LAMONT BROOKENS, APPELLANT,
v.
STATE OF FLORIDA, APPELLEE
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Lamont Brookens appealed his conviction and sentences for battery on a law enforcement officer, resisting an officer, tampering with evidence, and drug paraphernalia possession. The court affirmed his convictions but reversed his sentencing as a prison releasee reoffender, holding that battery on a law enforcement officer does not qualify as a predicate offense under Florida's prison releasee reoffender statute.
The court affirmed the convictions on the first two issues without comment. On the third issue, the court held that battery on a law enforcement officer does not qualify as a predicate offense under Florida Statutes section 775.082, and therefore Brookens was improperly sentenced as a prison releasee reoffender.
[1] Battery on a law enforcement officer is not a qualifying offense for sentencing as a prison releasee reoffender under section 775.082, Florida Statutes.
[2] A conviction for battery on a law enforcement officer does not inherently involve the use or threat of physical force or violence sufficient to qualify as a predicate off…
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligence“section 775.082, Florida Statutes, which authorizes a qualifying individual to be sentenced as a prison releasee reoffender, does not specifically list battery on a law enforcement officer as a qualifying offense”
Establishes that the statute does not enumerate battery on law enforcement officer as a qualifying offense
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceBrookens was convicted by jury of battery on a law enforcement officer, resisting an officer without violence, tampering with evidence, and possession…
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SAWAYA, J.
Lamont Brookens was found guilty by a jury of battery on a law enforcement officer, resisting an officer without violence (a lesser included offense of the crime charged, resisting with violence), tampering with evidence, and possession of drug paraphernalia. Brookens was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment as a prison releasee reoffender for the battery offense; five years’ imprisonment for the tampering offense; one year in the county jail for the resisting offense; and one year in the county jail for the possession offense. All of the sentences were ordered to be served concurrently.
In this appeal, Brookens claims: (1) an erroneous jury instruction warrants reversal of his conviction for resisting an officer without violence; (2) the trial court erred in denying his motion for judgment of acquittal as to the battery charge; and (3) the trial court erred in utilizing the battery offense to sentence him as a prison releasee reoffender.
We affirm without further comment as to the first two issues. Regarding the third issue, however, we agree with Broo-kens that the trial court erroneously utilized his conviction for battery on a law enforcement officer as a qualifying offense to sentence him as a prison releasee reof-fender. In State v. Hearns, 961 So. 2d 211 (Fla.2007), the Florida Supreme Court observed that section 775.082, Florida Statutes, which authorizes a qualifying individual to be sentenced as a prison releasee reoffender, does not specifically list battery on a law enforcement officer as a qualifying offense. The court also noted that in addition to those offenses specifically listed in the statute, section 775.082(9)(a)l. includes as a qualifying offense “[a]ny felony that involves the use or threat of physical force or violence against an individual-” § 775.082(9)(a)l.o., Fla. Stat. (2005).
The court analyzed the elements of the offense of battery on a law enforcement officer to determine whether it qualifies as a felony that involves the use or threat of physical force or violence and concluded that it does not. Because battery on a law enforcement officer is not a qualifying offense under section 775.082, Brookens was improperly sentenced as a prison releasee reoffender.
Accordingly, we reverse the sentence imposed on Brookens as a prison releasee reoffender for battery on a law enforcement officer and remand for resentencing on that count.
We affirm in all other respects.
AFFIRMED IN PART; REVERSED IN PART; AND REMANDED.
PLEUS and THOMPSON, JJ., concur.
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Walker v. State, 965 So. 2d 1281 (Fla. 2d DCA 2007)…ical force or violence.’” Id. at 220. Therefore, the analysis in Hearns compels the conclusion that Walker was improperly sentenced as a PRR on the offenses of battery on a law enforcement officer and battery on a firefighter. See Brookens v. State, 963 So. 2d 901 (Fla. 5th DCA 2007). The State properly concedes this point. Resisting Arrest With Violence This court has previously held that “[s]ince resisting arrest with violence is a felony that involves the use or threat of physical force or violence, the…
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Rawlings v. State, 976 So. 2d 1179 (Fla. 5th DCA 2008)…on a law enforcement officer. As to the battery charge, we agree with Rawl-ings because battery is not a felony that necessarily involves the use or threat of physical force or violence. State v. Hearns, 961 So. 2d 211 (Fla.2007); Brookens v. State, 963 So. 2d 901 (Fla. 5th DCA 2007). However, the trial court did not err in sentencing Rawlings as a PRR for resisting an officer with violence because violence is a necessary element of the offense. See § 843.01, Fla. Stat. (2005); [*1182] Walker v. State, 965 So…
Authorities Cited
- State v. Hearns, 961 So. 2d 211 (Fla. 2007)