Stavely v. State

473 So. 2d 748, 10 Fla. L. Weekly 1604
CourtDistrict Court of Appeal of Florida
DecidedJune 28, 1985
DocketAT-298
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 473 So. 2d 748 (Stavely 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
Stavely v. State, 473 So. 2d 748, 10 Fla. L. Weekly 1604 (Fla. Ct. App. 1985).

Opinion

473 So.2d 748 (1985)

Jimmy Osmond STAVELY, Appellant,
v.
STATE of Florida, Appellee.

No. AT-298.

District Court of Appeal of Florida, First District.

June 28, 1985.
Rehearing Denied August 26, 1985.

*749 Glenna Joyce Reeves, Asst. Public Defender, Tallahassee, for appellant.

Jim Smith, Atty. Gen., and Richard A. Patterson, Asst. Atty. Gen., Tallahassee, for appellee.

PER CURIAM.

Stavely appeals from his new sentence entered upon the granting of his motion to correct the original sentence and from his judgment and sentence for the offense of direct criminal contempt, raising a number of issues,[1] some of which require discussion.

On July 28, 1980, appellant entered a negotiated plea of guilty to sexual battery and burglary. On September 9, 1980, the trial court imposed a sentence of 25 years, consisting of 15 years' imprisonment to be followed by ten years' probation on each count, to run concurrently. Thereafter, appellant filed a motion to vacate, set aside, or correct sentence pursuant to Rule 3.800(a) and/or Rule 3.850, Florida Rules of Criminal Procedure, under the authority of Villery v. Florida Parole and Probation Commission, 396 So.2d 1107 (Fla. 1981), which held that a term of imprisonment imposed as a condition of probation could not validly exceed one year. On June 14, 1983, the motion was granted, and appellant was resentenced to 25 years' imprisonment on each count, to run consecutively, with the trial judge retaining jurisdiction over the first half of the sentence. Stavely's request for an attorney at this hearing was not acted upon.

Two days later, on June 16, 1983, appellant's sentence was again vacated and set aside because the trial judge concluded that he could not retain jurisdiction over the case. The record indicates that appellant was not represented by counsel at the June 16 resentencing. Appellant was resentenced to 20 years' imprisonment on each count, to run concurrently. The trial judge's oral pronouncement of sentence did not conform to the written record of the sentence, which showed a term of 25 years' imprisonment on each count; however, on December 16, 1983, an order correcting sentence discrepancy was entered. The transcript of the sentencing hearing was corrected to show two concurrent sentences of 25 years each.

RIGHT TO COUNSEL AT VILLERY HEARING AND RESENTENCING

Appellant first contends that the trial court's denial of his affirmative request for appointed counsel at the Villery motion hearing and his subsequent resentencing denied him due process of law under the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution. In Graham v. State, 372 So.2d 1363, 1366 (Fla. 1979), the court held: "[T]here is no constitutional requirement for the appointment of individual counsel for an application for post-conviction relief until a colorable or justiciable issue or meritorious grievance prima facially appears in the appellant's petition."

In the instant case, appellant's motion to vacate, set aside, or correct sentence did not on its face reflect a colorable or justiciable issue or a meritorious grievance. We therefore find that the appellant was not entitled to appointed counsel at his Villery *750 motion hearing. However, the appellant was entitled to be represented by counsel at the new sentencing once the Villery motion had been granted. In State v. Scott, 439 So.2d 219, 220 (Fla. 1983), the Florida Supreme Court held that, once it is determined that the sentence is illegal and the prisoner is entitled to a modification of the original sentence or the imposition of a new sentence, the full panoply of due process considerations attaches. The court further asserted that this was especially true in post-Villery correction of sentences. Accordingly, we reverse appellant's sentence and remand for resentencing after appointment of counsel.

INCREASED TERM OF IMPRISONMENT

Appellant's second contention is that the trial court erred in imposing an increased term of imprisonment after having properly vacated his previously-imposed split sentence. In Beech v. State, 436 So.2d 82, 83 (Fla. 1983), the court held: "In correcting a voidable order of punishment for a criminal offense a trial judge may impose a sentence of imprisonment no longer than the originally ordered combined period of incarceration and probation... ." The appellant, in the case sub judice, was resentenced to imprisonment for a period of time equal to the total of the period of imprisonment and probation originally imposed. The record does not show that the sentence was "imposed to retaliate" against the appellant for having pursued his rights. Beech at 85. We find no error in the trial court's imposition of an increased term of imprisonment.

CONTEMPT

At the June 14 Villery hearing and resentencing, the following exchange of words took place:

THE COURT: Since we resentenced him, he will automatically be sent back.
THE BAILIFF: Keep your comments to yourself.
THE COURT: Did you want to say anything to me?
THE BAILIFF: He feels like he wants to deal with you when he gets out.
THE DEFENDANT: No, sir, I didn't say that.
THE COURT: I will be sending a letter to the parole board with words to that effect.

At the June 16 resentencing hearing, the trial court told appellant that he was going to cite him for direct contempt for threatening the court. He appointed the public defender to represent appellant, stated that appellant "made the comment that you would see about me when you got out of prison," and found that appellant's conduct constituted contempt of court. He then allowed appellant to present evidence in mitigation. Appellant asserted that he had not made the statement recited to the court by the bailiff, but instead had said, "Man, I will never get out of prison." There was further discussion about the precise remark that appellant had made and whether appellant's version of the remark made sense in light of his earlier remarks. Upon inquiry by the judge it became clear that the bailiff was not present during the contempt hearing. Appellant was adjudged guilty of contempt and was sentenced to six months in the county jail to run consecutively to the burglary and sexual battery sentence.

Appellant argues that (1) the trial court erred in convicting him of direct criminal contempt when it never actually heard the "contemptuous" remark, and (2) if the appellant's remark did constitute indirect criminal contempt, he was denied due process of law.

Rule 3.830, Florida Rules of Criminal Procedure, provides in part: "A criminal contempt may be punished summarily if the court saw or heard the conduct constituting the contempt committed in the actual presence of the court."[2]

*751 In Saunders v. State, 319 So.2d 118, 124 (Fla. 1st DCA 1975), this court held:

As to appellant's contention that his "son-of-a-bitch" statement was outside of the court's hearing and thus not committed in the actual presence of the court, we again look at the record. The trial judge obviously heard an expletive which triggered his statement from the bench, "What did you say?" Again, the appellant did not respond to the opportunity to "... present evidence of excusing or mitigating circumstances...

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

Related

Woodie v. Campbell
960 So. 2d 877 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 2007)
Johnson v. State
641 So. 2d 970 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 1994)
O'NEAL v. State
501 So. 2d 98 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 1987)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
473 So. 2d 748, 10 Fla. L. Weekly 1604, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/stavely-v-state-fladistctapp-1985.