JOE CARRINGTON, APPELLANT,
v.
STATE OF FLORIDA, APPELLEE

Fla. 4th DCA | 2009-04-22
No. 4D09-410
POLEN, STEVENSON and TAYLOR, JJ., concur.
9 So. 3d 1257 Florida District Court of Appeal, Fourth District (2009)

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Synopsis

Joe Carrington appeals the summary denial of his motion for postconviction relief claiming ineffective assistance of counsel. The Fourth District Court of Appeal affirmed the trial court's denial, finding the motion facially insufficient, but allowed Carrington an opportunity to file an amended motion within 30 days.


Holding

The trial court's summary denial was affirmed because Carrington's motion failed to specifically identify how counsel's performance fell below that of reasonably competent counsel and failed to demonstrate that but for such deficiency he would not have entered the plea. However, Carrington was afforded an opportunity to amend the facially insufficient motion within 30 days if he could do so in good faith.


Headnotes

[1] A motion for postconviction relief alleging ineffective assistance of counsel must specifically identify how counsel's performance fell below that of reasonably competent…

[2] A defendant should be afforded an opportunity to amend a facially insufficient motion for postconviction relief if the defendant can do so in good faith.

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Key Quotes

“The motion fails to specifically identify how counsel's performance fell below that of reasonably competent counsel and fails to demonstrate that but for counsel's deficient performance appellant would not have entered the plea and would have insisted on going to trial.”

Establishes the two-part test required for ineffective assistance of counsel claims in the postconviction context

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Facts & Procedural History

Carrington entered a negotiated plea to three third-degree felony counts and was placed on probation. The negotiated plea resulted in a sentence below…

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Opinion of the Court
PER CURIAM.

PER CURIAM.

We affirm the trial court’s summary denial of appellant’s motion for postconviction relief. Appellant entered a negotiated plea to three third-degree felony counts and was placed on probation. His motion generally alleged that counsel performed deficiently and provided misadvice.1 Our review of the record reveals that counsel negotiated a very favorable plea bargain for appellant and that the factual basis was sufficient.

The motion fails to specifically identify how counsel’s performance fell below that of reasonably competent counsel and fails to demonstrate that but for counsel’s deficient performance appellant would not have entered the plea and would have insisted on going to trial. See Grosvenor v. State, 874 So.2d 1176, 1179 (Fla.2004). Appellant should be afforded at least one opportunity to amend the facially insufficient motion if he can do so in good faith. Spera v. State, 971 So.2d 754, 762 (Fla.2007).

Accordingly, affirmance is without prejudice for appellant to file a facially sufficient motion within thirty (30) days of the date of this court’s mandate if he can do so in good faith. Appellant is advised that, if successful in collaterally attacking his plea, he will again be facing five years in prison on each count including the one-year mandatory minimum terms of incarceration he *1258was facing on two of the counts.2

POLEN, STEVENSON and TAYLOR, JJ., concur.


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