KEVIN MILLER, APPELLANT,
v.
STATE OF FLORIDA, APPELLEE
AI-generated. These summaries, headnotes, and key points are machine-generated and may contain errors or omissions. Always verify against the full opinion text below. Not legal advice.
Kevin Miller appealed his guilty plea to armed robbery and attempted felony murder, arguing the facts did not support the armed robbery charge because the alleged weapon was an automobile. The court agreed that under State v. Burris, an automobile cannot constitute a weapon for armed robbery purposes, and reversed, holding this constituted fundamental error despite Miller's failure to raise it at trial.
Miller's conviction for armed robbery must be reversed because under State v. Burris, an automobile cannot constitute a weapon for armed robbery purposes. Fundamental error occurs when the record affirmatively demonstrates the crime to which a defendant pleaded guilty could not have occurred, even if not raised at trial. On remand, the State may either accept a conviction for simple robbery with resentencing, or allow Miller to withdraw his plea and face trial on the original charges minus the armed component.
[1] A motor vehicle cannot constitute a "weapon" for purposes of aggravating a robbery charge.
[2] A conviction for an offense that could not have occurred constitutes fundamental error, which may be raised for the first time on appeal.
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“the use of a motor vehicle cannot constitute "carrying a weapon" for purposes of aggravating a robbery charge”
Establishes the legal principle from State v. Burris that forms the basis for reversal of the armed robbery conviction
Previewing 1 of 3 key quotes on this case — the court’s exact language, pinpointed for members.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceMiller was initially charged with three counts of criminal conduct, including armed robbery based on his use of an automobile as a weapon. He pleaded …
The full statement of facts, procedural history, and disposition for this case are member content.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligence© FLexlaw, Inc. — AI-generated enrichments are proprietary. All rights reserved.
Explore caselaw by topic → Browse Armed Robbery Elements cases and more on FLexlaw
WOLF, J.
Appellant, Kevin Miller, asserts that his plea to armed robbery and attempted felony murder must be overturned because the facts do not support the armed robbery charge. The State correctly concedes as to this issue. State v. Burris, 875 So. 2d 408 (Fla.2004) (holding that the use of a motor vehicle cannot constitute “carrying a weapon” for purposes of aggravating a robbery charge).
The State initially charged appellant with three counts of criminal conduct, including one count of armed robbery based on his use of an automobile as a weapon. Appellant pled guilty to armed robbery and attempted felony murder, with the State dropping a third charge. Pursuant to the plea, appellant was sentenced to two concurrent 25-year terms. The information and the factual basis for the plea proffered by the prosecution affirmatively demonstrate that the weapon appellant was alleged to have carried was an automobile. However, under Burris, appellant could be convicted only of simple robbery. 875 So. 2d at 408. Although appellant did not raise this issue in the trial court, this error constitutes fundamental error and may be raised for the first time on appeal. See Kilmartin v. State, 848 So. 2d 1222 (Fla. 1st DCA 2003) (holding fundamental error may be raised for the first time on appeal notwithstanding rule 9.140(b)(2)(A), Florida Rule of Appellate Procedure).
We determine that, in those cases where the record affirmatively demonstrates the crime to which defendant pled guilty could not have occurred, fundamental error occurs. Error is.fundamental in nature where a manifest injustice would otherwise occur; a manifest injustice includes convicting appellant “for an offense for which he could not have been convicted.” Silverstein v. State, 985 So. 2d 635 (Fla. 4th DCA 2008); see also Sherwood v. State, 734 So. 2d 1050 (Fla. 1st DCA 1998); Dydek v. State, 400 So. 2d 1255 (Fla. 2d DCA 1981); Waugh v. State, 388 So. 2d 253, 254 (Fla. 2d DCA 1980).
Judge Allen relies on Novaton v. State, 634 So. 2d 607 (Fla.1994), for the proposition that an appellant waives his right to appeal even fundamental error upon the entry of a negotiated plea. While this is one possible interpretation of Novaton, it is an interpretation that would lead to significant concerns in the future regarding the rights of defendants to challenge the most grave of fundamental errors.
Novaton involved a situation where the appellant committed two separate crimes but had the right to be sentenced to only one. The supreme court determined that, under circumstances in which a defendant has received the beneficial results of a bargained plea, the right to raise double jeopardy issues has been waived. 634 So. 2d at 609. We decline to extend Nova-ton to the circumstances of the present case because both the charging information and the factual basis presented to support the plea affirmatively demonstrate that the crime to which appellant pled could not have taken place and this is not a double jeopardy claim.
The error in this case may be resolved in one of two ways. The trial court may either enter a conviction for simple robbery and resentence appellant as to that count, or appellant may be allowed to withdraw the plea and face trial on the original charges minus the armed component of the robbery. Pursuant to this opinion, only the State will not receive the full benefit of the plea negotiation; thus, the State shall have the option of how to proceed on remand. See Jolly v. State, 392 So. 2d 54 (Fla. 5th DCA 1981) (holding that, in situations requiring reversal for reduction of sentence in contravention of the original plea agreement, the State should be given the option of either (1) withdrawing the plea agreement and proceeding on the original charge or (2) vacating the excessive sentence while having the judgment stand and allowing for a resentencing).
We find no merit as to the other issues raised by appellant. REVERSED.
POLSTON, J., concurs; ALLEN, J., dissents with opinion.
ALLEN, J.,
dissenting.
Unlike the defendant in Burris, the appellant in the present case entered a negotiated plea of guilty without reserving any issues for appeal. The challenge he presents is therefore not authorized under Florida Rule of Appellate Procedure 9.140(b)(2)(A). This case also does not appear to present any issue of fundamental error that might provide a basis for a challenge on a ground other than' those specified in rule 9.140(b)(2)(A). And even if this were a matter of fundamental error, the appellant waived the right to raise it on appeal when he entered his negotiated plea. See, e.g., Guynn v. State, 861 So. 2d 449 (Fla. 1st DCA 2003)(explaining that Kilmartin is inapplicable in the context of a negotiated plea); Novaton v. State, 634 So. 2d 607 (Fla.1994). I would accordingly affirm the judgments and sentences under review.
Cases With Similar Vibessemantic neighbors from the corpus
Citator
Cited By
-
Figueroa v. State, 84 So. 3d 1158 (Fla. 2d DCA 2012)…charged with committing and a conviction wrongfully entered. We conclude that the circumstances of this case present the “uncommon and extraordinary circumstances” constituting manifest injustice. See Stephens, 974 So. 2d at 457-58; Miller v. State, 988 So. 2d 138, 139 (Fla. 1st DCA 2008); see also Lawton v. State, 731 So. 2d 60, 61 (Fla. 2d DCA 1999) (concluding illegal sentence was fundamental error that needed to be corrected because the result was a manifest injustice to the defendant). Based on the fore…
-
Haliburton v. State, 7 So. 3d 601 (Fla. 4th DCA 2009)…rohibition against double jeopardy). In this postconviction context, the inquiry focuses on whether a manifest injustice will occur if the error is not corrected. See, e.g., Silverstein v. State, 985 So. 2d 635 (Fla. 4th DCA 2008); Miller v. State, 988 So. 2d 138, 139 (Fla. 1st DCA 2008) (explaining that fundamental error and a manifest injustice result when a defendant is convicted of an offense for which the defendant could not have been convicted as a matter of law). Conclusion The alleged error in this…
-
Bruce v. State, 993 So. 2d 155 (Fla. 1st DCA 2008)…tter of fundamental error, had he been convicted at trial or entered an open plea. In light of this fundamental error, we reverse Appellant’s conviction for felony DWLS, even though Appellant entered a negotiated plea. Recently, in Miller v. State, 988 So. 2d 138, 139 (Fla. 1st DCA 2008), this court held that where the record affirmatively demonstrates that a defendant could not have committed the crime to which he entered a guilty plea, then fundamental error has occurred, and the defendant’s right to appea…
Previewing 3 of 10 citing cases — full citator treatment, depth of discussion, and citing context are member features.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceAuthorities Cited (11 total)
- Novaton v. State, 634 So. 2d 607 (Fla. 1994)
- State v. Burris, 875 So. 2d 408 (Fla. 2004)
- Jolly v. State, 392 So. 2d 54 (Fla. 5th DCA 1981)
- Dydek v. State, 400 So. 2d 1255 (Fla. 2d DCA 1981)
- Kilmartin v. State, 848 So. 2d 1222 (Fla. 1st DCA 2003)
- Guynn v. State, 861 So. 2d 449 (Fla. 1st DCA 2003)
- Sweeting Nursing Hosp. v. State, 388 So. 2d 253 (Fla. 4th DCA 1980)
- Thomas v. Waugh, 388 So. 2d 253 (Fla. 2d DCA 1980)
- Horton v. State, 734 So. 2d 1050 (Fla. 1st DCA 1998)
- Silverstein v. State, 985 So. 2d 635 (Fla. 4th DCA 2008)