NICHOLAS R. BISHOP, APPELLANT,
v.
STATE OF FLORIDA, APPELLEE

Fla. 2d DCA | 2014-07-25
No. 2D13-4970
VILLANTI and SLEET, JJ„ Concur.
143 So. 3d 1073 Florida District Court of Appeal, Second District (2014) Positive Treatment
Cited by 1 case

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Synopsis

Nicholas Bishop appeals a restitution order entered after his no-contest plea to burglary. The court reversed the restitution order because the trial court proceeded with the restitution hearing in Bishop's absence without establishing that he knowingly, intelligently, and voluntarily waived his right to be present, despite constructive notice to his counsel.


Holding

Yes. Even if notice was properly provided to the defendant's counsel and the defendant's counsel could have appeared, the trial court was required to conduct a proper inquiry before proceeding to determine that the defendant's waiver was knowing, intelligent, and voluntary. Because the trial court failed to make this determination, the restitution order must be reversed and remanded.


Headnotes

[1] A defendant has a right to be present at a restitution hearing.

[2] A defendant may waive the right to be present at a restitution hearing through counsel, but the court must conduct a proper inquiry to determine the waiver is knowing, in…

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Key Quotes

“A defendant may waive this right and exercise constructive presence through counsel, but the court must conduct the proper inquiry before the proceedings commence to 'determine that the defendant's waiver of the right to be present is knowing, intelligent, and voluntary.'”

Establishes the trial court's mandatory duty to inquire about voluntary waiver even when counsel could represent the defendant

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Facts & Procedural History

Bishop pleaded no contest to burglary of an unoccupied dwelling and was sentenced to fifteen years of probation. A restitution hearing was scheduled a…

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Opinion of the Court
DAVIS, Chief Judge.

DAVIS, Chief Judge.

Nicholas Bishop challenges the order of restitution entered after he pleaded no contest to burglary of an unoccupied dwelling.1 The trial court sentenced him to fifteen years of probation and subsequently ordered him to pay $8000 in restitution as a condition of probation. However, Bishop was not present at the restitution hearing, and our record does not show that he voluntarily waived his right to be present at the restitution hearing. We therefore reverse the order of restitution and remand for the trial court to hold a new restitution hearing at which Bishop has the right to be present.

The record before us indicates that counsel for Bishop’s codefendant and the State appeared at the restitution hearing but that neither Bishop nor his counsel were present. The prosecutor informed the court that based on a secretarial notation, he believed that notice to Bishop and his counsel was effectuated by an email to Bishop’s counsel. There was also a notation in the trial record that counsel was provided with notice of the hearing. Based on this information, the trial court proceeded with the hearing, at which the victim testified about the amount of cash taken from him during the burglary and a restitution amount was set.

Bishop argues on appeal that the trial court erred by proceeding with the hearing in his absence. The State, however, asserts that under these facts, the notice provided to Bishop’s counsel was sufficient to allow the trial court to proceed with the restitution hearing in the absence of Bishop and his counsel.2

*1075The State is correct that the record contains sufficient evidence from which the trial court could conclude that notice of the hearing was effectuated on Bishop’s attorney and consequently effectuated on Bishop constructively. Under these facts, Bishop’s counsel could have appeared at the hearing and represented Bishop’s interests. “A defendant may waive this right and exercise constructive presence through counsel, but the court must conduct the proper inquiry before the proceedings commence to ‘determine that the defendant’s waiver of the right to be present is knowing, intelligent, and voluntary.’” C.C.N. v. State, 1 So.3d 1151, 1152 (Fla. 2d DCA 2009) (quoting M.W.G. v. State, 945 So.2d 597, 600 (Fla. 2d DCA 2006)). The State has the burden to show the voluntary nature of the defendant’s waiver, and such burden exists regardless of whether notice is at issue or whether defendant’s counsel is present at the hearing. See, e.g., Pierce v. State, 133 So.3d 1186, 1187-88 (Fla. 2d DCA 2014). Thus, even if Bishop’s counsel had appeared before the trial court at the hearing in the capacity of constructively representing Bishop’s interests, the trial court still would have been required to determine the knowing, intelligent, and voluntary nature of Bishop’s absence before proceeding. See id.; M.W.G., 945 So.2d at 600. And the fact that Bishop’s counsel received notice but failed to appear at the hearing does not negate the State’s burden of establishing Bishop’s waiver in this regard.

Because it was error for the trial court to proceed in Bishop’s absence when the State did not meet its burden of proving that Bishop knowingly, intelligently, and voluntarily waived his right to be present, we reverse the order of restitution and remand for the trial court to conduct a new restitution hearing at which Bishop has the right to be present.

Reversed and remanded.

VILLANTI and SLEET, JJ„ Concur.


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Citator

Cited By

  • E. H. W. v. State (Fla. 2d DCA 2021)
    …oluntarily "waived his right to appear at the restitution hearing or that he knew of the hearing and voluntarily absented himself from it." Id. The State bears "the burden to show the voluntary nature of the defendant's waiver." Bishop v. State, 143 So. 3d 1073, 1075 (Fla. 2d DCA 2014); see also J.B. v. State, 646 So. 2d 808, 808 (Fla. 1st DCA 1994) (noting that the trial court did not make a finding of waiver and reiterating that unsworn statements do not constitute competent, substantial evidence of waiv…

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