VINCENT JAMES CAPPADONA, PETITIONER,
v.
C. W. KEITH, DIRECTOR, DIVISION OF DRIVER LICENSES DEPARTMENT OF HIGHWAY SAFETY, RESPONDENT
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The court held that the habitual traffic offender statute is not ex post facto and that the provided administrative remedy satisfies constitutional due process requirements for license revocation.
[1] The habitual traffic offender law is not an ex post facto law, even if revocation is based on offenses occurring prior to its enactment.
[2] The habitual traffic offender law is constitutional as it serves the legislative intent of promoting highway safety and denying driving privileges to those who demonstrat…
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligencePetitioner sought certiorari to review an order revoking his driver's license under Florida's habitual traffic offender law. Petitioner argued the law…
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MAGER, Judge.
Petitioner seeks review by certiorari of an order of license revocation (entered under F.S. Section 322.27(5), F.S.A.) wherein petitioner is designated as an habitual traffic offender, as defined in Section 322.264, Florida Statutes, F.S.A. Petitioner contends that the provisions of Section 322.264, the habitual traffic offender law, are ex post facto and unconstitutional because revocation is dependent upon offenses occuring prior to the enactment of such law. Petitioner further contends that Section 322.27(5), Florida Statutes, F.S.A. violates his constitutional rights by reason of the fact that no public hearing is afforded to the person designated as an habitual offender prior to license revocation. The habitual traffic offender law, which became effective July 1, 1972, contains specific declaration of legislative intent as follows:
“322.263 Legislative intent
“It is declared, to be the legislative intent to:
"(1) Provide maximum safety for all persons who travel or otherwise use the public highways of the state.
“(2) Deny the privilege of operating motor vehicles on public highways to persons who, by their conduct and record, have demonstrated their indifference for the safety and welfare of others and their disrespect for the laws of the state and the orders of the state courts and administrative agencies.
“(3) Discourage repetition of criminal action by individuals against the peace and dignity of the state, its political subdivisions, and its municipalities and impose increased and added deprivation of the privileges of operating motor vehicles upon habitual offenders who have been convicted repeatedly of violations of traffic laws.”
The foregoing reflects a reasonable basis for such legislation paralleling the rationale of the Florida Supreme Court in Thornhill v. Kirkman, Fla.1953, 62 So. 2d 740, and Jones v. Kirkman, Fla.1962, 138 So. 2d 513, upholding other driver license provisions.
Moreover, the fact that Sec. 322.-264 provides enhanced punishment for subsequent offenses does not give rise to an ex post facto law so as to render said statute unconstitutional. In the recent decision of Zarsky v. State, Fla.App.1973, 281 So. 2d 553, our sister court rejected contentions similar to those of the petitioner and upheld the habitual offender statute. The holding in Zarsky is applicable to the case sub judice.1
Petitioner’s contention regarding the necessity of notice and hearing prior to revocation must also be rejected on the basis of the decisions in Thornhill v. Kirkman and Jones v. Kirkman, supra. In Thornhill, the Supreme Court observed in part:
“ * * * It would produce an intolerable situation on the public highways to subscribe to a theory that they could not be summarily regulated in the interest of the public. So long as summary regulations are reasonable and reasonably executed we will not disturb them.”
In Jones, supra, the Supreme Court similarly observed:
“Organic requirements are met in the. legislative prescriptions are clear and reasonable, and, a fair opportunity to test the validity of the suspension order is provided. . . . ”
Section 322.27(5) which provides for the revocation of the license of any person designated as an habitual offender also contains the following language:
“ . . . Any person whose license is revoked may, by petition to the department, show cause why his license should not be revoked.”
The above quoted language, in our view, offers the petitioner “a fair opportunity to test the validity of the suspension order”. Since the record reflects that petitioner did not avail himself of this procedure he cannot be heard to complain that the revocation of his license was a deprivation of his constitutional rights. Moreover, it would be presumptuous of this court to conclude that petitioner would not be given an opportunity to be heard on his petition and if necessary to be afforded an evidentiary hearing.2 In light of the foregoing the petition for certiorari is denied without prejudice to the petitioner to seek review of his revocation in accordance with Sec. 322.27(5), Florida Statutes, F.S.A. Certiorari denied.
OWEN, C. J., and WALDEN, J., concur. . It should be pointed out that several of the offenses upon -which the respondent based its order occurred subsequently to July 1,1972.
. An. appellate court is not the proper forum either for the conduct of an evidentiary hearing or for the relitigation of issues of fact. The scope and extent of a hearing accorded under F.S. See. 322.27(5), F.S.A., must be dependent upon the circumstances of the particular case. In this regard it might be well to bear in mind that in reviewing an administrative order the appellate court will examine and determine whether the lower tribunal had before it competent substantial evidence. See author’s comment, Rule 4.1, F.A.R., vol. 32 F.S.A.
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Souter v. Dep't OF Hwy. Safety & Motor Vehicles, 310 So. 2d 314 (Fla. 1st DCA 1975)…e process in that notice and an opportunity to be heard were not afforded the petitioner prior to the revocation of his license. This point has been specifically considered and rejected by the Fourth District in Cappadona v. Keith, Fla.App.4th 1974, 290 So. 2d 545, aff’d., Sup.Ct.Fla.1975, 306 So. 2d 515, 1975. The Fourth District Court of Appeal, however, emphasized that the petitioner had a “fair opportunity to test the validity of the suspension order” as required by the Florida Supreme Court in Jones v. K…
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Dep't of Hwy. Safety & Motor Vehicles v. Argeros, 313 So. 2d 55 (Fla. 4th DCA 1975)…MAGER, Judge (concurring specially): In addition to the foregoing I concur in this decision for those reasons more fully set forth in Cappadona v. Keith, Fla.App. 1974, 290 So. 2d 545, affirmed Fla.1975, 306 So. 2d 515.…
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Casci v. State, 293 So. 2d 403 (Fla. 2d DCA 1974)…§ 322.27 (5) F.S.A. (1972) is invalid as an ex post facto criminalization of conduct which occurred before its passage has been rejected by our sister courts. Zarsky v. State, Fla.App. 3d 1973, 281 So. 2d 553; Cappadona v. Keith, Fla.App. 4th 1974, 290 So. 2d 545, Opinion filed February 15, 1974. See also, Lord v. Davis, Fla.App. 1st 1974, 288 So. 2d 260. We agree. What the Legislature has done is to declare that, given the past history of Casci, an offense committed after the effective date of the statute h…
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceAuthorities Cited
- Thornhill v. Kirkman, 62 So. 2d 740 (Fla. 1953)
- Jones v. Kirkman, 138 So. 2d 513 (Fla. 1962)
- Zarsky v. State, 281 So. 2d 553 (Fla. 3d DCA 1973)