In Re Amendments to Florida Rules of Criminal Procedure 3.704 & 3.986

22 So. 3d 1, 34 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 509, 2009 Fla. LEXIS 1454, 2009 WL 2878103
Supreme Court of Florida·Decided September 10, 2009·No. SC09-1186·Published

Opinion

PER CURIAM.

The Criminal Procedure Rules Committee (Committee) filed an out-of-cycle report proposing amendments to Florida Rules of Criminal Procedure 3.704, The Criminal Punishment Code; and 3.986, Forms Related to Judgment and Sentence, to conform the rules to 2009 legislation. 1 We have jurisdiction. See art. V, § 2(a), Fla. Const.; Fla. R. Jud. Admin. 2.140(e).

As discussed below, we adopt the Committee’s proposed amendments to rules 3.704 and 3.986, which are based upon legislation that went into effect on July 1, 2009.

The Committee proposes amending rule 3.704 to add two additional provisions under subdivision (d), General Rules and Definitions, derived from chapter 2009-63, section 1, Laws of Florida. There, the Legislature amended section 775.082 to add subsection (10), affecting sentence computation:

(10) If a defendant is sentenced for an offense committed on or after July 1, 2009, which is a third-degree felony but not a forcible felony as defined in s. 776.08, and excluding any third-degree felony violation under chapter 810, and if the total sentence points pursuant to s. 921.0024 are 22 points or fewer, the court must sentence the offender to a nonstate prison sanction. However, if the court makes written findings that a nonstate prison sanction could present a danger to the public, the court may sentence the offender to a state correctional facility pursuant to this section.

The adoption of new subdivision (d)(29) in rule 3.704 gives effect to that change. Under chapter 2009-63, section 2, Laws of Florida, the Legislature created a prison diversion program established under section 921.00241, Florida Statute. Rule 3.704(d)(28) as amended gives effect to that change. Former subdivision (d)(28) is renumbered. The Criminal Punishment Code Scoresheet recently was revised to reflect these statutory changes as well. See In re Amendments to Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.992(A) —Criminal Punishment Code Scoresheet, 19 So.3d 274 (Fla.2009).

The Committee further proposes amending rule 3.986 to reflect recent legislative changes that affect a number of forms under the rule. In chapter 2009-190, section 2, Laws of Florida, the Legislature amended section 943.325 pertaining to the collection of DNA samples from qualified offenders. The amendment to rule 3.986(b), Form of Judgment, reflects that change, in particular changing reference to specific offenses to the general “qualified offender” and changing “blood specimen” to “DNA samples.” The amendment to subdivision (c) provides for costs to be *2 assessed to the offender. Subdivisions (d) and (e) are amended to reflect the Legislature’s amendments to section 948.014, requiring submission of DNA samples from offenders placed on probation or community control, respectively.

Accordingly, we hereby amend the Florida Rules of Criminal Procedure as set forth in the appendix to this opinion. New language is indicated by underscoring; deletions are indicated by struck-through type. The amendments shall become effective immediately upon issuance of this opinion. Because the amendments were not published for comment prior to their adoption, interested persons shall have sixty days from the date of this opinion in which to file comments with the Court. 2

It is so ordered.

QUINCE, C.J., and PARIENTE, LEWIS, CANADY, POLSTON, LABARGA, and PERRY, JJ., concur.

APPENDIX

Rule 3.704. THE CRIMINAL PUNISHMENT CODE

(a)-(c) [No change]

(d) General Rules and Definitions

(1) — (27) [No change]

(28) If the lowest permissible sentence under the criminal punishment code is a state prison sanction but the total sentencing points do not exceed 48 points (or 54 points if six of those points are for a violation of probation, community control, or other community supervision that does not involve a new crime), the court may sentence the defendant to probation, community control, or community supervision with mandatory participation in a prison diversion program, as provided for in s. 921.00241, Florida Statutes, if the defendant meets the requirements for that program as set forth in section 921.00241.

(29) If the total sentence points equal 22 or less, the court must sentence the offender to a nonstate prison sanction unless it makes written findings that a nonstate prison sanction could present a danger to the public.

(2§)(30) Sentences imposed after revocation of probation or community control must be imposed according to the sentencing law applicable at the time of the commission of the original offense.

Committee Note

[No change]

Rule. 3.986. FORMS RELATED TO JUDGMENT AND SENTENCE

(a) [No change]

(b) Form for Judgment.

_ Probation Violator

_ Community Control Violator

_ Retrial

_ Resentence

In the Circuit Court,

_Judicial Circuit, in and

for

_County, Florida

*3 Division_

Case Number_

State of Florida

v.

[[Image here]]

Defendant

JUDGMENT

The defendant,_, being personally before this court represented by _, the attorney of record, and the state represented by _, and having

___ been tried and found guilty by jury/by court of the following crime(s)
_ entered a plea of guilty to the following crime(s)
_ entered a plea of nolo contendere to the following crime(s)
[[Image here]]
_ and no cause being shown why the defendant should not be adjudicated guilty, IT IS ORDERED THAT the defendant is hereby ADJUDICATED GUILTY of the above crime(s).
_ and having been-eonvicted or-found guilty of, or having entered a-plea-of nolo contendere or-gailty, regardless of adjudication, to attempts - or offenses relating to-sexual battery (eh. 794), lewd and lascivious conduch-(ch. 800), or-murder (s.782.04), aggravated battery-(s.784.045),-carjacking (s.812.183-) — or home- invasion robbery (s.812.1-85), or any other offense specified in section 943.325being a qualified offender pursuant to s. 943.325, the defendant shall be required to submit blood specimensDNA samples as required by law.
— and good cause being shown; IT IS ORDERED THAT ADJUDICATION OF GUILT BE WITHHELD.

DONE AND ORDERED in open court in _ County, Florida, on .(date).

[[Image here]]

Judge

State of Florida

v.

[[Image here]]

Defendant

Case Number_

FINGERPRINTS OF DEFENDANT

K. Thumb R. Index R.

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In Re Amendments to Florida Rules of Criminal Procedure 3.704 & 3.986, 22 So. 3d 1, 34 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 509, 2009 Fla. LEXIS 1454, 2009 WL 2878103 (Fla. 2009).

22 So. 3d 1 (In Re Amendments to Florida Rules of Criminal Procedure 3.704 & 3.986) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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