DANIELLE HOULE, APPELLANT,
v.
STATE OF FLORIDA, APPELLEE
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Danielle Houle appeals her DUI conviction causing serious bodily injury and the trial court's imposition of various sanctions including driving privilege revocation, public defender fees, fines, and assessments. The court affirmed the permanent revocation of driving privileges but reversed and remanded several financial sanctions for lack of proper statutory basis or factual findings.
The court affirmed the permanent revocation of driving privileges as a sound exercise of discretion under section 322.28(4)(a), though the trial court cited the incorrect statute. The court reversed the $500 public defender fee assessment, the two $500 optional fines, and the $135 DUI assessment, and remanded for proper evidentiary hearings and statutory findings. The court affirmed the assessment of prosecution and investigation costs.
[1] A trial court may permanently revoke a defendant's driving privileges upon conviction of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol and causing serious bodily injury…
[2] A trial court may not use a statute governing general traffic violations to revoke driving privileges for a DUI conviction.
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“Section 316.655(2) may not be used to revoke driving privileges for a DUI conviction.”
Establishes that while the trial court used the wrong statutory citation, the substantive outcome was proper under the correct statute.
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceHoule was convicted of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol causing serious bodily injury under section 316.193(3)(c)2., Florida Statutes. …
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We affirm the trial court’s permanent revocation of appellant’s driving privileges. Appellant was convicted of one count of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol and causing serious bodily injury under section 316.193(3)(c)2., Florida Statutes (2008). Pursuant to section 322.28(4)(a), the trial court shall revoke the driving privileges of a person convicted under section 316.193(3)(c)2. “for a *823minimum period of 3 years.” This section permits the trial court to revoke a defendant’s driving privileges permanently. Stoletz v. State, 875 So.2d 572 (Fla.2004). The trial court, however, revoked appellant’s driving privileges pursuant to section 316.655(2), not section 322.28(4)(a). Section 316.655(2) may not be used to revoke driving privileges for a DUI conviction. Stoletz, 875 So.2d at 575-76. Nevertheless, while the trial court cited the incorrect statute, the trial court’s order revoking appellant’s driving privileges was a sound exercise of its discretion under section 322.28(4)(a), and we affirm.
By contrast, we reverse the trial court’s imposition of a lien for public defender fees. The trial court was obligated to assess appellant at least $100 in fees and costs because she was convicted of a felony. § 938.29(l)(a), Fla. Stat. A trial court may assess more than $100 in fees, but the court must make factual findings of “higher fees or costs incurred.” Id. Here, the trial court assessed $500 in fees and costs against appellant without considering any evidence to establish a reasonable hourly rate or the amount of time spent by the public defender on the case. The trial court also failed to inform appellant of her right to contest this assessment. We find the $500 assessment to be arbitrary, and we strike the assessment of public defender fees without prejudice and remand for an evidentiary hearing. See R.R. v. State, 956 So.2d 557, 558 (Fla. 5th DCA 2007). On remand, the trial court must advise appellant of her right to contest any lien imposed for public defender fees. Fla. R.Crim. P. 3.720(d)(1); Hayes v. State, 25 So.3d 683, 684-85 (Fla. 2d DCA 2010).
We also reverse the trial court’s imposition of two optional $500 fines under section 775.0835 for causing injury to another. Section 775.0835(1) requires the court to find “that the defendant has the present ability to pay the fine.” The trial court made no such finding, so the imposition of these fines was error. Meekins v. State, 492 So.2d 484 (Fla. 4th DCA 1986). Therefore, we strike these fines without prejudice and remand for an evidentiary hearing.
Finally, we are compelled to reverse the $135 “DUI assessment.” The court does not cite any statutory basis for this fee. “Absent statutory authority, courts do not have the power to assess costs against a defendant upon conviction.” Lee v. State, 785 So.2d 603, 605 (Fla. 4th DCA 2001). The State concedes error on this point. Accordingly, we strike the $135 DUI assessment without prejudice and remand to permit the trial court to reimpose this fee with a proper statutory basis.
We affirm the trial court’s assessment of the costs of prosecution and investigation under section 938.27(1).
Affirmed in part; reversed in part; remanded.
TAYLOR, GERBER and LEVINE, JJ., concur.
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Maestas v. State, 76 So. 3d 991 (Fla. 4th DCA 2011)
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Geraldo Alexis v. State, 211 So. 3d 81 (Fla. 4th DCA 2017)
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Harmon v. State, 160 So. 3d 939 (Fla. 5th DCA 2015)
Previewing 3 of 8 citing cases — full citator treatment, depth of discussion, and citing context are member features.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceAuthorities Cited
- Stoletz v. State, 875 So. 2d 572 (Fla. 2004)
- LEE v. State of Fla. & Palm Beach Cnty., 785 So. 2d 603 (Fla. 4th DCA 2001)
- Hayes v. State, 25 So. 3d 683 (Fla. 2d DCA 2010)
- Meekins v. State, 492 So. 2d 484 (Fla. 4th DCA 1986)
- Roseme Gibson v. State, 956 So. 2d 557 (Fla. 5th DCA 2007)
- R.R. v. State, 956 So. 2d 557 (Fla. 5th DCA 2007)