Eldridge v. State

531 So. 2d 741, 1988 WL 100559
CourtDistrict Court of Appeal of Florida
DecidedSeptember 22, 1988
Docket87-1236
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 531 So. 2d 741 (Eldridge v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court of Appeal of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Eldridge v. State, 531 So. 2d 741, 1988 WL 100559 (Fla. Ct. App. 1988).

Opinion

531 So.2d 741 (1988)

Walter ELDRIDGE Appellant,
v.
STATE of Florida, Appellee.

No. 87-1236.

District Court of Appeal of Florida, Fifth District.

September 22, 1988.

Leon M. Boyajan, II, of Poe & Boyajan, P.A., Inverness, for appellant.

Robert A. Butterworth, Atty. Gen., Tallahassee, and W. Brian Bayly, Asst. Atty. Gen., Daytona Beach, for appellee.

ON MOTION FOR REHEARING

DAUKSCH, Judge.

Appellee has sought our rehearing in this matter and pointed out that the first opinion is in conflict with Young v. State, 519 So.2d 719 (Fla. 5th DCA 1988) and Lambert v. State, 517 So.2d 133 (Fla. 4th DCA 1987).

Appellee is correct that a conflict was created by the first opinion. We grant rehearing, withdraw our previous opinion in this case and affirm the sentence of the trial court. We also certify conflict with Tuthill v. State, 518 So.2d 1300 (Fla. 3d DCA 1987); Wilson v. State, 510 So.2d 1088 (Fla. 2d DCA 1987); Lewis v. State, 510 So.2d 1089 (Fla. 2d DCA 1987) and, finally, certify the same question of great public importance we certified in Young.

Rehearing granted, sentence affirmed, question certified.

SHARP, C.J., concurs.

COWART, J., dissents with opinion.

COWART, Judge, dissenting.

While on probation after pleading no contest to lewd assault upon his step child (§ 800.04, Fla. Stat.), allegedly the defendant again criminally assaulted the same child. He was not arraigned, charged, tried, or convicted of the second offense but based upon it, his probation was terminated and a departure sentence was imposed.

The defendant was not convicted of the second offense and the spirit, if not the letter of the limitations included in the last two sentences of Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.701 d.11. precluding departures based on crimes for which convictions have not been obtained, applies in this case.

The substantive question is:

When sentencing for a prior offense under the sentencing guidelines what effect should be given a subsequent accusation, arrest, conviction or acquittal relating to a subsequent offense?

This issue has usually been presented in the context that the defendant was on probation (or community control) when the subsequent offense allegedly occurred and the subsequent offense was also used to charge a violation of a condition of the probation or community control. In this context there are actually two separate and distinct questions presented that have been, but should not be, confused in the case law:

(1) What is the effect of a probation (or community control) violation on a guideline sentence?

*742 It was originally held that a violation of probation justified a departure sentence being imposed on the underlying or "prior" offense.[1] Later the guideline rule was amended to provide that the sentence imposed after revocation of probation or community control could for that reason be increased to the next higher cell (guideline range) ("notched-up") without requiring a reason for departure. See Fla.R.Crim.P. 3.701 d.14. That rule now answers the question of what effect should be given to a probation violation in formulating a sentence under the guideline rule.

(2) What effect does a subsequent offense have on a guideline sentence?

Under the guidelines the answer to the second question depends first on whether the defendant is acquitted or convicted[2] of the subsequent offense, and, secondly, if convicted of the subsequent offense, it depends on whether that conviction was "pending before the court for sentencing" (3.701 d.1. and 4.) at the time the guideline sentence was formulated and imposed on the prior offense, and, thirdly, if the conviction on the subsequent offense was "pending before the court for sentencing" the answer depends on which of the two offenses is considered "primary" (3.701 d.3.) and which is an "additional" offense (3.701 d.4.).

First, of course, if the defendant is acquitted of the subsequent offense, a departure sentence cannot be imposed on the prior offense based on the subsequent offense because under the explicit provisions of Rule 3.701 d.11. reasons for departure cannot be based on offenses for which the offender has not been convicted. See VanTassell v. State, 512 So.2d 181 (Fla. 1987); Woods v. State, 509 So.2d 1370 (Fla. 5th DCA 1987).

If the subsequent offense is "pending before the court for sentencing" (3.701 d.1. and 4.) at the time sentence is to be imposed on the prior offense, and the subsequent offense is the primary offense (3.701 d. 3.), then logically the defendant should be simply scored and sentenced on the subsequent offense and the prior offense scored as an additional offense (3.701 d.4.).[3] On the other hand if the subsequent offense is "pending before the court for sentencing" at the time of sentencing on the prior offense and the prior offense is the primary offense, then the subsequent offense is scored as an additional offense under Rule 3.701 d.4.[4]

Under the philosophy of the guideline sentencing rule if the subsequent offense is scored in formulating the guideline sentence, either as (1) the "primary offense" (3.701 d.3.) or (2) as an "additional offense at conviction" (3.701 d.4.), for that reason alone, it cannot be a clear and convincing reason justifying a departure sentence on the prior offense under Hendrix v. State, 475 So.2d 1218 (Fla. 1985); Gregory v. State, 475 So.2d 1221 (Fla. 1985); Deer v. State, 476 So.2d 163 (Fla. 1985); Banks v. State, 509 So.2d 1320 (Fla. 5th DCA 1987); Brown v. State, 483 So.2d 743 (Fla. 5th DCA 1986); State v. Mihocik, 480 So.2d 711 (Fla. 5th DCA 1986).

If at sentencing on the prior offense the defendant has been merely arrested for (or accused of) the subsequent crime, but has not been convicted of it (either because the subsequent offense is pending untried, has *743 been dismissed or the defendant has been acquitted), then the subsequent offense cannot be factored in scoring a guideline sentence on the prior offense, and cannot be considered as support for a departure sentence because under Rule 3.701 d.11. reasons for a departure sentence cannot be based on offenses for which the offender has not been convicted. See Committee Note to Rule 3.701 d.11. See also Baxter v. State, 488 So.2d 647 (Fla. 5th DCA 1986); Dixon v. State, 492 So.2d 410 (Fla. 5th DCA 1986); Whitfield v. State, 490 So.2d 1358 (Fla. 5th DCA 1986); Ponder v. State, 530 So.2d 1057 (Fla. 1st DCA 1988). As to this guideline point of law it is totally immaterial that the defendant was on probation on the prior offense and that the probation has been terminated because of the acts which constitute the subsequent offense. Because of differences in the burden of proof between a criminal case and a violation of probation hearing, a defendant's probation can be terminated based on a finding of fact that the State was unable to prove beyond a reasonable doubt in a criminal case.[5] This does not mean, of course, that under the sentencing guidelines, a departure sentence can be entered contrary to Rule 3.701 d.11. which prevents a departure from being entered considering offenses for which the offender has not been convicted.

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Related

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573 So. 2d 429 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 1991)
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545 So. 2d 1356 (Supreme Court of Florida, 1989)
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Bluebook (online)
531 So. 2d 741, 1988 WL 100559, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/eldridge-v-state-fladistctapp-1988.