CURTIS ROGERS, APPELLANT,
v.
STATE OF FLORIDA, APPELLEE
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Curtis Rogers appealed the revocation of his youthful offender status and his probation sentences following violations. The Fourth District Court of Appeal held that youthful offender status cannot be revoked based on allegations brought as probation violations rather than separate criminal charges, and that sentences for probation violations must not exceed statutory maximums for the underlying offenses.
The court held that youthful offender status cannot be revoked when a burglary allegation is charged as part of a probation violation rather than as a separate substantive offense by information. The court further held that sentences for third-degree felony probation violations are limited to a maximum of five years (not 9.7 years), while second-degree felonies properly carry a 15-year sentence. The court remanded Case No. 00-21407 to determine whether a second amended affidavit existed supporting the probation violation in that case.
[1] A court cannot revoke a defendant's youthful offender status if the alleged violation is not an independently charged crime via information or a separate conviction.
[2] A youthful offender violating probation cannot be sentenced to a term longer than the maximum sentence for the underlying offense, with credit for time served.
Previewing 2 of 6 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“Once a court classifies a defendant as a youthful offender, it is prohibited from imposing sanctions other than those of the Youthful Offender Act.”
Establishes the fundamental principle that youthful offender status limits sentencing options to those permitted under the Act
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceRogers was originally sentenced as a youthful offender to split sentences of prison time and probation on eight separately-filed informations. After h…
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SHAHOOD, C.J.
Following a finding that appellant, Curtis Rogers, had violated his probation, the trial court revoked his youthful offender status, his probation, and sentenced him in each of the underlying offenses to 15 years in prison for his second-degree felonies and 9.7 years in prison for his third-degree felonies. Appellant argues that his sentences violated the Youthful Offender Act and that there was no record evidence supporting the violation of probation for one of the sentences. We agree.
Appellant was originally charged by eight separately-filed informations and sentenced as a youthful offender to split sentences of prison time and probation. Following his release from custody, affidavits of violation of probation and warrants were filed. The affidavits were amended two times to include three grounds: the failure to report to the probation office as directed; failure to obtain consent of the probation officer before changing residences; and the failure to live and remain at liberty without violating any law by committing the criminal offense of burglary of an occupied dwelling.1
A violation of probation hearing was held and the trial court found appellant in violation of his probation by changing his residence and committing the offense of burglary of a dwelling.
The trial court first erred in revoking appellant’s youthful offender status. “Once a court classifies a defendant as a youthful offender, it is prohibited from imposing sanctions other than those of the Youthful Offender Act.” Mendez v. State, 835 So. 2d 348, 349 (Fla. 4th DCA 2003); State v. Arnette, 604 So. 2d 482, 484 (Fla.1992) (“[Yjouthful offenders maintain youthful offender status even when they violate a condition of community control.”); State v. Watts, 558 So. 2d 994, 997-98 (Fla.1990) (“nce the circuit court has given a defendant youthful offender status and has sentenced him as a youthful offender, it must continue that status and only resen-tence the defendant as a youthful offender for a violation of the probation or community control portion of his youthful offender sentence.”); Gardner v. State, 656 So. 2d 933 (Fla. 1st DCA 1995); Young v. State, 654 So. 2d 1206 (Fla. 5th DCA 1995).
Youthful offender status may be revoked when the defendant is charged and convicted with a new, substantive offense. See Boynton v. State, 896 So. 2d 898, 899 (Fla. 3d DCA 2005). However, if the defendant is not charged by information with the new, substantive offense, but rather is charged by way of a violation of the defendant’s youthful offender commitment, the defendant’s youthful offender status may not be revoked. Id. Here, the allegation of a burglary of an occupied dwelling was one of the three grounds for appellant’s violation of probation, not an independently charged crime via an information, nor was appellant separately convicted of the crime.
Second, the lower court erred in imposing a sentence for appellant’s third-degree felonies in excess of the maximum permissible sentence for substantive violations of the Youthful Offender Act. In six of appellant’s original cases, he committed third-degree felonies and was designated a youthful offender. After violating probation, the trial court sentenced appellant to a concurrent term of 9.7 years in prison on each of the eight third-degree felony counts. These sentences are illegal as they exceed the five year maximum permissible sentence which may be legally imposed for a • substantive violation of a Youthful Offender Act sentence involving a third-degree felony. Pursuant to section 958.14, Florida Statutes (2000), a violator of youthful offender probation whose violation is substantive must be credited with time served and cannot be sentenced in excess of the maximum permitted for the underlying crime. Section 958.14 states:
A violation or alleged violation of probation or the terms of a community control program shall subject the youthful offender to the provisions of s. 948.06(1). However, no youthful offender shall be committed to the custody of the department for a substantive violation for a period longer than the maximum sentence for the offense for which he or she was found guilty, with credit for time served while incarcerated, or for a technical or nonsubstantive violation for a period longer than 6 years or for a period longer than the maximum sentence for the offense for which he or she was found guilty, whichever is less, with credit for time served while incarcerated.
§ 958.14, Fla. Stat. (2000).
A person who has been convicted of a third-degree felony may be punished by a term of imprisonment not exceeding five years. § 775.082(3)(d), Fla. Stat. Therefore; appellant’s sentence should be limited to the maximum sentence of five years for third-degree felonies. See Bryant v. State, 876 So. 2d 623 (Fla. 4th DCA 2004).
Additionally, appellant was originally charged with five counts of second-degree felonies. Second-degree felonies have a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years. § 775.082(3)(e), Fla. Stat. Appellant, therefore, was properly sentenced to 15. years in prison for these felonies, but he should retain his youthful offender status as he was never convicted of the substantive offense that was a reason for his revocation of probation.
Third, appellant argues that the trial court erred in finding a violation of probation in Case No. 00-21407 where there is no record evidence supporting the allegation.
In seven of appellant’s cases, an initial affidavit and warrant for violation of probation listing one violation was issued to appellant, followed by an amended affidavit and warrant listing two violations, followed by a second amended affidavit and warrant listing three violations. The third violation in the second amended affidavit and warrant alleged that appellant failed to live and remain at liberty without violating any law by committing the criminal offense of burglary of an occupied dwelling. In Case No. 00-21407, appellant’s eighth case, there is no record evidence of a second amended affidavit or warrant issued. In an affidavit by the Clerk’s Office for the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit, the Office indicated that the second amended affidavit of probation and warrant for Case No. 00-21407 cannot be located.
“A trial court cannot revoke a defendant’s community control for conduct not charged by affidavit of violation and warrant.” Baker v. State, 760 So. 2d 1115, 1116 (Fla. 4th DCA 2000). However, when there is evidence from the trial transcript of the existence of the missing affidavit, this court has remanded with instructions for the trial court to conduct further proceedings to determine the existence of the missing affidavit. Id. at 1117; Howard v. State, 883 So. 2d 879, 880 (Fla. 4th DCA 2004).
The transcript in this case demonstrates that there was testimony given regarding appellant’s offense of burglary of a dwelling. The owner of the burglarized home testified. The investigating officer testified that he found fingerprints in the home and interviewed family members present in the home. A latent fingerprint examiner testified that she found appellant’s fingerprints in the home. A detective testified that she investigated the burglary and reviewed the results of the fingerprints. Appellant’s probation officer, testified that he was informed that appellant was arrested. The State argued at the hearing that “the State has proved, with sufficient evidence to sway the conscience of this Court, that in fact [appellant] has violated the three allegations in the warrant.” The trial judge stated that he has heard all of the evidence as to the violation of probation and the conditions of probation “in addition to the [testimony of] officers in relationship to the substantive violation alleged in Count III.”
Based on the above, there is evidence from the transcript that the trial court was working with second amended affidavits on all cases and included the third count of violation of probation in making its decision. Accordingly, we remand for the trial court to conduct further proceedings to determine the existence of a second amended affidavit and warrant for Case No. 00-21407.
As for the other sentences, we reverse and remand for the lower court to reestablish appellant’s youthful offender status and resentence him on the third-degree felonies in accordance with this opinion.
Reversed and Remanded.
TAYLOR, J., concurs.
FARMER, J., concurs in conclusion only.
. There is no record evidence that appellant was ever charged by information with this offense.
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Cited By (12 total)
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Blacker v. State, 49 So. 3d 785 (Fla. 4th DCA 2010)…youthful offender sentence, it must continue that status upon resentencing after a violation of probation or community control. State v. Arnette, 604 So. 2d 482, 484 (Fla.1992); Johnson v. State, 41 So. 3d 1115 (Fla. 4th DCA 2010); Rogers v. State, 972 So. 2d 1017, 1019 (Fla. 4th DCA), rev. denied, 988 So. 2d 622 (Fla.2008); Hudson v. State, 989 So. 2d 725, 726 (Fla. 1st DCA 2008); Gardner v. State, 656 So. 2d 933, 937 (Fla. 1st DCA 1995) (“once a defendant is sentenced under the provisions of section 958.04,…
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Christian v. State, 84 So. 3d 437 (Fla. 5th DCA 2012)…(Fla. 3d DCA 2010), rev. granted, 58 So. 3d 260 [*440] (Fla.2011); Morency v. State, 955 So. 2d 67, 68 n. 1 (Fla. 3d DCA 2007). On appeal, however, Christian argues that our holding in Robinson should be viewed as conflicting with Rogers v. State, 972 So. 2d 1017 (Fla. 4th DCA 2008), which contains language suggesting that a new crime may only be classified as a substantive violation of youthful offender probation where the defendant is “charged by information -with the new, substantive offense,” id. at 1019…
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Smith v. State, 143 So. 3d 1023 (Fla. 4th DCA 2014)…(Fla. 4th DCA 2010)). Smith argues that the trial court erred by revoking his youthful offender status as to his original charges because once a defendant is designated a youthful offender, that status cannot be revoked. Relying on Rogers v. State, 972 So. 2d 1017 (Fla. 4th DCA 2008), the State counters that Smith’s youthful offender status could be revoked once Smith was charged with and convicted of three new substantive offenses. We reject the State’s reading of Rogers and point to our subsequent decision…
Previewing 3 of 12 citing cases — full citator treatment, depth of discussion, and citing context are member features.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceAuthorities Cited
- State v. Arnette, 604 So. 2d 482 (Fla. 1992)
- THE Florida BAR v. Hiram Lee Bauman, 558 So. 2d 994 (Fla. 1990)
- State v. Watts, 558 So. 2d 994 (Fla. 1990)
- Gardner v. State, 656 So. 2d 933 (Fla. 1st DCA 1995)
- Marcine Howard v. State, 883 So. 2d 879 (Fla. 4th DCA 2004)
- Mendez v. State, 835 So. 2d 348 (Fla. 4th DCA 2003)
- Boynton v. State, 896 So. 2d 898 (Fla. 3d DCA 2005)
- Baker v. State, 760 So. 2d 1115 (Fla. 4th DCA 2000)
- Young v. State, 654 So. 2d 1206 (Fla. 5th DCA 1995)
- Bryant v. State, 876 So. 2d 623 (Fla. 4th DCA 2004)