JAMES LOPEZ, APPELLANT,
v.
STATE OF FLORIDA, APPELLEE

Fla. 5th DCA | 2016-06-03
No. 5D15-2119
COHEN, WALLIS and LAMBERT, JJ., concur.
192 So. 3d 708 Florida District Court of Appeal, Fifth District (2016)


Opinion of the Court
PER CURIAM.

PER CURIAM.

James Lopez appeals the trial court’s denial of his motion to withdraw his plea. Finding Lopez was improperly denied conflict-free counsel for the hearing of that motion, we reverse.

Lopez was charged with a variety of serious offenses in four separate cases. He entered an open plea to those charges and the trial court ordered a pre-sentence investigation because the State sought sentencing under the Prison Releasee Re-offender statute.

Prior to sentencing, Lopez filed a pro-se motion to withdraw his plea, alleging that his public defender had coerced him into entering the plea. Lopez was entitled to appointment of conflict-free counsel for the hearing on that motion. See Harvey v. State, 4 So.3d 1266, 1267 (Fla. 5th DCA 2009).

REVERSED and REMANDED for a new hearing on the motion to withdraw plea.

COHEN, WALLIS and LAMBERT, JJ., concur.


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