA 2006)
    …f the evidence that was before the jury in the instant case and reviewing the facts as set forth in the record, we find that the trial judge’s comment did not mislead the jury as there was sufficient evidence of guilt. See, e.g., Broughton v. State, 790 So. 2d 1118, 1119 (Fla. 2d DCA 2001) (finding that jury instruction was not misleading and there was sufficient evidence of guilt to support jury’s verdict). In the instant case, in reaching its verdict of guilty, the jury relied on testimony it believed to be…
  • Pittman v. State, 841 So. 2d 690 (Fla. 2d DCA 2003)
    …he victim’s death. We agree and reverse. Pittman also argues that the trial court erred by not advising the jury of the possible sentences that Pittman might receive if convicted. We find no reversible error as to this issue. See Broughton v. State, 790 So. 2d 1118, 1119 (Fla. 2d DCA 2001). In September 1999 James Harsaghy, a white man, went to a bar where he bought drinks for different people. The bar was described as serving a primarily African-American clientele, and there was testimony that it was unusual…
  • …’s job to determine a proper sentence if the defendant is found guilty.” Fla. St. Jury Instr. (Crim.) 3.10 (emphasis added). The purpose of the italicized sentence is to prevent a jury pardon on the issue of guilt. See generally Broughton v. State, 790 So. 2d 1118, 1119 (Fla. 2d DCA 2001) (explaining that the italicized sentence reflects “the evolving policy of removing from a noncapital jury any knowledge of potential penalties for the crimes with which a defendant is - 18 - charged” to ensure “ ‘that the ju…

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