ARTURO GODINEZ, PETITIONER,
v.
STATE OF FLORIDA, RESPONDENT

Fla. 4th DCA | 2016-06-29
No. 4D15-4749
WARNER, GROSS and CONNER, JJ., concur.
192 So. 3d 1289 Florida District Court of Appeal, Fourth District (2016) Positive Treatment
Cited by 3 cases

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Holding

The court held that appellate counsel was ineffective for failing to raise an issue that led to a co-defendant's conviction being reversed, entitling the petitioner to a new appeal.


Headnotes

[1] Appellate counsel's failure to raise a dispositive issue that was successfully argued on behalf of a co-defendant constitutes ineffective assistance of counsel.

[2] A new appeal is required when the appellate record does not contain sufficient evidence to determine the merits of an ineffective assistance of counsel claim.

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Facts & Procedural History

Petitioner was convicted of racketeering and related charges. His direct appeal was affirmed, but a co-defendant's conviction on similar charges was l…

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Opinion of the Court
PER CURIAM.

ON MOTION FOR CLARIFICATION

PER CURIAM.

We grant the State’s motion for clarification, withdraw our previous opinion, and substitute the following opinion in its place.

Arturo Godinez petitions for habeas corpus relief on two alternative grounds. First, he-argues that our affirmance-of his racketeering conviction on direct appeal is inconsistent with our subsequent reversal of his co-defendant’s conviction. Alternatively, he alleges that appellate counsel was ineffective for failing to raise the issue upon which his co-defendant’s conviction was reversed. We grant the petition on the alternative ground of ineffective assistance of appellate counsel and find that Godinez is entitled to a new appeal.

Godinez was 'charged in a ninety-page indictment, along with seventeen other defendants,’ with crimes arising from a large-scale scheme to sell adulterated prescription drugs to wholesale distributors. Godinez was charged with racketeering, conspiracy to commit racketeering,- and organized scheme to defraud. To support the racketeering charge, he was accused of participating in various acts of mail and wire fraud. The evidence at trial showed *1290that Godinez and several others provided illegally-obtained prescription drugs ■ to Michael Carlow, who. in turn sold the drugs to distributors to be sold to the general public. The scheme was a “rimless hub-and-spoke conspiracy”1 — the suppliers each worked separately with Carlow arid did not have relationships with each other.

Godinez was- tried with co-defendant Joel de la Osa. Both defendants moved for judgment of acquittal at the-close of the State’s case, arguing that due to the nature of Carlow’s scheme, they could not be held criminally liable for the acts of the other suppliers. Thus, the evidence did not establish that either of them directly participated in at least two of the predicate acts charged in the indictment, as required by the racketeering statute. The trial court denied the motions. Godinez was convicted as charged and sentenced' to three concurrent terms of nine years in prison, to be, followed by two years of community control and ten years of probation. -

On direct appeal, Godinez’s appellate counsel argued that because of the “rimless hub-and-spoke” nature of the conspiracy, the State failed to prove the existence of a single unified enterprise. We affirmed per curiam, Godinez v. State, 138 So.3d 1039 (Fla. 4th DOA 2014)- (table).

In de la Osa’s appeal, counsel also argued that the State failed to prove the existence of an enterprise. Counsel further argued that because of the “rimless hub-and-spoke” nature of the conspiracy, de la Osa was not vicariously liable for -the acts of. the other suppliers, the other “spokes” -from Carlow’s “hub.” Thus, without that liability, the State failed to prove de la Osa’s participation in at least two incidents of racketeering conduct. We agreed on the second point and reversed de la Osa’s racketeering conviction, de la Osa v. State, 158 So.3d 712, 722-28 (Fla. 4th DCA 2015), rev. denied, 182 So.3d 631 (Fla.2015).

In this petition, Godinez argues that our affirmance in his case is inconsistent with our subsequent reversal of -de la Osa’s racketeering conviction, and therefore his conviction and sentence should be vacated. See Brumit v. State, 971 So.2d 205 (Fla. 4th DCA 2007); Raulerson v. State, 724 So.2d 641 (Fla. 4th DCA 1999); Romero v. State, 637 So.2d 7 (Fla. 4th DCA 1994).

We find that the two decisions are not inconsistent because Godinez’s appellate counsel failed to raise the issue upon which we reversed de- la Osa’s racketeering conviction. Godiriez’s counsel argued only that the State failed to prove the first element of racketeering, that Godiriez was associated with an “enterprise.” In de la Osa, we expressly found that the scheme iri this case satisfied the definition of an enterprise. 158 So.3d at 722-25. Godinez’s counsel did not argue that the State failed to prove the second element, that Godinez participated in a pattern of racketeering activity by engaging in at least two incidents of racketeering conduct. See §§ 895.02(4), 895.03(3), Fla. Stat. (2003) (requiring the State to prove (1) association with an enterprise; and (2) participation in a pattern of racketeering activity, defined as engaging.in at least two incidents of racketeering conduct), The State’s failure to establish a pattern of racketeering activity is the point on which we reversed .de la .Osa’s racketeering conviction. , .

*1291We therefore grant the petition on the alternative ground of ineffective assistance of appellate counsel. On the record before us, we cannot determine whether the State’s evidence at trial was sufficient to establish a pattern of racketeering activity in Godinez’s case. Thus, a new appeal is required.

Accordingly, upon issuance of the mandate, this opinion shall be filed with the lower tribunal and treated as the notice of belated appeal of the judgment and sentence entered December 14, 2011. Upon receipt, the clerk of the lower court shall certify a copy of this opinion to this court in accordance with Florida Rule of Appellate Procedure 9.040(g). The appeal shall proceed under a new case number, which shall be assigned upon receipt in this court of the certified opinion. All time requirements of the Florida Rules of Appellate Procedure shall run from the date of this opinion. If petitioner qualifies for appointed counsel, the trial court shall appoint counsel to represent him on appeal. The new appellate proceeding authorized, by this opinion shall be limited to the issue of whether the State’s evidence at trial was sufficient to establish a pattern of racketeering activity in Godinez’s case.

Petition granted.

WARNER, GROSS and CONNER, JJ., concur.


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Citator

Cited By

  • Godinez v. State, 217 So. 3d 103 (Fla. 4th DCA 2017)
    …May, J. Ineffective assistance of appellate counsel and the need for consistency in outcomes brings this case back to us through a successful petition for writ of habeas corpus. Godinez v. State, 192 So. 3d 1289 (Fla. 4th DCA 2016). Our decision in de la Osa v. State, 158 So. 3d 712 (Fla. 4th DCA 2015) dictates the outcome. We reverse. The State charged the defendant and seventeen others “with crimes arising from a large-scale scheme to sell adulterated pr…
  • McBride v. State (Fla. 1st DCA 2024)

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