RONALD MELNIK, JR., PETITIONER,
v.
STATE OF FLORIDA, RESPONDENT

Fla. 4th DCA | 2012-05-23
No. 4D11-1965
Gerber, J., Taylor, J., Ciklin, J.
87 So. 3d 1255 Florida District Court of Appeal, Fourth District (2012) Positive Treatment
Cited by 1 case

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Synopsis

The Fourth District Court of Appeal denied a petition for writ of habeas corpus challenging a pretrial detention order, holding that the trial court properly exercised its discretion to deny bond after the state established proof of guilt was evident or presumption great in a capital or life-imprisonment case.


Holding

When a person accused of a capital offense or life imprisonment offense seeks release on bail, the court has discretion to grant or deny bail once the state establishes proof of guilt is evident or presumption great, and the burden then shifts to the accused to demonstrate release is appropriate.


Headnotes

[1] When a defendant accused of a capital offense or offense punishable by life imprisonment seeks bail, the court has discretion to deny bail if the state establishes proof…

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Key Quotes

“A petition for writ of habeas corpus is the proper vehicle to challenge an order of pretrial detention.”

The court explained the proper procedural vehicle for challenging bond denials.

Facts & Procedural History

The defendant was accused of a capital offense or offense punishable by life imprisonment and sought release on bail, which the circuit court denied.…

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Opinion of the Court
GERBER, J.

GERBER, J.

The defendant challenges the circuit court’s order denying bond. The defendant has filed that challenge as an appeal from a final order. The proper vehicle in which to have filed that challenge was as a petition for writ of habeas corpus. See Simeus v. Rambosk, — So.3d—, 2011 WL 3503504 (Fla. 2d DCA 2011) (“A petition for writ of habeas corpus is the proper vehicle to challenge an order of pretrial detention.”) (citations omitted). We treat the appeal as a petition for writ of habeas corpus. See Fla. R.App. P. 9.040(c) (“If a party seeks an improper remedy, the cause shall be treated as if the proper remedy had been sought....”).

We deny the petition. “[W]hen a person accused of a capital offense or an offense punishable by life imprisonment seeks release on bail, it is within the discretion of *1256the court to grant or deny bail when the proof of guilt is evident or the presumption great.” State v. Arthur, 390 So.2d 717, 717 (Fla.1980). After the state carries its burden of establishing that the proof of guilt is evident or the presumption great, “the burden is on the accused to demonstrate that release on bail is appropriate.” Id. at 720. Based on our review of the record, the state carried its burden of establishing that the proof of guilt is evident and the presumption great, and the defendant did not demonstrate that release on bail is appropriate.

Petition denied.

TAYLOR and CIKLIN, JJ., concur.


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