LAWRENCE CORNER, APPELLANT,
v.
THE STATE OF FLORIDA, APPELLEE
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The Florida Third District Court of Appeal upheld its earlier decision denying Lawrence Corner's habeas corpus petition and, after Corner failed to show good cause in response to a show cause order, imposed restrictions on his ability to file further pro se pleadings in the appellate court related to his criminal conviction.
The court affirmed its prohibition on Corner filing further pro se pleadings related to his criminal conviction in circuit court case F99-40037, except through filings reviewed and signed by a licensed Florida Bar attorney in good standing. The court concluded that Corner failed to demonstrate good cause to justify continued pro se filings.
[1] A person's constitutional right to access the courts may be forfeited due to abuse of the judicial process.
[2] A court may prevent further filings by an incarcerated person after providing notice and an opportunity to respond to an order to show cause.
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligence“the access to courts provision of the Florida Constitution—Article I, section 21—provides an avenue for an incarcerated person in Florida to challenge the legal basis of his or her incarceration; however, this constitutional right may be forfeited if that person abuses the judicial process.”
Establishes the constitutional framework balancing access to courts against abuse prevention
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceLawrence Corner has filed fourteen petitions or appeals in the Third District Court of Appeal. This is the third time in as many years that Corner has…
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On July 27, 2016, this.Court issued an Opinion affirming the trial court’s denial of Lawrence Corner’s request for permission to file a writ of habeas corpus. Our Opin*760ion determined that (i) Corner has filed fourteen petitions or appeals in this Court; (ii) the current appeal is the third time in as many years that Corner has tried to evade the requirements of a 3.850 motion by attempting to file a habeas corpus petition; and (iii) the issue upon which Corner desires to base a habeas corpus petition— an allegedly improper Miranda warning at the time of his arrest—has been addressed twice by the courts to Corner’s detriment.
Our Opinion contained an order to show cause why Corner should not be prohibited from filing with this Court any further pro se appeals, petitions, motions or other pleadings related to his criminal conviction in circuit court case F99-40037. Corner filed a response to the show cause order on September 12, 2016. In his response, Corner writes that “[tjhis court entered an order misconstruing Appellant’s request to submit a habeas corpus petition.” Comer, however, does not follow this statement with an explanation or argument in support of it.
The access to courts provision of the Florida Constitution—Article I, section 21—provides an avenue for an incarcerated person in Florida to challenge the legal basis of his or her incarceration; however, this constitutional right may be forfeited if that person abuses the judicial process. Jimenez v. State, 196 So.3d 499, 501 (Fla. 3d DCA 2016). Our responsibility is to balance the incarcerated person’s right to access to courts with the need of this Court to devote its finite resources to legitimate appeals and petitions. State v. Spencer, 751 So.2d 47, 48 (Fla.1999). Accordingly, after notice in the form of an order to show cause and an opportunity for the incarcerated person to respond, a court may prevent further filings. Id.; see also Whipple v. State, 112 So.3d 540 (Fla. 3d DCA 2013).
We conclude that Comer has not demonstrated good cause to justify further pro se filings of appeals, petitions, motions or other pleadings with this Court. We direct the Clerk of the Third District Court of Appeal to refuse to accept from Corner further pro se filings related to circuit court case F99-40037; provided however, that the Clerk may accept filings related to case number F99-40037 if such filings have been reviewed and signed by an attorney who is a licensed member of the Florida Bar in good standing.
Any such further and unauthorized pro se filings by Corner will subject him to sanctions, including the issuance of written findings forwarded to the Florida Department of Corrections for consideration by it for disciplinary action, pursuant to section 944.279(1) of the Florida Statutes.
Order issued.
Cases With Similar Vibessemantic neighbors from the corpus
Citator
Authorities Cited
- State v. Spencer, 751 So. 2d 47 (Fla. 1999)
- Whipple v. State, 112 So. 3d 540 (Fla. 3d DCA 2013)
- Jimenez v. State, 196 So. 3d 499 (Fla. 3d DCA 2016)