GERALD WALKER, APPELLANT,
v.
STATE OF FLORIDA, APPELLEE
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The court held that a conviction entered after a non-jury trial without a valid waiver of the right to a jury trial is per se reversible error.
[1] A defendant has a fundamental right to a jury trial under the United States and Florida Constitutions.
[2] A defendant may waive the right to a jury trial in writing with the consent of the state, or orally on the record after a colloquy demonstrating the waiver is voluntary,…
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceGerald Walker was convicted of first-degree murder after a non-jury trial. The trial proceeded without a written or oral waiver of his right to a jury…
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*171CONFESSION OF ERROR
The appellant, Gerald Walker, appeals his judgment and sentence, entered after the trial court held a non-jury trial without obtaining a waiver of jury trial from Walker. We accept the state’s confession of error and reverse and remand for new trial.
Walker was indicted for first-degree murder with a firearm. While trial was pending, he was found incompetent to stand trial and, in 1997, was committed to the Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services. More than a decade later, Walker was then adjudged competent to stand trial.
During a status hearing after Walker was found competent to proceed, the parties discussed the possibility of a non-jury trial. At a subsequent status hearing, both the prosecutor and defense counsel agreed the case should be set for non-jury trial, and the trial court did so.
The state’s evidence at trial established that Walker fatally shot another man in the back of the head after the men argued about a drug transaction. During a police interview, Walker confessed to shooting the victim. Walker relied upon an insanity defense and expert witnesses presented by the state and defense differed on whether Walker met the legal definition of insanity. At the close of evidence, the court rejected Walker’s insanity defense and found him guilty as charged. The court sentenced him to life in prison.
On appeal, Walker argues that his conviction and sentence for first-degree murder amounted to per se reversible error in the absence of a written consent or evidence of an on the record oral waiver showing that it was voluntarily, knowingly, and intelligently made.
The United States and Florida Constitutions provide defendants with a fundamental right to a jury trial. State v. Upton, 658 So.2d 86, 87 (Fla.1995) (citing U.S. Const, amend. VI; Article I, § 22, Fla. Const.). However, “[a] defendant charged with a criminal offense may in writing waive a jury trial with the consent of the state (Fla. R. Crim. P. 3.260), or orally on the record after colloquy from which the court finds the waiver is voluntarily, knowingly and intelligently made.” Sinkfield v. State, 681 So.2d 838, 838 (Fla. 4th DCA 1996) (citation omitted). A defendant’s silence during trial and failure to object to the non-jury trial is not a waiver of his right to jury trial. Upton, 658 So.2d at 88. Further, “[counsel’s statement to the court that [defendant] ‘agreed to go non-jury’ [is] not a valid oral waiver of [a defendant’s] right to jury trial in the absence of the court’s requisite inquiry of the [defendant] and its findings on the record that [the defendant] voluntarily, knowingly and intelligently agreed with the waiver or acquiesced in his counsel’s statement.” Sinkfield, 681 So.2d at 839 (citations omitted).
Here, our review of the record, trial transcript, and pre-trial hearing transcripts confirms that a valid waiver — written or oral — was never consummated.
Florida courts have treated this type of error as per se reversible error. See, e.g., Racine v. State, 16 So.3d 955, 956-57 (Fla. 5th DCA 2009) (reversing battery convictions where state conceded error and record did not contain a written waiver or evidence of a valid oral waiver of jury trial); Babb v. State, 736 So.2d 35, 36 (Fla. 4th DCA 1999) (“The absence from the record of a valid waiver of Babb’s right to jury trial ... requires that we reverse the judgment and sentence ... and remand for a new trial.”); Sansom v. State, 642 So.2d 631, 632 (Fla. 1st DCA 1994) (finding that conviction for grand théft “must” be reversed where the record contained no *172valid waiver).1 Accordingly, we reverse and remand for new trial.
Reversed and remanded for new trial.
DAMOORGIAN, C.J., and FORST, J., concur.
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Booker R. Howard v. State, 48 Fla. L. Weekly D1104 (Fla. 4th DCA 2023)…State concedes, the record contains no evidence of a written or oral knowing, intelligent, and voluntary waiver of jury trial. See Fla. R. Crim P. 3.260; see also Eaton v. State, 48 Fla. L. Weekly D1104 (Fla. 4th DCA May 31, 2023); Walker v. State, 149 So. 3d 170, 171 (Fla. 4th DCA 2014). Accordingly, we reverse Defendant’s conviction and sentence and remand to the county court for a jury trial, unless the defendant knowingly, intelligently, and voluntarily waives that right. Reversed and remanded. WARNER…
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Jahleel Tafari Eaton v. State (Fla. 4th DCA 2023)
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Kwuan Montrell Baker v. State (Fla. 4th DCA 2024)…ense counsel nor the trial court conducted any further inquiry of Defendant, and no written waiver of jury trial was filed. “The United States and Florida Constitutions provide defendants with a fundamental right to a jury trial.” Walker v. State, 149 So. 3d 170, 171 (Fla. 4th DCA 2014). Nonetheless, “[a] defendant charged with a criminal offense may in writing waive a jury trial with the consent of the state (Fla. R. Crim. P. 3.260), or orally on the record after colloquy from which ---PAGE 2--- 2 the…
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
- State v. Upton, 658 So. 2d 86 (Fla. 1995)
- Johnson v. State, 994 So. 2d 960 (Fla. 2008)
- Sinkfield v. State, 681 So. 2d 838 (Fla. 4th DCA 1996)
- Sansom v. State, 642 So. 2d 631 (Fla. 1st DCA 1994)
- Babb v. State, 736 So. 2d 35 (Fla. 4th DCA 1999)
- Fredis Torres v. State, 43 So. 3d 831 (Fla. 1st DCA 2010)
- Racine v. State, 16 So. 3d 955 (Fla. 5th DCA 2009)
- Shedrick Haynes v. State, 43 So. 3d 831 (Fla. 1st DCA 2010)