Diego Tambriz-Ramirez v. State of Florida

248 So. 3d 1087
CourtSupreme Court of Florida
DecidedJuly 12, 2018
DocketSC17-713
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 248 So. 3d 1087 (Diego Tambriz-Ramirez v. State of Florida) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Diego Tambriz-Ramirez v. State of Florida, 248 So. 3d 1087 (Fla. 2018).

Opinions

CANADY, C.J.

In this case we consider whether convictions for aggravated assault, attempted sexual battery, and burglary with an assault or battery, which arose during a single criminal episode, violate the prohibition against double jeopardy. We have for review Tambriz-Ramirez v. State , 213 So.3d 920, 923-25 (Fla. 4th DCA 2017), in which the Fourth District Court of Appeal held that because burglary with an assault or battery does not necessarily include an aggravated assault or attempted sexual battery, Tambriz-Ramirez's convictions do not violate the prohibition against double jeopardy. The Fourth District certified conflict with Dykes v. State, 200 So.3d 162 (Fla. 5th DCA 2016), Hankins v. State , 164 So.3d 738 (Fla. 5th DCA 2015), Smith v. State , 154 So.3d 523 (Fla. 1st DCA 2015), McGhee v. State , 133 So.3d 1137 (Fla. 5th DCA 2014), Green v. State , 120 So.3d 1276 (Fla. 1st DCA 2013), Estremera v. State , 107 So.3d 511 (Fla. 5th DCA 2013), White v. State , 753 So.2d 668 (Fla. 1st DCA 2000), and Baldwin v. State , 790 So.2d 434 (Fla. 1st DCA 2000). We have jurisdiction. See art. V, § 3(b)(4), Fla. Const. For the reasons we explain, we approve the Fourth District's decision in Tambriz-Ramirez and disapprove the conflicting decisions to the extent that they conflict with this opinion. We also disapprove the decision of the Fifth District in Farrier v. State , 145 So.3d 199 (Fla. 5th DCA 2014), to the extent that it conflicts with this opinion.

*1089I. BACKGROUND

The facts of the case as set forth in the Fourth District's opinion below are as follows:

[In 2010, a]rmed with a knife and using a shirt as a mask, appellant broke into the victim's home at night and attempted to sexually batter her. The victim testified that during the attack, appellant put the knife to her face and neck. The victim fought off the attacker and, after pulling off the mask, recognized appellant, whom she knew. Appellant ultimately confessed his guilt to police and sent letters to the victim before trial, apologizing and asking her to drop the charges.
The State charged appellant as follows: Count 1, Burglary of a Dwelling with an Assault or Battery While Armed and Masked; Count 2, Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon While Masked; and Count 3, Attempted Sexual Battery-Person 12 Years of Age or Older-Using Great Force or a Deadly Weapon.
The jury convicted appellant as charged on all counts and in a special interrogatory on the verdict form for Count 1 found that during the commission of the burglary he was armed or became armed with "a deadly weapon." The court sentenced him to life in prison for the burglary, a consecutive 15 years in prison for the aggravated assault, and a consecutive 30 years in prison for the attempted sexual battery. Following this Court's remand on direct appeal, appellant was resentenced to 15 years in prison for the attempted sexual battery. See Tambriz-Ramirez [v. State ], 112 So.3d [767,] 768 [ (Fla. 4th DCA 2013) ].
Appellant filed a timely amended motion for postconviction relief under Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.850 raising various issues, including a claim that his trial attorney was ineffective in failing to raise a double jeopardy violation. The trial court held an evidentiary hearing and entered an order denying all of appellant's claims. As to the double jeopardy issue, the trial court concluded that the outcome of the proceedings would not have differed because appellant received a life sentence.

Tambriz-Ramirez , 213 So.3d at 921.

On appeal from the denial of his motion for postconviction relief, Tambriz-Ramirez argued that the trial court erred in concluding that no prejudice occurred in the alleged double jeopardy violation and that Count 2, aggravated assault, and Count 3, attempted sexual battery, were subsumed within Count 1, burglary with an assault or battery, and therefore violated the prohibition against double jeopardy. Id. The district court agreed that the trial court erred in concluding that Tambriz-Ramirez was not "prejudiced" by the alleged double jeopardy violation but nonetheless affirmed the denial of relief, concluding that because neither aggravated assault nor attempted sexual battery is subsumed within the offense of burglary with an assault or battery, Tambriz-Ramirez's convictions for separate offenses arising from this same criminal episode did not violate double jeopardy. Id. at 922.

The district court explained that because burglary with an assault or battery does not necessarily include an aggravated assault, aggravated assault is not subsumed within a burglary with an assault or battery offense. Id. at 923. "Simply stated, a defendant can commit a burglary with an assault or battery without also committing an aggravated assault." Id. For analogous reasons, the district court also rejected Tambriz-Ramirez's claim that his attempted sexual battery conviction is subsumed within his burglary with an assault or battery conviction. Id. at 925 (citing *1090State v. Nardi , 779 So.2d 596, 597 (Fla.

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248 So. 3d 1087, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/diego-tambriz-ramirez-v-state-of-florida-fla-2018.