IAN M. BERG
v.
STATE OF FLORIDA
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Hearsay testimony from a probation officer that a third party stated the probationer no longer lived at a residence is insufficient to establish a change-of-residence violation without corroborating nonhearsay evidence. A probation revocation based on new criminal offenses is affirmed, but the written revocation order must conform to the trial court's oral pronouncement.
[1] A probation officer's hearsay testimony that a third party stated the probationer no longer resided at a specified address is insufficient, standing alone, to establish a…
[2] When a trial court's written probation revocation order conflicts with its oral pronouncement, the oral pronouncement controls and the written order must be corrected to…
Previewing 2 of 5 headnotes on this case. FLexlaw’s editorially structured points of law — every proposition, pinpointed — are reserved for members.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligence“a probation officer's hearsay testimony, by itself, that another person told him or her the probationer no longer lived at a residence is insufficient to support a change of residence violation; the cases are clear and legion”
Establishes the rule that hearsay testimony alone cannot support a residence-change violation.
Previewing 1 of 3 key quotes on this case — the court’s exact language, pinpointed for members.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceIan Berg was on probation for grand theft with a condition prohibiting residence changes without consent. When the probation officer visited his liste…
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FIRST DISTRICT COURT OF APPEAL
STATE OF FLORIDA
_____________________________
No. 1D20-2965 _____________________________
IAN M. BERG,
Appellant,
v.
STATE OF FLORIDA,
Appellee. _____________________________
On appeal from the Circuit Court for Bay County. Dustin Stephenson, Judge.
September 29, 2021
PER CURIAM.
In this appeal filed pursuant to Anders v. California, 386 U.S. 738 (1967), we affirm the revocation of Appellant’s probation and the resulting sentence for the underlying offense of grand theft. However, we remand with directions that the trial court strike a technical violation from the revocation order and correct the revocation order to conform to the court’s oral pronouncement.
The trial court found that Appellant violated condition three of his probation by changing his residence without the consent of his probation officer. Appellant’s probation officer testified that she went to Appellant’s listed residence and was told by Appellant’s father that Appellant was not at the house, that he did not know Appellant’s whereabouts, that he had a trespass
Although Appellant’s probation officer further testified that she subsequently spoke to Appellant on the phone about his desire to move to Panama City, she did not testify that Appellant admitted changing his residence. Appellant’s probation officer also testified that she instructed Appellant to come into the office the next day so that they could find somewhere for Appellant to stay because she realized that appellant was essentially homeless. To the extent the trial court found that Appellant failed to report as instructed, this could not be used as a basis to revoke Appellant’s probation because it was not charged in the probation violation affidavit. Grimsley v. State, 830 So. 2d 118, 120 (Fla. 2d DCA 2002). Furthermore, Appellant could not be found to have willfully violated his probation due to forced homelessness. See Davis v. State, 276 So. 3d 119 (Fla. 2d DCA 2019); Charles v. State, 209 So. 3d 32, 35 (Fla. 4th DCA 2016); Bravo v. State, 268 So. 3d 193, 196 (Fla. 2d DCA 2018).
Because the trial court erred in finding that Appellant violated his probation by changing his residence without his probation officer’s consent, we remand with directions that the trial court strike the violation of condition three from the
Finally, the trial court entered an amended revocation order indicating that Appellant violated condition five of his probation by committing the criminal offense of armed burglary of a dwelling. This conflicts with the trial court’s oral pronouncement finding that Appellant committed the lesser criminal offense of armed trespass. Owens v. State, 141 So. 3d 259 (Fla. 3d DCA 2014). The trial court’s written order must conform to its oral pronouncement. See Thompson v. State, 965 So. 2d 1250, 1251 (Fla. 1st DCA 2007) (“When a conflict exists between an oral revocation pronouncement and the written order revoking probation, the oral pronouncement will control.”). Therefore, we remand with directions that the trial court correct the revocation order to conform to its oral pronouncement.
AFFIRMED and REMANDED with directions.
ROBERTS and JAY, JJ., concur; ROWE, C.J., concurs in result only.
_____________________________
Not final until disposition of any timely and authorized motion under Fla. R. App. P. 9.330 or 9.331. _____________________________
Jessica J. Yeary, Public Defender, and Lori A. Willner, Assistant Public Defender, Tallahassee, for Appellant; Ian M. Berg, pro se.
Ashley Moody, Attorney General, and Virginia Harris, Assistant Attorney General, Tallahassee, for Appellee.
Cases With Similar Vibessemantic neighbors from the corpus
Citator
Authorities Cited
- Vito Cito, Jr. v. State, 721 So. 2d 1192 (Fla. 2d DCA 1998)
- Grimsley v. State, 830 So. 2d 118 (Fla. 2d DCA 2002)
- Aaron v. Thompson, 965 So. 2d 1250 (Fla. 1st DCA 2007)
- Latasia Webb v. State, 154 So. 3d 1186 (Fla. 4th DCA 2015)
- Collins v. State, 446 So. 2d 268 (Fla. 2d DCA 1984)
- Owens v. State, 141 So. 3d 259 (Fla. 3d DCA 2014)
- Rutland v. State, 166 So. 3d 878 (Fla. 1st DCA 2015)
- Bravo v. State, 268 So. 3d 193 (Fla. 2d DCA 2018)
- Fuentes v. State, 219 So. 3d 956 (Fla. 3d DCA 2017)