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

Fla. 2d DCA | 2005-03-02
No. 2D04-1939
Northcutt, J., Casanueva, J., Kelly, J.
895 So. 2d 1225 Florida District Court of Appeal, Second District (2005) Positive Treatment
Cited by 13 cases

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Synopsis

A probation revocation based solely on proof of arrest, without evidence that the probationer actually committed the alleged crime, is improper and must be reversed.


Holding

A revocation of probation cannot be based solely upon proof of an arrest; the State must prove the probationer actually committed the underlying crime.


Headnotes

[1] A probation revocation cannot rest solely on proof of arrest; the State must prove the probationer actually committed the alleged crime.

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Key Quotes

“The Florida Statutes do not authorize, nor would our constitution permit, a permanent revocation of probation based solely upon proof of an arrest during the probationary period.”

The court cited Hines v. State to establish the controlling legal standard for probation revocations.

Facts & Procedural History

Sharpston was arrested for petit theft during his probationary period. At the revocation hearing, the judge informed Sharpston he allegedly violated p…

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Opinion of the Court
NORTHCUTT, Judge.

NORTHCUTT, Judge.

A revocation of probation based solely upon proof of an arrest is improper. For this reason, we reverse the revocation of Robert Sharpston’s probation. As the supreme court has explained, “[t]he Florida Statutes do not authorize, nor would our constitution permit, a permanent revocation of probation based solely upon proof of an arrest during the probationary period.” Hines v. State, 358 So. 2d 183, 185 (Fla.1978). At the revocation hearing, defense counsel stated that Sharpston wanted to admit being arrested; the judge informed Sharpston that he allegedly violated probation by being arrested for petit theft; and Sharpston agreed. Not once was Sharpston asked whether he actually committed the crime. Therefore, we are compelled to reverse. See, e.g., Stevenson v. State, 843 So. 2d 1044 (Fla. 2d DCA 2003); Ontiveros v. State, 746 So. 2d 1174 (Fla. 2d DCA 1999); Manies v. State, 621 So. 2d 679 (Fla. 2d DCA 1993). We note that on remand, the State is not precluded from attempting to prove a violation based on the same circumstances as long as the period of supervision has not expired. See Wilson v. State, 842 So. 2d 237 (Fla. 2d DCA 2003); Our disposition renders Sharpston’s other issue on appeal moot.

Reversed and remanded.

CASANUEVA and KELLY, JJ., concur.


Cases With Similar Vibessemantic neighbors from the corpus


Citator

Cited By

  • Robinson v. State, 907 So. 2d 1284 (Fla. 2d DCA 2005)
    …ed for No Valid Driver’s License.” However, it is improper to revoke probation solely on proof that the probationer has been arrested. Ontiveros v. State, 746 So. 2d 1174, 1174 (Fla. 2d DCA 1999). As this court recently stated in Sharpston v. State, 895 So. 2d 1225, 1226 (Fla. 2d DCA 2005) (quoting Hines v. State, 358 So. 2d 183, 185 (Fla.1978)), “ ‘the Florida Statutes do not authorize, nor would our constitution permit, a permanent revocation of probation based solely upon proof of an arrest during the proba…
  • Humbert v. State, 933 So. 2d 726 (Fla. 2d DCA 2006)
    …erance of evidence). Indeed, the State, at the revocation hearing on remand, is not precluded from attempting to prove Humbert’s violations based on the same circumstances as long as the period of supervision has not expired. See Sharpston v. State, 895 So. 2d 1225, 1226 (Fla. 2d DCA 2005) (reversing revocation in which the violation was based solely on defendant’s arrest); Chavous v. State, 597 So. 2d 943 (Fla. 2d DCA 1992) (reversing revocation in which the violation was demonstrated solely by hearsay). Acc…
  • Hernandez v. State, 33 So. 3d 143 (Fla. 2d DCA 2010)
    …d. at 1286. This court has recognized that “ e[t]he Florida Statutes do not authorize, nor would our constitution permit, a permanent revocation of probation based solely upon proof of an arrest during the probationary period.’ ” Sharpston v. State, 895 So. 2d 1225, 1226 (Fla. 2d DCA 2005) (quoting Hines v. State, 358 So. 2d 183, 185 (Fla.1978)). Here, the trial court revoked Hernandez’s probation based solely upon his arrest. The State contends that the testimony at the revocation hearing concerning the arme…

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