SIRRON J. JOHNSON, APPELLANT,
v.
STATE OF FLORIDA, APPELLEE
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Johnson appeals the denial of his motion to correct illegal sentences, challenging upward departure sentences imposed under Florida's sentencing guidelines as violating Apprendi and Blakely. The court held that although these decisions do not apply retroactively, they apply to resentencings occurring after Apprendi was decided, and remanded for the trial court to either refute Johnson's claim or apply harmless error analysis.
The court held that Apprendi and Blakely apply to resentencings occurring after Apprendi became final but before Blakely was decided, consistent with Isaac v. State. Under a guidelines sentencing scheme, the statutory maximum for Apprendi purposes is the maximum guidelines sentence without an upward departure, and any factors used to exceed that maximum must be based on jury findings, admitted facts, or prior convictions. The case was remanded for the trial court to either refute the claim or apply harmless error analysis from Galindez v. State.
[1] Apprendi and Blakely apply to a defendant who is resentenced after Apprendi became final but before Blakely was decided.
[2] Under a guidelines sentencing scheme, the 'statutory maximum' for Apprendi purposes is the maximum sentence a judge may impose solely on the basis of the facts reflected…
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligence“Apprendi v. New Jersey, 530 U.S. 466, 120 S.Ct. 2348, 147 L.Ed.2d 435 (2000), and Blakely v. Washington, 542 U.S. 296, 124 S.Ct. 2531, 159 L.Ed.2d 403 (2004), although decided after Isaac's conviction and original sentence were final, apply to any resentencing that took place after Apprendi came down, even resentencings taking place before Blakely was decided.”
Establishes the temporal rule for when Apprendi and Blakely apply to resentencings
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceJohnson was convicted in 1996 of armed kidnapping, armed sexual battery, and armed robbery, with a permitted sentencing range of 9.6 to 16 years. He w…
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The appellant challenges the denial of his motion to correct illegal sentence filed pursuant to Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.800(a). We reverse and remand for further proceedings.
On August 24, 1996, following a jury trial, the appellant was convicted of one count of armed kidnapping, one count of armed sexual battery, and one count of armed robbery. He alleges that the permitted sentencing range on his guidelines scoresheet was 9.6 to 16 years’ imprisonment. Appellant alleges that the trial court sentenced appellant to concurrent upward departure sentences of 48 years’ imprisonment on each count. The Florida Supreme Court affirmed the appellant’s judgment and sentence on June 22, 2000. On June 19, 2002, in response to a motion to correct illegal sentence, the appellant was resentenced to concurrent terms of 40 years’ imprisonment on the charges of armed kidnapping and armed sexual battery. The trial court reimposed the same 48 year sentence on the charge of armed robbery.
The appellant filed the instant motion to correct illegal sentence asserting that his upward departure sentences violate the principles announced in Apprendi1 and Blakely2. The trial court noted that neither Apprendi nor Blakely applies retroactively and denied relief.
In Isaac v. State, 911 So.2d 813 (Fla. 1st DCA 2005), this Court held that although Apprendi does not apply retroactively, Ap-prendi and Blakely apply to a defendant who is resentenced after Apprendi became final but before Blakely was decided. This holding was recently reaffirmed in Monnar v. State, 984 So.2d 619 (Fla. 1st DCA 2008). In that case, this Court noted that the supreme court held in Galindez v. State, 955 So.2d 517 (Fla.2007), that a harmless error analysis applies to any Apprendi/Blakely error. This Court went on to hold:
The supreme court’s decision [in Galindez ] did not, however, supersede or disapprove of our decision in Isaac v. State, *625911 So.2d 813 (Fla. 1st DCA 2005), which held that Apprendi v. New Jersey, 530 U.S. 466, 120 S.Ct. 2348, 147 L.Ed.2d 435 (2000), and Blakely v. Washington, 542 U.S. 296, 124 S.Ct. 2531, 159 L.Ed.2d 403 (2004), although decided after Isaac’s conviction and original sentence were final, apply to any resentencing that took place after Ap-prendi came down, even resentencings taking place before Blakely was decided. On this point, Isaac still controls, not as law of the case, but as governing precedent within the First District.
Monnar, 984 So.2d at 619.
Here, the appellant was resentenced after Apprendi was decided but before Blakely came down. Thus, pursuant to Isaac, the dictates of Apprendi and Blakely apply to appellant’s sentences.
The trial court held that even if Appren-di applies, the sentences imposed did not violate Apprendi because they were not above the statutory máximums for the offenses. However, the appellant was sentenced pursuant to the sentencing guidelines, not the Criminal Punishment Code. Thus, as Blakely makes clear, the statutory maximum would be the maximum guidelines sentence appellant could receive without the court imposing an upward departure. See Behl v. State, 898 So.2d 217 (Fla. 2d DCA 2005) (holding that pursuant to Blakely, “under a guidelines sentencing scheme which restricts judicial discretion in imposing sentences, the factors used to calculate the maximum guidelines sentence to which a defendant is exposed must be based either on (1) findings made by the jury, (2) facts admitted by the defendant, or (3) the defendant’s prior convictions”).
Accordingly, we REVERSE and REMAND for the trial court to either attach portions of the record conclusively refuting appellant’s claim or to conduct further proceedings pursuant to Galindez v. State, 955 So.2d 517 (Fla.2007) (holding that harmless error analysis applies to Apprendi/Blakely errors).
BARFIELD and VAN NORTWICK, JJ., concur; KAHN, J., concurs with opinion.
concurring.
I concur in result because remand for harmless error analysis is mandated by Monnar v. State, 984 So.2d 619 (Fla. 1st DCA 2008). On the merits of appellant’s claim, however, I would find that Apprendi and Blakely do not apply. See Isaac v. State, 911 So.2d 813, 815 (Fla. 1st DCA 2005) (Kahn, J., dissenting.) The Isaac matter is, of course, now pending briefing in the Florida Supreme Court. See State v. Isaac, 4 So.3d 677 (Fla.2009).
KAHN, J.,
concurring.
I concur in result because remand for harmless error analysis is mandated by Monnar v. State, 984 So. 2d 619 (Fla. 1st DCA 2008). On the merits of appellant’s claim, however, I would find that Apprendi and Blakely do not apply. See Isaac v. State, 911 So. 2d 813, 815 (Fla. 1st DCA 2005) (Kahn, J., dissenting.) The Isaac matter is, of course, now pending briefing in the Florida Supreme Court. See State v. Isaac, 4 So. 3d 677 (Fla.2009).
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State v. Sirron Johnson, 122 So. 3d 856 (Fla. 2013)…whether the definition of the term “statutory maximum” announced in Blakely v. Washington, 542 U.S. 296, 124 S.Ct. 2531, 159 L.Ed.2d 403 (2004), applies to final criminal sentences imposed before the decision in Blakely issued. In Johnson v. State, 18 So. 3d 623, 625 (Fla. 1st DCA 2009), the First District Court of Appeal held that Blakely's new definition applies retroactively to cases on collateral review in which sentences were imposed after the Supreme Court’s decision in Apprendi v. New Jersey, 530 U.S…
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Hester v. State, 267 So. 3d 1084 (Fla. 1st DCA 2019)
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Speights v. State, 102 So. 3d 671 (Fla. 2d DCA 2012)…r, 543 U.S. 220, 125 S.Ct. 738, 160 L.Ed.2d 621 (2005), requires that under a guidelines sentencing scheme, the relevant maximum sentence pursuant to Apprendi is the upper end of the guidelines range, not the statutory maximum. See Johnson v. State, 18 So. 3d 623, 625 (Fla. 1st DCA 2009) (“[Ajppellant was sentenced pursuant to the sentencing guidelines, not the Criminal Punishment Code. Thus, as Blakely makes clear, the statutory maximum would be the maximum guidelines sentence appellant could receive withou…
Authorities Cited
- Apprendi v. New Jersey, 530 U.S. 466 (U.S. 2000)
- Blakely v. Washington, 542 U.S. 296 (U.S. 2004)
- Galindez v. State, 955 So. 2d 517 (Fla. 2007)
- Lemuel E. Isaac v. State, 911 So. 2d 813 (Fla. 1st DCA 2005)
- Behl v. State, 898 So. 2d 217 (Fla. 2d DCA 2005)
- Setts v. State, 4 So. 3d 677 (Fla. 2009)
- Maynor E. Monnar v. State, 984 So. 2d 619 (Fla. 1st DCA 2008)
- Burks v. McNEIL, 984 So. 2d 619 (Fla. 1st DCA 2008)