Taccariello v. State

664 So. 2d 1118, 1995 WL 733378
CourtDistrict Court of Appeal of Florida
DecidedDecember 13, 1995
Docket94-1599
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 664 So. 2d 1118 (Taccariello 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
Taccariello v. State, 664 So. 2d 1118, 1995 WL 733378 (Fla. Ct. App. 1995).

Opinion

664 So.2d 1118 (1995)

Patricia TACCARIELLO, Appellant,
v.
STATE of Florida, Appellee.

No. 94-1599.

District Court of Appeal of Florida, Fourth District.

December 13, 1995.

*1119 Richard L. Jorandby, Public Defender, and Allen J. DeWeese, Assistant Public Defender, West Palm Beach, for appellant.

Robert A. Butterworth, Attorney General, Tallahassee, and Michelle A. Konig, Assistant Attorney General, West Palm Beach, for appellee.

SHAHOOD, Judge.

Appellant, Patricia Taccariello, appeals a guidelines departure sentence imposed after guilty pleas in each of two consolidated cases. We reverse and remand.

In each case, appellant pled guilty to grand theft in violation of sections 812.014(1), (2)(b) and (c), Florida Statutes, organized scheme to defraud in violation of section 817.034(4)(a)(2), Florida Statutes, and exploitation of the elderly in violation of section 415.111(5), Florida Statutes (1991). The cases were consolidated for sentencing purposes.

*1120 Appellant scored a total of forty-nine points on her sentencing guidelines scoresheet, which placed her within a recommended sentencing range of community control or twelve to thirty months in prison, and a permitted range of non-state sanctions to three and one-half years in prison. The state sought an upward departure from the guidelines. Appellant submitted an alternative sentencing proposal and, in support thereof, called witnesses who testified in detail about appellant's background, her drug addiction, the treatment she was undergoing, and the progress she had made. The sentencing proposal urged that appellant be sentenced to a term of ten years' probation with a number of special conditions, including restitution to the victims.

At the sentencing hearing, considerable testimony was taken from witnesses for the state as well as for the defense. Witnesses for the state testified that both victims trusted appellant. A representative of the Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services (HRS) testified that elderly people are more vulnerable than younger people to physical and psychological injury or abuse and are more susceptible to being taken advantage of. The HRS witness testified that the victims' injuries in this case were typical of elderly abuse victims.

After considering all of the aggravating and mitigating factors, the trial court adjudicated appellant guilty of all charges, entered an order of upward departure, and sentenced appellant to a term of five years' imprisonment followed by ten years' probation. The court found "clear and convincing reasons to depart from the sentencing guidelines" and recited the following reasons:

1. The victims' degree of suffering from physical or psychological injury was increased by reason of their advanced ages, frailty or helplessness which combination thereof made the victim particularly vulnerable. Byrd v. State, 516 So.2d 107 (Fla. 4th DCA 1987).
2. The defendant stood in a position of trust with the victims and breached that trust by committing the acts described in the information and probable cause affidavits. Id.
3. The defendant's actions were premeditated as evidenced by the preparation and length of the criminal conduct. Treadway v. State, 534 So.2d 825 (Fla. 4th DCA 1988).

The court's order was clear that all of the stated reasons for departure were found to be present.

On appeal, appellant claims that (1) the trial court's reasons for departure are invalid; (2) the convictions for both grand theft and fraud violate double jeopardy prohibitions; and (3) section 415.111, Florida Statutes (1991), is unconstitutional. We find that appellant's conviction under section 415.111(5), Florida Statutes (1991), requires reversal based upon the supreme court's holding that that statute is unconstitutionally vague. See Cuda v. State, 639 So.2d 22 (Fla. 1994). The fact that appellant did not raise the issue of the constitutionality of the statute below does not preclude our addressing this issue on appeal. In Trushin v. State, 425 So.2d 1126 (Fla. 1982), the Florida Supreme Court held as follows:

The facial validity of a statute, including an assertion that the statute is infirm because of overbreadth, can be raised for the first time on appeal even though prudence dictates that it be presented at the trial court level to assure that it will not be considered waived... . Once an appellate court has jurisdiction it may, if it finds it necessary to do so, consider any item that may affect the case.

Given that the statute was declared facially unconstitutional and that the constitutionality issue may be raised for the first time on appeal, the only remaining issue is whether appellant, having pled guilty, has waived the right to appeal. Because appellant's conviction was predicated on a facially unconstitutional statute and because a facially unconstitutional statute creates no subject matter jurisdiction pursuant to which a court may convict an accused, application of an unconstitutional statute constitutes fundamental error which can be raised for the first time on appeal, even after a guilty plea. Alexander v. State, 450 So.2d 1212 (Fla. 4th DCA 1984). We are therefore compelled to reverse appellant's convictions for exploitation *1121 of the elderly pursuant to section 415.111, Florida Statutes (1991).

While we are reversing based upon the unconstitutionality issue, we nevertheless address appellant's remaining two points since this case will be remanded for resentencing on the grand theft and organized scheme to defraud counts. There must be clear and convincing reasons to warrant departures from the sentencing guidelines range. State v. Mischler, 488 So.2d 523, 525 (Fla. 1986), clarified on other grounds, State v. Rousseau, 509 So.2d 281 (Fla. 1987). In Slomowitz v. Walker, 429 So.2d 797 (Fla. 4th DCA 1983), the court enunciated the following definition of "clear and convincing":

"Clear and convincing reasons" require that the facts supporting the reasons be credible and proven beyond a reasonable doubt. The reasons themselves must be of such weight as to produce in the mind of the judge a firm belief or conviction, without hesitancy, that departure is warranted.

Id. at 525. Guided by Mischler, we hold in the instant case that two of the trial court's reasons for departure, namely age-related vulnerability and breach of trust, are valid, but hold that premeditation does not justify departure in this case.

This court has previously held that "[n]either advanced age alone, ... nor the victim's helplessness or vulnerability to criminal activity, ... are sufficient as clear and convincing reasons for an upward departure from the guidelines sentences." Byrd v. State, 516 So.2d 107, 108 (Fla. 4th DCA 1987). However, when coupled with additional elements, such as the fact that the defendant stood in a position of trust with the victim, or that the degree of suffering from physical injury was increased by reason of advanced age, frailty or helplessness, departure is justified. Id. The supreme court tacitly approved Byrd in Wemett v. State, 567 So.2d 882 (Fla. 1990), when it stated the following:

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

Related

Labovick v. State
958 So. 2d 1065 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 2007)
Ramos v. State
766 So. 2d 1258 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 2000)
Jean v. State
764 So. 2d 605 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 1999)
Greene v. State
714 So. 2d 554 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 1998)
Wilburn v. State
763 So. 2d 353 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 1998)
Kipping v. State
702 So. 2d 578 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 1997)
Taccariello v. State
692 So. 2d 231 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 1997)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
664 So. 2d 1118, 1995 WL 733378, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/taccariello-v-state-fladistctapp-1995.