STATE OF FLORIDA, APPELLANT,
v.
MALCOLM BAKER, APPELLEE
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The State appeals a sentencing where the trial court refused to consider prison releasee reoffender (PRR) sentencing after the prosecutor raised it post-plea offer. The appellate court reverses, holding that the PRR notice was timely filed before plea acceptance and that the court must consider mandatory PRR sentencing provisions.
The appellate court held that the PRR notice was timely because it was offered before the plea was accepted, and that the trial court erred in refusing to consider PRR sentencing. The court must apply mandatory PRR sentencing once the State proves the defendant qualifies, and the trial court cannot offer a plea bargain that circumvents these mandatory provisions.
[1] A trial court errs in refusing to consider a defendant's qualification for prison releasee reoffender (PRR) sentencing when the State offers notice of intent to seek such…
[2] A prosecuting attorney has an affirmative obligation to apprise the trial judge of all material facts known regarding the offense and the defendant's background prior to…
Previewing 2 of 5 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“Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.171(b)(2)(A) places an affirmative obligation on the prosecuting attorney to "apprise the trial judge of all material facts known to the attorney regarding the offense and the defendant's background prior to acceptance of a plea by the trial judge[.]"”
Establishes that the prosecutor must inform the court of all material facts, including PRR status, before plea acceptance.
Previewing 1 of 3 key quotes on this case — the court’s exact language, pinpointed for members.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceMalcolm Baker pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated battery and one count of third-degree grand theft following an unrecorded bench conference wh…
The full statement of facts, procedural history, and disposition for this case are member content.
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NORTHCUTT, Judge.
Pursuant to a deal reached with the circuit court, Malcolm Baker received a habitual offender sentence of sixty-four months in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of aggravated battery and one count of third-degree grand theft. The State appeals, arguing that the court erred in refusing to consider whether Baker qualified for sentencing as a prison releas-ee reoffender. We agree and reverse.
During an unrecorded bench conference, the circuit court apparently offered to sentence Baker to sixty-four months in prison as a habitual offender in exchange for a guilty plea. Back on the record, Baker indicated his desire to accept the court’s offer, at which point the prosecutor informed the court for the first time that Baker also qualified as a prison releasee reoffender (PRR).
The prosecutor had in hand separate notices of the State’s intent to seek habitual offender sentencing and PRR sentencing. Baker’s habitual offender status apparently had been discussed during the unrecorded bench conference, but his PRR status had not. Understandably frustrated, the court refused to allow the prosecutor to file the PRR notice, stating that it was untimely, and refused to consider sentencing Baker as a PRR. As a PRR, Baker would face a mandatory minimum sentence of fifteen years in prison for the aggravated battery convictions. See § 775.082(9)(a)(3)(c), Fla. Stat. (2001).
The court was mistaken in its belief that the PRR notice was untimely, because the notice was offered before Baker’s plea had been accepted. See Fla. R.Crim. P. 3.172 (stating that court must satisfy itself of voluntary nature and factual basis before accepting plea).
Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.171(b)(2)(A) places an affirmative obligation on the prosecuting attorney to “apprise the trial judge of all material facts known to the attorney regarding the offense and the defendant’s background prior to acceptance of a plea by the trial judge[.]” Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.720 states that as soon as practicable after the determination of guilt, a sentencing hearing shall be set where the “court will entertain submissions and evidence by the parties that are relevant to the sentence.” See Rollinson v. State, 743 So. 2d 585, 590 (Fla. 4th DCA 1999) (citing rule 3.720 in rejecting a procedural due process challenge to PRR sentencing), approved, 778 So. 2d 971 (Fla.2001). Imposing a PRR sentence is mandatory once the State proves that the defendant qualifies. See State v. Cotton, 769 So. 2d 345 (Fla.2000).
Thus it has been held that the court cannot offer a plea bargain for a guidelines sentence if the State is seeking a PRR sentence. State v. Davis, 834 So. 2d 898 (Fla. 3d DCA 2002), review denied, 845 So. 2d 888 (Fla.2003) (table decision). Although the State did not proffer the evidence that would support Baker’s PRR classification, the court did not allow the State to even file the PRR notice. “It is well settled that the law does not require a useless or futile act.” Davis, 834 So. 2d at 898 n. 1 (excusing State’s failure to present evidence of defendant’s PRR qualifications when trial court had already ruled that State waived PRR sentencing by earlier offer for guidelines sentence).
Accordingly, we reverse. On remand, Baker must be given an opportunity to withdraw his plea.
Reversed and remanded.
DAVIS and VILLANTI, JJ., Concur.
Cases With Similar Vibessemantic neighbors from the corpus
Citator
Authorities Cited
- State v. Cotton, 769 So. 2d 345 (Fla. 2000)
- Rollinson v. State, 743 So. 2d 585 (Fla. 4th DCA 1999)
- State v. Davis, 834 So. 2d 898 (Fla. 3d DCA 2002)
- Rollinson v. State, 778 So. 2d 971 (Fla. 2001)