STANLEY D. COBB, APPELLANT,
v.
STATE OF FLORIDA, APPELLEE
AI-generated. These summaries, headnotes, and key points are machine-generated and may contain errors or omissions. Always verify against the full opinion text below. Not legal advice.
Stanley Cobb appeals the denial of his rule 3.850 postconviction motion alleging ineffective assistance of counsel. The court reversed in part, finding that Cobb's claims regarding counsel's failure to interview witnesses and file a suppression motion, as well as his claim of erroneous HTO sentencing without qualifying offenses, were sufficiently pleaded to require remand.
The court reversed and remanded on the claims regarding ineffective assistance for failing to interview witnesses and file a suppression motion, finding these claims sufficiently alleged under Hill v. Lockhart. The court also reversed and remanded on the HTO sentencing claim because the postconviction court failed to attach record portions conclusively refuting Cobb's allegation that his prior convictions did not qualify under the 1997 statute. The court affirmed in all other respects.
[1] A defendant's claim of ineffective assistance of counsel based on counsel's failure to interview witnesses is sufficiently alleged when the defendant identifies the witne…
[2] A defendant's claim of ineffective assistance of counsel based on counsel's failure to file a motion to suppress is sufficiently alleged when the defendant asserts that t…
Previewing 2 of 4 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“Mr. Cobb has sufficiently alleged that but for his counsel's ineffective assistance he would have gone to trial.”
Establishes that Cobb met the prejudice requirement for ineffective assistance claims regarding the suppression motion and witness interviews.
Previewing 1 of 3 key quotes on this case — the court’s exact language, pinpointed for members.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceCobb pleaded guilty to multiple counts of cocaine possession and sale, and multiple counts of driving while license suspended or revoked. He was sente…
The full statement of facts, procedural history, and disposition for this case are member content.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligence© FLexlaw, Inc. — AI-generated enrichments are proprietary. All rights reserved.
Explore caselaw by topic → Browse Habitual Felony Offender cases and more on FLexlaw
CASANUEVA, Judge.
In these two appeals, which we have consolidated for the purpose of this opinion, Stanley Cobb appeals the summary denial of his motion for postconviction relief filed pursuant to Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.850. Because the record does not conclusively refute Mr. Cobb’s claims alleging ineffective assistance of counsel in failing (1) to interview witnesses, (2) to file a motion to suppress, or (3) to object when he was convicted as a habitual traffic offender when he did not have the qualifying offenses needed, we reverse in part. We affirm the postconviction court’s order in all other respects.
Mr. Cobb pleaded guilty in various cases to multiple counts of possession and sale of cocaine and multiple counts of driving while license suspended or revoked. He was sentenced to fifteen years’ prison on the sale of cocaine charges and five years’ prison on the possession of cocaine charges as a habitual felony offender (HFO). Mr. Cobb was also sentenced to ten years’ prison on the driving while license suspended or revoked charges as a habitual traffic offender (HTO). Mr. Cobb appealed his judgments and sentences and this court affirmed. See Cobb v. State, 871 So. 2d 220 (Fla. 2d DCA 2004).
In claim one of his timely rule 3.850 motion, Mr. Cobb alleges that his plea was involuntarily and unintelligently entered due to his counsel’s misadvice. Mr. Cobb contends that his counsel told him that a suppression hearing had been held when, in fact, it had not. Mr. Cobb alleges that if his counsel had done an effective job of filing a motion to suppress, the motion would have been granted and he would have insisted on going to trial. He also asserts that his counsel told him that he had interviewed witnesses for the suppression hearing but that in fact, he had not done so. Mr. Cobb set out in his motion the names of the witnesses his counsel failed to interview for the suppression hearing, the substance of their potential testimony, their availability to testify, and the outcome-changing nature of their testimony.
The postconviction court found that Mr. Cobb’s motion was not facially sufficient. We disagree. Mr. Cobb has sufficiently alleged that but for his counsel’s ineffective assistance he would have gone to trial. See Hill v. Lockhart, 474 U.S. 52, 59, 106 S.Ct. 366, 88 L.Ed.2d 203 (1985). Moreover, Mr. Cobb has also sufficiently alleged that his counsel failed to interview witnesses for the suppression hearing. See Nelson v. State, 875 So. 2d 579, 583-84 (Fla.2004). Therefore, we reverse and remand as to those claims.
Additionally, in the claim asserted in his sworn memorandum of law attached to his motion, Mr. Cobb alleged that he was erroneously convicted and sentenced as a HTO for felony driving while license suspended or revoked. Mr. Cobb alleges that his convictions for offenses committed on March 18,1997, and April 2,1997, could not be used to habitualize his current convictions because the prior offenses occurred under a previous statute that did not require “knowledge” of cancellation, suspension, or revocation.
At the time Mr. Cobb received the prior convictions, the statute did not require proof of “knowledge” as an element of the offense, and thus, his prior convictions cannot be counted as “conviction” under the 1997 provisions of section 322.34(2), Florida Statutes (1997). Huss v. State, 771 So. 2d 591, 592 (Fla. 1st DCA 2000). Therefore, only convictions committed after the revision can be used to enhance under the prescribed statute. Id. If Mr. Cobb’s convictions for prior offenses were truly committed before October 1997, they cannot be used as qualifying offenses. However, the postconviction court failed to attach portions of the record conclusively refuting Mr. Cobb’s claim. See Simmons v. State, 824 So. 2d 327 (Fla. 1st DCA 2002) (reversing because record attachments did not conclusively refute movant’s allegations that he was erroneously convicted under section 322.34(2) when he did not have the qualifying offenses).
Accordingly, we reverse and remand to the postconviction court to address these claims and, if it denies them, to attach portions of the record conclusively refuting Mr. Cobb’s claims or to conduct an evidentiary hearing. In all other respects, we affirm.
Affirmed in part, reversed in part, and remanded.
WHATLEY and DAVIS, JJ. Concur.
Cases With Similar Vibessemantic neighbors from the corpus
Citator
Authorities Cited
- Hill v. Lockhart, 474 U.S. 52 (U.S. 1985)
- Nelson v. State, 875 So. 2d 579 (Fla. 2004)
- Huss v. State, 771 So. 2d 591 (Fla. 1st DCA 2000)
- Simmons v. State, 824 So. 2d 327 (Fla. 1st DCA 2002)