HOSIE SANDERS, APPELLANT,
v.
STATE OF FLORIDA, APPELLEE
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Defendant Sanders pleaded guilty to manslaughter pursuant to a plea bargain in which a judge promised lenient probation terms. At sentencing, a different judge imposed substantially harsher probation conditions including 30 days per year in jail and weekend jail time, without warning or allowing Sanders to withdraw his plea. The court reversed and remanded, holding that the harsher conditions violated the defendant's due process rights.
Yes. The court held that when a sentencing judge imposes probation conditions significantly harsher than those contemplated during plea bargaining, the defendant must receive advance warning of such harsher terms and be afforded an opportunity to withdraw the guilty plea, consistent with the court's holding in Barker v. State.
[1] A defendant must be afforded an opportunity to withdraw a guilty plea when the sentencing judge imposes harsher conditions than those contemplated during plea bargaining,…
[2] A trial court errs by imposing probation conditions that are significantly harsher than those discussed during plea bargaining without giving the defendant notice and an…
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligence“The unusual conditions of probation imposed upon appellant by Judge Smith, particularly with respect to the jail time, were unquestionably harsher than those contemplated by the plea bargaining session at which the guilty plea was entered.”
Establishes the factual basis for reversal—that the actual sentencing conditions violated the plea agreement
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceSanders was indicted for first degree murder and entered a not guilty plea. During a plea bargaining session before Judge Holley, the judge indicated …
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Defendant-appellant Hosie Sanders was indicted for first degree murder. After entering a not guilty plea he subsequently reappeared before the Circuit Court of Collier County, which was then presided over by visiting Circuit Judge Charles R. Holley, for purposes of a plea bargaining session. After the “plea bargaining” proceeding, which was participated in by the defendant, his counsel, the prosecutor and the judge, the judge indicated that he would impose a lenient sentence of five years’ probation in the event of the entry of a plea of guilty to manslaughter. Such plea was thereupon entered and accepted by Judge Holley and a pre-sentence investigation ordered.
On October 22, 1971, the case came on for final disposition before the resident Circuit Judge, the Honorable Harold S. Smith. At that time Judge Smith placed appellant on probation for a period of twenty years, coupled with considerable jail time and other special conditions.
On November 22, 1971, the case was recalled up before Judge Smith who then changed the period of probation from twenty years to five years; but again the probationary period was subject to the exact conditions relating to jail time as was announced, on October 22, 1971 and again the other special conditions aforesaid were imposed. Specifically, the conditions referred to were:
“(k) Aforesaid [Sanders] is to spend 30 days per year in Collier County Jail during term of probation.
(l) Aforesaid shall spend each Saturday & Sunday in Collier County Jail during term of probation.
(m) Aforesaid shall pay $40 weekly child support to Mrs. Genoia Gordon or any other individual maintaining the step-children & true child from the relationship between deceased, Frances L. Gordon, & aforesaid during the term of probation. (Payment would be reduced as individual child becomes self supporting).”
The unusual conditions of probation imposed upon appellant by Judge Smith, particularly with respect to the jail time, were unquestionably harsher than those contemplated by the plea bargaining session at which the guilty plea was entered. In placing appellant on probation, Judge Smith did not give him advance warning of such harsher terms, nor did he afford appellant an opportunity to withdraw the plea of guilty as we mandated under similar circumstances in Barker v. State, Fla. App.1972, 259 So.2d 200. This was error.
We reverse the order herein and remand the cause for further proceedings consistent with this Court’s caveat in Barker v. State, supra.
Reversed and remanded.
PIERCE, C. J., concurs specially with opinion.
MANN, J., concurs with McNULTY, J., and filed opinion.
(concurring specially) .
I concur in the decision to reverse the order appealed, but on a different ground than that expressed by the majority opinion. I think the essential question is whether or not the trial Judge had authori*555ty to impose intermittent jail confinement as a condition of probation.
Probation is purely a statutory creation and can only be exercised in accordance with the provisions of the statute. Archer v. Snook, 5th Cir. 1926, 10 F.2d 567; State v. Van Meter, 7 Ariz.App. 422, 1968, 440 P.2d 58; People v. Ledford, 173 Colo. 194, 1970, 477 P.2d 374.
Some states, including California, Delaware, New York, Michigan, Illinois and Idaho, have each enacted statutes authorizing probation with jail confinement as a condition. Also, in 1958 the federal probation statute was amended to allow for probation with confinement as a condition under special circumstances. Without such statutory authority, Courts in other jurisdictions have consistently held that imposition of confinement cannot be made a condition of probation. Van Meter, supra; Ledford, supra; People v. Robinson, 253 Mich. 507, 1931, 235 N.W. 236 (decision rendered prior to the legislative amendment to provide imprisonment in the county jail as a condition of probation. See People v. Sarnoff, 302 Mich. 266, 1942, 4 N.W.2d 544); 24 C.J.S., Criminal Law, § 1571(8), p. 475.
Florida’s probation statute, F.S. Chapter 948 F.S.A., does not contain authorization to impose confinement as a condition of probation. F.S. § 948.01(4) F.S.A. provides that the Court may impose a portion of a sentence to be served in the county jail and withhold the imposition of the remainder of the sentence, directing that the defendant be placed upon probation after serving such period as may be imposed by the Court. This section, however, is not applicable to a case where the imposition of the entire sentence is withheld and the defendant placed upon probation.
F.S. § 948.03 F.S.A. sets forth the general terms and conditions of probation and provides that the Court may add such other or others as it considers proper. Jail confinement is a very unusual condition of probation. If the legislature intended that confinement be a condition of probation, then it should, and probably would, have been enumerated among the specific terms and conditions, and not left to the Courts to read it into the present statute. I would recede from anything to the contrary expressed in State v. Williams, Fla.App.1970, 237 So.2d 69.
Appellant further contends that the payment of $40.00 per week for the support of his stepchildren and true child is disguised as a fine. This contention has no merit. F.S. § 948.03 F.S.A. specifically provides that the Court may include among the terms and conditions of probation the provision that the probationer shall support his legal dependents to the best of his ability.
(concurring specially).
I concur in Judge McNulty’s opinion. I would emphasize, however, that it is not necessary for us to reconsider Williams. The rationale of today’s decision is that incarceration is not normally within the contemplation of parties who bargain for probation.
Williams was a crew chief of an agricultural crew, and was ordered to spend one month per year — that month being one in which his services were most easily dispensable — in jail. He was thereby allowed to continue to earn a living, while at the same time experiencing a therapeutic loss of liberty. When we decided Williams it seemed to me, and still does, that the terms of probation were reasonable and practical. I would agree with my brother Pierce that the legislature should address itself to this matter and make specific provision for incarceration. For example, I see great merit in probationary conditions which would allow an offender to work during the week and spend his spare time in jail. We need to use some imagination in the adaptation of probation conditions to the particular case, and I would not recede from Williams if the question were before us. I think we all agree that it is not.
PIERCE, Chief Judge
(concurring specially) .
I concur in the decision to reverse the order appealed, but on a different ground than that expressed by the majority opinion. I think the essential question is whether or not the trial Judge had authori ty to impose intermittent jail confinement as a condition of probation.
Probation is purely a statutory creation and can only be exercised in accordance with the provisions of the statute. Archer v. Snook, 5th Cir. 1926, 10 F. 2d 567; State v. Van Meter, 7 Ariz.App. 422, 1968, 440 P. 2d 58; People v. Ledford, 173 Colo. 194, 1970, 477 P. 2d 374.
Some states, including California, Delaware, New York, Michigan, Illinois and Idaho, have each enacted statutes authorizing probation with jail confinement as a condition. Also, in 1958 the federal probation statute was amended to allow for probation with confinement as a condition under special circumstances. Without such statutory authority, Courts in other jurisdictions have consistently held that imposition of confinement cannot be made a condition of probation. Van Meter, supra; Ledford, supra; People v. Robinson, 253 Mich. 507, 1931, 235 N.W. 236 (decision rendered prior to the legislative amendment to provide imprisonment in the county jail as a condition of probation. See People v. Sarnoff, 302 Mich. 266, 1942, 4 N.W. 2d 544); 24 C.J.S., Criminal Law, § 1571(8), p. 475.
Florida’s probation statute, F.S. Chapter 948 F.S.A., does not contain authorization to impose confinement as a condition of probation. F.S. § 948.01(4) F.S.A. provides that the Court may impose a portion of a sentence to be served in the county jail and withhold the imposition of the remainder of the sentence, directing that the defendant be placed upon probation after serving such period as may be imposed by the Court. This section, however, is not applicable to a case where the imposition of the entire sentence is withheld and the defendant placed upon probation.
F.S. § 948.03 F.S.A. sets forth the general terms and conditions of probation and provides that the Court may add such other or others as it considers proper. Jail confinement is a very unusual condition of probation. If the legislature intended that confinement be a condition of probation, then it should, and probably would, have been enumerated among the specific terms and conditions, and not left to the Courts to read it into the present statute. I would recede from anything to the contrary expressed in State v. Williams, Fla.App.1970, 237 So. 2d 69.
Appellant further contends that the payment of $40.00 per week for the support of his stepchildren and true child is disguised as a fine. This contention has no merit. F.S. § 948.03 F.S.A. specifically provides that the Court may include among the terms and conditions of probation the provision that the probationer shall support his legal dependents to the best of his ability.
MANN, Judge
(concurring specially).
I concur in Judge McNulty’s opinion. I would emphasize, however, that it is not necessary for us to reconsider Williams. The rationale of today’s decision is that incarceration is not normally within the contemplation of parties who bargain for probation.
Williams was a crew chief of an agricultural crew, and was ordered to spend one month per year — that month being one in which his services were most easily dispensable — in jail. He was thereby allowed to continue to earn a living, while at the same time experiencing a therapeutic loss of liberty. When we decided Williams it seemed to me, and still does, that the terms of probation were reasonable and practical. I would agree with my brother Pierce that the legislature should address itself to this matter and make specific provision for incarceration. For example, I see great merit in probationary conditions which would allow an offender to work during the week and spend his spare time in jail. We need to use some imagination in the adaptation of probation conditions to the particular case, and I would not recede from Williams if the question were before us. I think we all agree that it is not.
Cases With Similar Vibessemantic neighbors from the corpus
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State v. Jones, 327 So. 2d 18 (Fla. 1976)…ting as additional authority Ex parte Hazlett, 137 Cal.App. 734, 31 P. 2d 448 (1934); People v. Fisher, 237 Mich. 504, 212 N.W. 70 (1927); 24 C.J.S. Criminal Law § 1618(8) (1961), and a subsequent decision by the Second District in Sanders v. State, 268 So. 2d 553 (Fla.App.2d 1972). The Fourth District, in Lennard v. State, 308 So. 2d 579 (Fla.App.4th 1975), and Brown v. State, 302 So. 2d 430 (Fla.App.4th 1974), held the sentencing court, in imposing the split sentence probation alternative, must stay and wit…
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Lewis v. State, 298 So. 2d 540 (Fla. 4th DCA 1974)…rt held that F.S. 948.03 was sufficiently broad so as to allow imposition of intermittent imprisonment as a condition of probation. The defendant was required to spend sixty days in jail each year of his twenty year probation.2 Cf. Sanders v. State, 268 So. 2d 553 (2d D.C.A. Fla.1972). The statute in question grants broad discretion to courts in determining the conditions of probation: “948.03 Terms and conditions of probation [*542] ** “(2) The enumeration of specific kinds of terms and conditions shall n…
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Kurlin v. State, 302 So. 2d 147 (Fla. 1st DCA 1974)…ant should have been so advised and he should have been permitted to withdraw his plea of guilty and plead anew. (Tamers v. State, Fla.App.4th 1973, 284 So. 2d 402; Enos v. State, Fla.App.4th 1973, 272 So. 2d 847; Sanders v. State, Fla.App.2nd 1972, 268 So. 2d 553, and Barker v. State, Fla.App. 2nd 1972, 259 So. 2d 200.) Indeed, the State in its brief concurs. It is apparent therefore that the sentence appealed must be reversed and this case remanded for further proceedings consistent herewith. We now turn…
Previewing 3 of 5 citing cases — full citator treatment, depth of discussion, and citing context are member features.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceAuthorities Cited
- State v. Wardell Robert Williams, 237 So. 2d 69 (Fla. 2d DCA 1970)
- Barker v. State, 259 So. 2d 200 (Fla. 2d DCA 1972)
- Archer v. Snook (N.D. Ga. 1926)