Amendments to Florida Rules of Criminal Procedure 3.851, 3.852, & 3.993

772 So. 2d 512, 25 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 395, 2000 Fla. LEXIS 2566, 2000 WL 718451
Supreme Court of Florida·Decided May 17, 2000·No. No. SC96646·Published·Cited by 2 cases

Opinion

ORDER

Consistent with its ongoing efforts to improve the capital postconviction process and eliminate unnecessary delay, the Court hereby proposes the attached amendments to Florida Rules of Criminal Procedure 3.851, 3.852, and 3.993 in light of the continuing exemptions to public records production contained in sections 119.07(3)(b) and (3)(1), Florida Statutes (1999). The Court’s original proposed amendment to rule 3.851 is modified to extend the time for filing an initial motion for postconviction relief until one year after the judgment and sentence of death become final. The original proposed amendment to rule 3.852 is altered to: (1) require records that are exempt from production under section 119.07(3)(b) or (3)Q) to be delivered to the clerk of court in a separate container, the outside of which must specifically identify the sections under which the records are exempt, and (2) provide for the unsealing and the forwarding of those records to the records repository within thirty days after the filing of the notice of mandate on direct appeal by the Attorney General. The original proposed amendment to rule 3.993 is modified consistent with the above changes.

Interested persons are invited to comment on these modifications as well as the original proposed amendments to the rules. The Court also seeks alternative proposals designed to address how procedures can be appropriately and effectively amended taking into consideration the continuing existence of the subject exemptions. An original and seven copies of all comments and proposals must be filed with the Clerk of Court on or before June 1, 2000.

HARDING, C.J., and SHAW, WELLS, ANSTEAD, PARIENTE, LEWIS and QUINCE, JJ., concur.

APPENDIX

[current rule 3.851 deleted; the following language added]

Rule 3.851. Collateral Relief After Death Sentence Has Been Imposed And Affirmed On Direct Appeal

(a) Scope and Purpose.

[513] This rule shall apply to all motions and petitions for any type of postconviction or collateral relief brought by defendants in state custody who have been sentenced to death and whose conviction and death sentence have been affirmed on direct appeal. A defendant under sentence of death imposed by a court established by the laws of Florida claiming the right to be released on the ground that the judgment was entered or that the sentence was imposed in violation of the Constitution or laws of the United States or of the State of Florida, that the court was without jurisdiction to enter the judgment or to impose the sentence, that any plea was given involuntarily, or that the judgment or sentence is otherwise subject to collateral attack may move, in the court that entered the judgment or imposed the sentence, to vacate, set aside, or correct the judgment or sentence. The purpose of this rule is to provide the means by which a defendant under sentence of death can raise claims of error which were unavailable at the time of trial or direct appeal. Unless otherwise provided herein, a defendant who had postconviction counsel appointed prior to the effective date of this rule shall proceed in accordance with the rules in effect at the time counsel was appointed.

(b) Appointment of Postconviction Counsel.

(1) Within 15 days after sentencing a defendant to death, the sentencing court shall issue an order appointing the appropriate office of the Capital Collateral Regional Counsel.

(2) In cases in which the death sentence has been imposed prior to the effective date of this rule but postconviction counsel has not been appointed, the chief judge of the circuit court in which the defendant was sentenced shall appoint the appropriate office of the Capital Collateral Regional Counsel by 30 days after the effective date of this rule.

(3) Within 30 days from the appointment, the Capital Collateral Regional Counsel shall file a notice of appearance in the trial court or a motion to withdraw based on a conflict of interest or some other legal ground.

(4) Within 15 days after the Capital Collateral Regional Counsel files a motion to withdraw, the chief judge or assigned judge shall appoint new postconviction counsel.

(c) Preliminary Procedures.

(1) Judicial Assignment. Upon appointment of postconviction counsel, the chief judge shall assign the case to the judge who presided over the defendant’s capital trial if that judge is active and otherwise available to serve or a trial judge qualified to conduct capital proceedings under the Rules of Judicial Administration.

(2) Status Conferences. The assigned judge shall conduct a status hearing not later than 90 days after the assignment, and shall hold status conferences at least every 90 days thereafter until the eviden-tiary hearing has been completed or the motion has been ruled on without a hearing. The attorneys may appear by telephone at such status conferences, with leave of the trial court. Such requests shall be liberally granted. Pending motions, except those requiring the presence of the defendant, and disputes involving public records, shall be heard at the status conferences, unless otherwise ordered by the court.

(3) Trial Record. The clerk of the trial court shall serve copies of the trial record on postconviction counsel, the state attorney, and the attorney general at the time the clerk serves copies of the record pursuant to rule 9.140(e)(4).

(4) Duties of Defense Counsel and Prosecuting Attorney. Within 15 days of appointment of postconviction counsel, the defendant’s trial counsel shall provide to postconviction counsel all information pertaining to the defendant’s capital case which was obtained during the representa[514] tion of the defendant. Postconviction counsel shall maintain the confidentiality of all confidential information received. Within 15 days of appointment of postcon-viction counsel, the state attorney’s office that prosecuted the defendant shall provide to postconviction counsel copies of all pretrial and trial discovery and all contents of the state’s file, except for information that the prosecuting attorney has a legal right under state or federal law to withhold from disclosure.

(5) Defendant’s Presence Not Required. The defendant’s presence shall not be required except at the evidentiary hearing on the merits of any claim and at any hearing involving conflict with or removal of collateral counsel.

(d) Time Limitations.

(1)Initial Postconviction Motions. A motion filed under this rule is an initial postconviction motion if no court has previously ruled on a postconviction motion challenging the same judgment and sentence.

(A)Time for Filing. An initial motion to vacate judgment of conviction and sentence of death shall be filed by a defendant who is sentenced to death on or after the effective date of this rale within 1 year after the judgment and sentence become final. A defendant who was sentenced to death and did not have postconviction counsel appointed before the effective date of this rule shall file an initial postconviction motion within 1 year after the judgment and sentence become final or one year of the appointment of postconviction counsel under subdivision (b)(2), whichever occurs last. An initial motion shall not be filed or considered beyond the time limitation of this subdivision unless an extension has been granted by the trial judge or the motion alleges that:

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Amendments to Florida Rules of Criminal Procedure 3.851, 3.852, & 3.993, 772 So. 2d 512, 25 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 395, 2000 Fla. LEXIS 2566, 2000 WL 718451 (Fla. 2000).

772 So. 2d 512 (Amendments to Florida Rules of Criminal Procedure 3.851, 3.852, & 3.993) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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