In Re AMENDMENTS TO the FLORIDA RULES OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE

167 So. 3d 395, 40 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 322, 2015 Fla. LEXIS 1278, 2015 WL 3617816
CourtSupreme Court of Florida
DecidedJune 11, 2015
DocketSC15-290
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 167 So. 3d 395 (In Re AMENDMENTS TO the FLORIDA RULES OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE) 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
In Re AMENDMENTS TO the FLORIDA RULES OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE, 167 So. 3d 395, 40 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 322, 2015 Fla. LEXIS 1278, 2015 WL 3617816 (Fla. 2015).

Opinion

PER CURIAM.

This matter is before the Court for consideration of out-of-cycle amendments to the Florida Rules of Criminal Procedure proposed by The Florida Bar’s Criminal Procedure Rules Committee (CPR Committee), joined by the Appellate Court Rules Committee (ACR Committee). 1 See Fla. R. Jud. Admin. 2.140(e). We have jurisdiction. 2

We amend Florida Rules of Criminal Procedure 3.192 (Motions for Rehearing); 3.800 (Correction, Reduction, and Modification of Sentences); and 3.850 (Motion to Vacate, Set Aside, or Correct Sentence), as proposed. The Florida Bar Board of Gov *396 ernors unanimously approved the amendments. The CPR Committee published the proposed amendments for comment before filing them with the Court. No comments were received.

According to the report, the amendments are intended to resolve a conflict between the Rules of Criminal Procedure and the Rules of Appellate Procedure as to when a postconviction order is rendered for purposes of appeal. As relevant here, under Florida Rule of Appellate Procedure 9.020(i), “[a]n order is rendered when a signed, written order is filed with the clerk of the lower tribunal.” As recently amended, postconviction rules 3.192, 3.800, and 3.850 permit motions for rehearing of orders issued under those rules to be “deemed denied” if no ruling is entered within a specific number of days. See In re Amend. Fla. Rules of Crim. Pro. & Fla. Rules of App. Pro., 132 So.3d 734 (Fla.2013); In re Amend. Fla. Rules of Crim. Pro., 26 So.3d 534 (Fla.2009). According to the report, this puts the rendition of postconviction orders in question, and could result in the delayed filing of a notice of appeal and dismissal by the appellate court. See, e.g., Mincey v. State, 158 So.3d 697 (Fla. 5th DCA 2015) (dismissing an appeal as untimely because the appellant failed to file a notice of appeal of an order denying rule 3.850 motions within 30 days from the date the court failed to issue an order on the appellant’s motion for rehearing).

The amendments we adopt in this case resolve any conflict in the rules by removing the “deemed denied” language from the portions of rules 3.192, 3.800, and 3.850 where the language could cause confusion as to rendition. We also deleted the language in rule 3.850(j) (Rehearing) providing that “[a] timely filed motion for rehearing shall toll finality of any final order addressing a motion under this rule.” According to the supplemental report filed by the CPR Committee and the ACR Committee, the committees determined the rule 3.850(j) tolling language was unnecessary because rule 9.020(f) provides that an authorized and timely motion for rehearing will delay rendition of any final order. Minor additional changes further clarify the criminal rules and conform them to rule 9.020(i).

Accordingly, we amend the Florida Rules of Criminal Procedure as reflected in the appendix to this opinion. New language is indicated by underscoring; deletions are indicated by struck-through type. The amendment shall become effective immediately upon the release 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. 3

It is so ordered.

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

APPENDIX

RULE 3.192. MOTIONS FOR REHEARING

When an appeal by the state is authorized by Florida Rule of Appellate Procedure 9.140, or sections 924.07 or 924.071, Florida Statutes, the state may file a motion for rehearing within 10 days of an order subject to appellate review. A motion for rehearing shall state with particularity the points of law or fact that, in the opinion of the state, the court has overlooked or misapprehended in its decision, and shall not present issues not previously raised in the proceeding. A response may be filed within 10 days of service of the motion. The trial court’s order disposing of the motion for rehearing shall be filed within 15 days of the response but not later than 40 days from the date of the order of which rehearing is sought. If no order is filed within 40 days, the -motion is deemed-denied. A timely filed motion for rehearing shall toll rendition of the order subject to appellate review and the order shall be deemed rendered 40 days from the ordei-of-which rehearing is - sought, or upon the filing of a signed, written order denying the motion for rehearingj-whiehever is earlier. This rule shall not apply to post-conviction proceedings pursuant to rule 3.800(a), 3.850, 3.851, or 3.853. Nothing in this rule precludes the trial court from exercising its inherent authority to reconsider a ruling while the court has jurisdiction of the case.

RULE 3.800. CORRECTION, REDUCTION, AND MODIFICATION OF SENTENCES

(a) [No Change]

(b) Motion to Correct Sentencing Error. A motion to correct any sentencing error, including an illegal sentence, may be filed as allowed by this subdivision. This subdivision shall not be applicable to those cases in which the death sentence has been imposed and direct appeal jurisdiction is in the Supreme Court under article V, section 3(b)(1) of the Florida Constitution. The motion must identify the error with specificity and provide a proposed correction. A response to the motion may be filed within 15 days, either admitting or contesting the alleged error. Motions may be filed by the state under this subdivision only if the correction of the sentencing error would benefit the defendant or to correct a scrivener’s error.

(1) Motion Before Appeal. During the time allowed for the filing of a notice of appeal of a sentence, a defendant or the state may file a motion to correct a sentencing error.

(A) This motion shall stay rendition under Florida Rule of Appellate Procedure 9.020(i).

(B) Unless the trial court determines that the motion can be resolved as a matter of law without a hearing, it shall hold a calendar call no later than 20 days from the filing of the motion, with notice to all parties, for the express purpose of either ruling on the motion or determining the *398 need for an evidentiary hearing. If an evidentiary hearing is needed, it shall be set no more than 20 days from the date of the calendar call. Within 60 days from the filing of the motion, the trial court shall file an order ruling on the motion. If no order-is filed within-60 days, the motion shall be considered denied. — A party may file a motion for rehearing of any signed, written order entered under subdivisions (a) and (b) of this rule within 15 days of the date of service of the order or within 15 days of the expiration of the time period for filing an order if no order is filed. A response may be filed within 10 days of service of the motion. The trial court’s order disposing of the motion for rehearing shall be filed within 15 days of the response but not later than 40 days from the date of the order of which rehearing is sought.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

WESLEY PAUL v. STATE OF FLORIDA
268 So. 3d 754 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 2019)
In Re: Amendments to Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.192
229 So. 3d 1116 (Supreme Court of Florida, 2017)
Watkins v. State
217 So. 3d 1135 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 2017)
MacKenzie v. Centex Homes Ex Rel. Centex Real Estate Corp.
208 So. 3d 790 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 2016)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
167 So. 3d 395, 40 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 322, 2015 Fla. LEXIS 1278, 2015 WL 3617816, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-amendments-to-the-florida-rules-of-criminal-procedure-fla-2015.