HUBERT GRAVES, III, APPELLANT,
v.
STATE OF FLORIDA, APPELLEE

Fla. 5th DCA | 2012-08-24
No. 5B11-2847
SAWAYA and JACOBUS, JJ., concur.
95 So. 3d 1033 Florida District Court of Appeal, Fifth District (2012) Positive Treatment
Cited by 7 cases

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Synopsis

Hubert Graves was convicted of both lewd or lascivious battery and lewd or lascivious molestation arising from a single sexual assault on a minor. The court reversed one conviction on double jeopardy grounds, holding that the two offenses arose from the same criminal conduct and the molestation charge's only distinct element (lascivious intent) was insufficient to permit multiple punishments.


Holding

The court held that the dual convictions violate double jeopardy because both offenses arose from a single criminal transaction involving the same act, and the only element distinguishing the molestation charge (lascivious intent) is insufficient to permit multiple punishments. The court reversed one conviction and remanded for entry of a judgment of acquittal on the offense scoring lower under sentencing guidelines.


Headnotes

[1] Convictions for lewd or lascivious molestation under section 800.04(5)(a) and lewd or lascivious conduct under section 800.04(6)(a) violate double jeopardy when arising f…

[2] The Blockburger "same elements" test prohibits multiple convictions for acts occurring in one criminal episode if each offense does not contain at least one element disti…

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Key Quotes

“In determining the constitutionality of multiple convictions and sentences arising from the same criminal transaction, legislative intent is the polestar.”

Establishes the foundational principle guiding the court's double jeopardy analysis under Florida law.

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Facts & Procedural History

Graves, a step-grandfather, sexually assaulted his thirteen-year-old victim during a family reunion in Florida. The victim fell asleep on a couch and …

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Opinion of the Court
COHEN, J.

COHEN, J.

Hubert Graves was convicted by a jury of lewd or lascivious battery and lewd or lascivious molestation. He was sentenced to consecutive fifteen-year terms in the Department of Corrections. He raises two issues on appeal, only one of which merits discussion. Graves claims his convictions on both charges violate double jeopardy.

The evidence adduced at trial reflects that the victim, K.A., was raised by Graves and his wife in Georgia. Graves was K.A.’s step-grandfather. K.A. alleged that Graves molested her on multiple occasions over a period of years. The incident which gave rise to Florida charges occurred during a family reunion. K.A., who was thirteen years old at the time, testified she fell asleep on a couch at the home of a relative and was awakened as Graves carried her to a bedroom. She remembers being turned over on the bed and having her pants and underwear removed. K.A. testified Graves penetrated her vagina with his penis.

As to the lewd or lascivious battery count, the information alleged that Graves *1034“did with his penis penetrate or have union with the sexual organ” of K.A., a person twelve years of age or older, but less than sixteen years of age. As to the lewd or lascivious molestation count, the information alleged that Graves intentionally touched K.A., a person twelve years of age or older but less than sixteen years of age, in a lewd or lascivious manner, and specifically that he “did touch the genitalia of K.A.” The information did not specify the manner of the touching; however, the evidence introduced at trial is clear that the only touching of the victim’s genitalia coincided with the penetration or union alleged in the lewd or lascivious battery count.

In determining the constitutionality of multiple convictions and sentences arising from the same criminal transaction, legislative intent is the polestar. State v. Anderson, 695 So.2d 309, 311 (Fla. 1997). The question becomes whether the Legislature intended to authorize separate punishments. Here, there is no clear legislative intent to allow for multiple punishments for both lewd or lascivious battery1 and lewd or lascivious molestation,2 other than the Legislature’s general position, as articulated in section 775.021(4)(b), Florida Statutes (2011), to convict and sentence for each criminal offense committed in the course of one criminal episode or transaction.

Absent a clear statement of legislative intent, courts employ the Blockburger3 test to determine whether multiple punishments are permissible. Codified in section 775.021, Florida Statutes, that test provides:

Whoever, in the course of one criminal transaction or episode, commits an act or acts which constitute one or more separate criminal offenses, upon conviction and adjudication of guilt, shall be sentenced separately for each criminal offense; and the sentencing judge may order the sentences to be served concurrently or consecutively. For the purposes of this subsection, offenses are separate if each offense requires proof of an element that the other does not, without regard to the accusatory pleading or the proof adduced at trial.

§ 775.021(4)(a), Fla. Stat. For offenses that satisfy this test, multiple punishments are allowed unless one of three exceptions apply:

1. Offenses which require identical elements of proof.
2. Offenses which are degrees of the same offense as provided by statute.
3. Offenses which are lesser offenses the statutory elements of which are subsumed by the greater offense.

§ 775.021(4)(b), Fla. Stat.4

In the instant case, it is undisputed that Graves’ conduct was but a single transaction.5 Looking merely at the elements of *1035the two charges brought against him, lewd or lascivious battery requires the oral, anal, or vaginal penetration by, or union with, the sexual organ of another, or the anal or vaginal penetration of another by any other object. Lewd or lascivious molestation requires proof that the defendant intentionally touched in a lewd or lascivious manner the breasts, genitals, genital area, buttocks, or clothing covering those parts of the victim; or proof that the defendant intentionally forced or enticed the victim to so touch him or her.

Simply examining the elements of the offenses, both of which can clearly be committed in a multitude of ways, each statute contains an element not within the other. Despite its label, lewd or lascivious battery does not require the State to prove lascivious intent.6 Penetration, if by the defendant, must be of the victim’s anus, vagina or mouth. If by the victim, penetration must be of the defendant’s anus, vagina, or mouth. Penetration with any other object must be of either the victim’s anus or vagina. Union, which is defined as contact,7 must be with the anus, vagina, or mouth by either the defendant’s or victim’s sexual organ. Conversely, lewd or lascivious molestation requires a licentious intent. See Roughton v. State, 92 So.3d 284 (Fla. 5th DCA 2012).8 The touching can be by either the defendant or, if forced or enticed, by the victim. The touching could be of the breasts, buttocks, or clothing covering those areas, as well as the genitals or genital area.

However, a literal application of the codified Blockburger test is problematic when offenses can be committed in such a wide variety of ways, especially in light of the instruction that courts are to undergo a double jeopardy analysis “without regard to the accusatory pleading or the proof adduced at trial.” See § 775.021(4)(a), Fla. Stat. In terms of alternative conduct statutes and statutes concerning distinct criminal acts, it is not difficult to find differing elements in each even though there are no accusations of such conduct by the accused. Thus, in Gibbs v. State, 698 So.2d 1206 (Fla.1997) (involving alternative conduct statute), and State v. Meshell, 2 So.3d 132 (Fla.2009) (addressing distinct act statute), the court looked to the charging document to determine the specific conduct alleged. In Gibbs, the defendant was charged with trafficking in cocaine and simple possession of the same cocaine. Noting that trafficking in cocaine can be committed by either selling, purchasing, delivering, bringing into the State, or possessing cocaine, the supreme court concluded that, pursuant to section 775.021(4)(a), Florida Statutes, it was precluded from examining the evidence to determine whether each charge involved the same quantum of cocaine. The supreme court went on to state:

*1036[W]e recognize that an alternative conduct statute, such as the cocaine trafficking statute, requires an analysis that breaks the conduct elements into the specific alternative conduct which is in the other statute being compared. The conduct element of the trafficking statute is not compared by considering the entire range of conduct including possession, sale, purchase, and delivery, but rather by comparing only trafficking possession with simple possession.

698 So.2d at 1209.9 Unless the Gibbs court reviewed the information, there would be no way to determine whether the defendant was charged with trafficking based upon a sale, purchase, delivery, or possession. Double jeopardy would have been violated only if the trafficking was based upon possession of the same drugs which formed the basis of the simple possession charge.

Likewise, in Meshell, the defendant was charged with multiple counts of lewd or lascivious battery. The issue was whether separate convictions could be obtained for performing oral sex on the victim, for having the victim perform oral sex upon him, and for either union with or penetration of the victim’s vagina with his penis. Despite language to the contrary, the only way to know whether the specific acts with which the defendant was charged are “sexual acts of a separate character and type requiring different elements of proof,” is by reference to the charging document. 2 So.3d at 135. This is consistent with the approach this Court has taken in similar double jeopardy cases. See, e.g., Rough-ton, 92 So.3d 284 n. 1; Latimer v. State, 44 So.3d 1239 (Fla. 5th DCA 2010).

If, as in Gibbs, we do not look at the entire theoretical range of conduct encompassed by the statute but rather compare only the conduct alleged in the information, the lewd or lascivious battery count alleged either penetration or union of Grave’s penis with the vagina of the victim. Thus, the range of conduct included union, which is defined as contact with or touching of the victim’s vagina. The lewd or lascivious molestation count alleged an unspecified touching, in a lewd or lascivious manner, of the victim’s genitalia. Based upon the lack of specificity in the charging document, that touching could have occurred with the defendant’s penis.10 The only element contained in the lewd or lascivious molestation count, not subsumed within the lewd or lascivious battery count, is a requirement of a lascivious intent. To avoid a violation of double jeopardy, each offense must contain an element not within the other. Thus, Graves should have been convicted of only one offense. Because both offenses are punishable by a term of imprisonment up to fifteen years, we reverse and remand for entry of a judgment of acquittal for the offense which scores lower on the sentencing guidelines.

AFFIRMED in part; REVERSED in part.

SAWAYA and JACOBUS, JJ., concur.


Cases With Similar Vibessemantic neighbors from the corpus


Citator

Cited By

  • Roughton v. State, 185 So. 3d 1207 (Fla. 2016)
    …pardy determination “requires an analysis that breaks the conduct elements into the specific alternative conduct which is in the other statute being compared.” Id. at 1209; see also State v. Connelly, 748 So. 2d 248, 251 (Fla.1999); Graves v. State, 95 So. 3d 1033, 1035-36 (Fla. 5th DCA 2012). For example, in comparing the cocaine trafficking statute — an alternative conduct statute— with the simple possession statute, this Court stated, “The conduct element of the trafficking statute is not compared by consi…
  • Fleming v. State, 227 So. 3d 1254 (Fla. 2d DCA 2017)
    …defined)”). Although the victim’s young age is an element of lewd or lascivious battery that is not included in sexual battery, “[t]o avoid a violation of double jeopardy, each offense must contain an element not within the other.” Graves v. State, 95 So. 3d 1033, 1036 (Fla. 5th DCA 2012). Accordingly, we conclude that Fleming’s convictions for both offenses violate double jeopardy. We vacate his conviction and sentence for lewd or lascivious battery as the lesser of the two offenses. See Pizzo v. State, 94…
  • Westerman v. State, 175 So. 3d 937 (Fla. 5th DCA 2015)
    …ror. See Gibbs v. State, 698 So. 2d 1206 (Fla.1997) (holding that double jeopardy is violated if trafficking conviction is based upon possession of the same drugs which formed the basis of the simple possession conviction). See also Graves v. State, 95 So. 3d 1033 (Fla. 5th DCA 2012). Accordingly, we reverse the' defendant’s judgment and sentence on the possession conviction, and remand for further proceedings consistent with this opinion. REVERSED and REMANDED. LAWSON, C.J., PALMER and BERGER, JJ., concur…

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