CRYSTAL ANN AUSTIN
v.
STATE OF FLORIDA

Fla. 5th DCA | 2019-12-06
No. 19-0670
Howard, J., Evander, C.J., Orfinger, J., Wallis, J.
Florida District Court of Appeal, Fifth District (2019)

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Holding

A trial court abuses its discretion when it summarily denies a 3.850 postconviction relief motion for legal insufficiency without allowing the defendant at least one opportunity to amend.


Headnotes

[1] A trial court abuses its discretion by summarily denying a 3.850 postconviction relief motion for legal insufficiency without providing the defendant at least one opportu…

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Key Quotes

“when a defendant's initial rule 3.850 motion for postconviction relief is determined to be legally insufficient for failure to meet either the rule's or other pleading requirements, the trial court abuses its discretion when it fails to allow the defendant at least one opportunity to amend the motion”

Court citing Spera v. State, 971 So. 2d 754, 761 (Fla. 2007)

Facts & Procedural History

Crystal Austin filed a motion for postconviction relief under Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.850. The trial court summarily denied the motion.…

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Opinion of the Court
Remanded. Evander

IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF FLORIDA

FIFTH DISTRICT

NOT FINAL UNTIL TIME EXPIRES TO

FILE MOTION FOR REHEARING AND

DISPOSITION THEREOF IF FILED

CRYSTAL ANN AUSTIN,

Appellant,

v. Case No. 5D19-670

STATE OF FLORIDA,

Appellee.

________________________________/

Opinion filed December 6, 2019

3.850 Appeal from the Circuit Court for Citrus County, Richard A. Howard, Judge.

James S. Purdy, Public Defender, and Andrew Mich, Assistant Public Defender, Daytona Beach, for Appellant.

Ashley Moody, Attorney General, Tallahassee, and Carmen F. Corrente, Assistant Attorney General, Daytona Beach, for Appellee.

PER CURIAM.

Crystal Austin appeals the summary denial of her motion for postconviction relief filed pursuant to Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.850. We affirm as to Grounds Seven and Eight, but reverse as to Grounds One and Five because Austin should have been granted the opportunity to amend her motion to state a facially sufficient claim. See Spera v. State, 971 So. 2d 754, 761 (Fla. 2007) (“Accordingly, when a defendant’s

2

initial rule 3.850 motion for postconviction relief is determined to be legally insufficient for failure to meet either the rule’s or other pleading requirements, the trial court abuses its discretion when it fails to allow the defendant at least one opportunity to amend the motion.”).

AFFIRMED in part, REVERSED in part, and REMANDED.

EVANDER, C.J., ORFINGER and WALLIS, JJ., concur.


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