CLARENCE BARFIELD, APPELLANT,
v.
STATE OF FLORIDA, APPELLEE
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Barfield appeals his sentences for guilty pleas to grand theft and dealing in stolen property, arguing they violated double jeopardy because both offenses arose from the same scheme or course of conduct. The court affirmed the sentences but allowed Barfield to pursue post-conviction relief via rule 3.850 motion to establish whether the offenses were part of the same criminal transaction.
The court held that a conviction violating double jeopardy constitutes fundamental error that may be raised for the first time on appeal, even following a guilty plea. However, because the record lacks conclusive evidence whether the offenses were part of the same scheme or course of conduct, an evidentiary hearing is required, which should be pursued through a rule 3.850 post-conviction motion.
[1] A conviction that violates the prohibition against double jeopardy constitutes fundamental error and may be raised for the first time on appeal.
[2] Section 812.025, Florida Statutes, prohibits a trial court from adjudicating a defendant guilty of both theft and dealing in stolen property in connection with one scheme…
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligence“section 812.025 prohibits a trial court from adjudicating a defendant guilty of both theft and dealing in stolen property in connection with one scheme or course of conduct pursuant to a plea of nolo con tendere”
Establishes the statutory prohibition against dual convictions for these offenses in a single criminal transaction
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceBarfield pled guilty to robbery with a firearm and multiple offenses including grand theft and dealing in stolen property in separate cases. Count II …
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SAWAYA, C.J.
Clarence Barfield appeals the sentences imposed following his plea of guilty to violating the terms of his probation in case numbers 97-1578 (robbery with a firearm) and 97-1997 (burglary of a dwelling, dealing in stolen property, and grand theft).1 He argues that the trial court violated the state and federal proscriptions against double jeopardy when it sentenced him for both grand theft and dealing in stolen property because both offenses arose from the same scheme or course of conduct.
We emphasize that Barfield entered an open, unconditional plea to the court that was not made pursuant to a plea agreement. Moreover, there is nothing in the record to indicate that Barfield waived any double jeopardy violation. See Novaton v. State, 684 So. 2d 607 (Fla.1994).
Barfield’s argument is premised on section 812.025, Florida Statutes (2001), which provides:
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a single indictment or information may, under proper circumstances, charge theft and dealing in stolen property in connection with one scheme or course of conduct in separate counts that may be consolidated for trial, but the trier of fact may return a guilty verdict on one or the other, but not both, of the counts.
In Hall v. State, 826 So. 2d 268 (Fla.2002), the supreme court found that “section 812.025 prohibits a trial court from adjudicating a defendant guilty of both theft and dealing in stolen property in connection with one scheme or course of conduct pursuant to a plea of nolo con tendere.” Id. at 271.
Barfield acknowledges that he did not raise this issue below, but contends that because his argument is a double jeopardy claim, it can be raised for the first time on appeal, noting that a conviction that is not statutorily authorized may be attacked at any time. The State responds that this is not a double jeopardy claim, asserting that Hall did not find that the dual convictions violated double jeopardy, but rather that they were prohibited by section 812.025. Thus, the State contends, because the issue was not raised below, it may not be raised for the first time on appeal.
The State’s argument was rejected in Kilmartin v. State, 848 So. 2d 1222 (Fla. 1st DCA 2003), wherein the court analyzed Hall and concluded:
Given the holding in Hall, one must conclude that the supreme court had determined that the legislature’s intent when it adopted section 812.025 was to prohibit separate punishments for both grand theft and dealing in stolen property when both offenses were parts of the same criminal transaction. Accordingly, one must conclude, further, that separate punishments for both offenses in such cases, whether as the result of a trial or of pleas, violate the state and federal prohibitions against double jeopardy.
Appellant raises this argument for the first time on appeal, following his unconditional guilty pleas to both offenses. The state contends that appellant is precluded by his guilty pleas from doing so, relying on Florida Rule of Appellate Procedure 9.140(b)(2), which identifies the circumstances in which an appeal from a guilty or no contest plea is permitted. Appellant responds that the dual convictions constitute fundamental error, and that this appeal is permitted by rule 9.140(b)(2)(A)(ii)e as one “otherwise provided by law.” We agree with appellant because it is clear that a conviction that violates the prohibition against double jeopardy constitutes fun damental error, e.g., State v. Johnson, 483 So. 2d 420 (Fla.1986); and a claim of fundamental error may be raised for the first time on appeal. E.g., Sanford v. Rubin, 237 So. 2d 134 (Fla.1970).
Id. at 1224; see also Toson v. State, 864 So. 2d 552 (Fla. 4th DCA 2004).
In the instant case, it is the lack of record evidence that Barfield’s convictions for dealing in stolen property and grand theft arose from the same scheme or course of conduct that creates the true impediment to Barfield’s argument on appeal. Our review of the record shows that Count II of the information charged Bar-field with grand theft of, among other things, jewelry, while Count III charged him with dealing in stolen property, alleging that Barfield “did traffic in or endeav-or to traffic in property, to-wit: jewelry that [he] knew or should have known was stolen....” There is no mention in the record whether the jewelry referenced in the counts is the same jewelry; however, the information charged that both offenses occurred on or about May 12, 1997. The fact that the offenses occurred the same date arguably supports Barfield’s position, but only inferentially. Our perusal of the transcript of the sentencing hearing reveals that it too is silent regarding the specifics of the case, as the public defender asked the court to “take judicial notice of the arrest affidavit and the factual allegations contained in the case file that support the factual basis.” Although the arrest affidavit is contained in the record, it does not reflect the facts of the case and, in any event, could not have been relied upon. See Burgess v. State, 831 So. 2d 137 (Fla. 2002) (rejecting the argument that an un-sworn arrest report in the court file indicating that offenses for which defendant was convicted were part of same criminal episode could be used as the basis for determining that offenses arose from same criminal episode).
We conclude that an evidentiary hearing is required to determine whether the offenses were part of the same scheme or course of conduct, as there is nothing in the record that conclusively demonstrates (or rebuts) that claim. Thus, it would appear that the issue may have to be dealt with via a rule 3.850 motion. See Burgess (holding that the issue of whether offenses arose out of single criminal episode is not a pure question of law but rather requires an evidentiary determination pursuant to a motion for post-conviction relief under rule 3.850). Accordingly, we affirm the sentences on appeal without prejudice to Bar-field filing a timely rule 3.850 motion.
AFFIRMED.
PLEUS and ORFINGER, JJ„ concur. . Barfield has had two prior appeals, neither of which give the factual background for the charges alleged in case number 97-1997. See Barfield v. State, 792 So. 2d 706 (Fla. 5th DCA 2001) (reversing and remanding for preparation of a corrected scoresheet and reconsideration of defendant's right to be resentenced under Heggs because of the improper scoring of case number 97-1578); Barfield v. State, 762 So. 2d 564 (Fla. 5th DCA 2000) (reversing armed robbery conviction in case number 97-1578 and remanding for a new trial based on failure to give requested jury instruction; affirming the sentences in case number 97-1997).
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Bailey v. State, 21 So. 3d 147 (Fla. 5th DCA 2009)…Brown v. State, 1 So. 3d 1231 (Fla. 2d DCA 2009), citing Novaton, v. State, 634 So. 2d 607, 609 (Fla. 1994). The appeal is permitted by Florida Rule of Appellate Procedure 9.140(b)(2)(A)(ii)e., as one “otherwise provided by law.” Barfield v. State, 871 So. 2d 929, 930 (Fla. 5th DCA 2004). A double jeopardy claim based on undisputed facts presents a pure question of law and is reviewed de novo. Pizzo v. State, 945 So. 2d 1203,1206 (Fla.2006). Appellant argues that because the single action of thrusting a kni…
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Vito Scarola v. State, 889 So. 2d 108 (Fla. 5th DCA 2004)…he two decisions discussed below that followed Bogan, we recede from the Bogan decision. Additionally, rule 9.140(b)(2)(A)(ii)(e) allows an appeal from a nolo contendere plea when it is otherwise provided by law. The defendant in Barfield v. State, 871 So. 2d 929 (Fla. 5th DCA 2004) entered an open, unconditional guilty plea to charges of grand theft and dealing in stolen property and was convicted and sentenced. He appealed raising a double jeopardy issue for the first time. Although the case was remanded f…
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Barber v. State, 918 So. 2d 1013 (Fla. 2d DCA 2006)…stolen property in con-nection with one scheme or course of conduct in separate counts that may be consolidated for trial, but the trier of fact may return a guilty verdict on one or the other, but not both, of the counts.” . In Barfield v. State, 871 So. 2d 929, 931 (Fla. 5th DCA 2004), the court, in a direct appeal of Barfield’s convictions and sentences, held that there was insufficient information in the record to conclude that the offense of grand theft and the offense of dealing in stolen property aro…
Previewing 3 of 15 citing cases — full citator treatment, depth of discussion, and citing context are member features.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceAuthorities Cited
- Sanford v. Rubin, 237 So. 2d 134 (Fla. 1970)
- State v. Johnson, 483 So. 2d 420 (Fla. 1986)
- Burgess v. State, 831 So. 2d 137 (Fla. 2002)
- Hall v. State, 826 So. 2d 268 (Fla. 2002)
- Kilmartin v. State, 848 So. 2d 1222 (Fla. 1st DCA 2003)
- Theron A. Toson, Sr. v. State, 864 So. 2d 552 (Fla. 4th DCA 2004)
- Barfield v. State, 762 So. 2d 564 (Fla. 5th DCA 2000)
- Barfield v. State, 792 So. 2d 706 (Fla. 5th DCA 2001)