WILLIAM E. BYNES, APPELLANT,
v.
STATE OF FLORIDA, APPELLEE

Fla. 4th DCA | 2012-11-14
No. 4D11-4508
STEVENSON, GROSS and CONNER, JJ., concur.
127 So. 3d 556 Florida District Court of Appeal, Fourth District (2012) Positive Treatment
Cited by 12 cases

AI-generated. These summaries, headnotes, and key points are machine-generated and may contain errors or omissions. Always verify against the full opinion text below. Not legal advice.

Synopsis

The Florida Fourth District Court of Appeal reversed the trial court's denial of a motion to correct illegal sentence, finding that violent career criminal (VCC) sentences imposed for aggravated fleeing and eluding and grand theft were illegal because these offenses are not enumerated qualifying offenses under the VCC statute and do not constitute forcible felonies.


Holding

The court held that both offenses are illegal as grounds for VCC sentencing. Grand theft clearly does not qualify, and aggravated fleeing and eluding does not fall within the catchall provision of the forcible felony statute because it can be committed without using or threatening physical force or violence against an individual.


Headnotes

[1] A violent career criminal sentence is illegal when applied to offenses not enumerated by the statute or defined as a forcible felony.

[2] Grand theft does not qualify for violent career criminal sentencing.

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Key Quotes

“If 'the use or threat of physical force or violence against any individual' is not a necessary element of the crime, 'then the crime is not a forcible felony within the meaning of the final clause of section 776.08.'”

States the controlling legal standard for determining whether an offense qualifies as a forcible felony under the catchall provision

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Facts & Procedural History

William Bynes was convicted of multiple offenses including aggravated fleeing and eluding (count three) and grand theft (count seven). The trial court…

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Opinion of the Court
PER CURIAM.

PER CURIAM.

We reverse the trial court’s denial of appellant’s motion to correct illegal sentence and remand for resentencing. The trial court failed to address ground two of appellant’s motion. Appellant correctly argued in this ground that his violent career criminal (VCC) sentences on count three (aggravated fleeing and eluding) and count seven (grand theft) are illegal. These offenses are not enumerated by the VCC statute. See § 775.084(l)(d), Fla. Stat. (2002) (enumerating qualifying and predicate offenses, including “any forcible felony, as described in s. 776.08”). Nor are these offenses enumerated as a forcible felony. See § 776.08, Fla. Stat. (2002).

As the State concedes, grand theft clearly does not qualify for VCC sentencing. See Ubilla v. State, 8 So.3d 1200, 1202 (Fla. 3d DCA 2009).

Applying the statutory elements test as required by State v. Hearns, 961 So.2d 211, 216 (Fla.2007), and Perkins v. State, 576 So.2d 1310. (Fla.1991), we conclude that the aggravated fleeing and eluding conviction does not fall within the “catchall” provision of the final clause of the statute defining a forcible felony. Section 776.08, Florida Statutes, defines a “forcible felony” as follows:

“Forcible felony” means treason; murder; manslaughter; sexual battery; carjacking; home-invasion robbery; robbery; burglary; arson; kidnapping; aggravated assault; aggravated battery; aggravated stalking; aircraft piracy; unlawful throwing, placing, or discharging of a destructive device or bomb; and any other felony which involves the use or threat of physical force or violence against any individual.

Id. (emphasis supplied). Pursuant to Hearns and Perkins, we must look strictly to the statutory elements of the offense in determining whether the offense necessarily involves the requisite use or threat of physical force or violence against a person. Hearns, 961 So.2d at 216 (quoting Perkins, 576 So.2d at 1313) “If ‘the use or threat of physical force or violence against any indi*558vidual’ is not a necessary element of the crime, ‘then the crime is not a forcible felony within the meaning of the final clause of section 776.08.’ ”).

In Hearns, the court held that battery on a law enforcement officer did not fall within the “catchall” provision because the offense could be committed by a mere intentional touching. 961 So.2d at 218-19. The court explained that such a reading would lead to outrageous results, such that a mere touching would constitute a forcible felony which was incomparable to the other more serious types of felonies expressly enumerated in the statute — such as murder, sexual battery, and home invasion robbery. Id. at 219.

Appellant was convicted of aggravated fleeing and eluding pursuant to section 316.1935(3), Florida Statutes (2002), which provides in relevant part:

Any person who willfully flees or attempts to elude a law enforcement officer in an authorized law enforcement patrol vehicle with agency insignia and other jurisdictional markings prominently displayed on the vehicle with siren and lights activated, and during the course of the fleeing or attempted eluding drives at high speed, or in any manner which demonstrates a wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property commits a felony of the second degree.

Id. While this offense often poses a great risk of physical harm to others, we conclude that this offense can be committed without the use of physical force or violence against an individual. The offense can be committed merely by driving at high speed or by driving in a manner showing wanton disregard for “property.” To determine whether a crime falls within the definition of a “forcible felony,” Hearns and Perkins require us to look at the statutory elements of the crime and not to the actual circumstances of this case. Because this offense can be committed in a manner that does not necessarily require the use or threat of physical force or violence against an individual, the offense does not qualify under the final clause of the VCC statute. Hearns, 961 So.2d at 218.

Accordingly, we reverse and remand with instructions that the trial court resen-tence appellant.

STEVENSON, GROSS and CONNER, JJ., concur.


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Citator

Cited By

  • T.K. v. State, 125 So. 3d 970 (Fla. 4th DCA 2013)
    …counsel that enumerated offenses in recidivist statutes or the definition of “forcible felony” in section 776.08, Florida Statutes, apply or should apply to the RAI and the decision of whether to hold a child in secure detention. See Bynes v. State, 127 So. 3d 556, 2012 WL 5500335 (Fla. 4th DCA 2012). But, we agree that the plain meaning of the word “violent” is not applicable to the section 316.1935(3)(a) offense of “aggravated fleeing or eluding.” A court may consider the plain language of words used in the…
  • Bynes v. State, 267 So. 3d 1043 (Fla. 4th DCA 2019)
    …se the crimes charged under those counts were not enumerated felonies under the VCC statute. The circuit court denied that motion, but we agreed with the defendant’s argument and reversed for resentencing on counts three and seven. Bynes v. State, 127 So. 3d 556, 557 (Fla. 4th DCA 2012). The defendant then filed a second rule 3.800(a) motion, arguing that his VCC sentences on counts one and two were illegal because the offenses were committed more than five years after he should have been released from pri…
  • Antione Hastie v. State, 267 So. 3d 1037 (Fla. 4th DCA 2019)
    …d is a felony enumerated in subparagraph 1. . . . § 775.084, Fla. Stat. (2015). Grand theft is not enumerated as a primary or predicate offense; therefore, Hastie’s VCC sentences for those convictions should be vacated. See Bynes v. State, 127 So. 3d 556, 557 (Fla. 4th DCA 2012) (“As the State concedes, grand theft clearly does not qualify for VCC sentencing.”). We reverse and remand for the ministerial entry of a corrected sentence at which Hastie need not be present. Reversed and remanded f…

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