Clemons v. State, 80-606

Decision Date26 September 1980
Docket NumberNo. 80-606,80-606
Citation388 So.2d 639
PartiesPeter James CLEMONS, Appellant, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee.
CourtFlorida District Court of Appeals

Jack O. Johnson, Public Defender, Bartow, and Judith L. James, Asst. Public Defender, Tampa, for appellant.

Jim Smith, Atty. Gen., Tallahassee, and Peggy A. Quince, Asst. Atty. Gen., Tampa, for appellee.

GRIMES, Judge.

Appellant's probation supervisor filed an affidavit charging appellant with violating conditions 1, 2, 3 and 9 of his probation. At the hearing on the affidavit the court revoked appellant's probation for violating conditions 1 and 3, but declined to find that he had violated conditions 2 and 9. Because the order revoking probation recites that appellant violated not only conditions 1 and 3 but also conditions 2 and 9, the court must correct the order by removing any reference to violations of conditions 2 and 9. Brouilett v. State, 373 So.2d 449 (Fla. 2d DCA 1979); Brewster v. State, 352 So.2d 1267 (Fla. 2d DCA 1977).

The only evidence introduced covering appellant's alleged violation of condition 3 (termination of employment without permission of supervisor) was the hearsay testimony of the probation supervisor about what appellant's employer had said in a telephone conversation. It is well established that although hearsay evidence is admissible during a probation revocation hearing, a court may not base the revocation of probation solely on hearsay. Reeves v. State, 366 So.2d 1229 (Fla. 2d DCA 1979); Wheeler v. State, 344 So.2d 630 (Fla. 2d DCA 1977). We believe it follows from this that a finding of a violation of a separate condition of probation cannot be based entirely upon hearsay. Hence the alleged violation of condition 3 also cannot serve as a basis for revocation.

While there was competent evidence at the revocation hearing that appellant had violated condition 1 (failure to file monthly reports), we are uncertain whether the trial court would have revoked probation and imposed the sentence it did solely on that ground. Accordingly, we reverse the order of revocation and remand the cause to permit the court to consider whether the violation of condition 1 warrants revocation. Shanklin v. State, 369 So.2d 620 (Fla. 2d DCA 1979); Tuff v. State, 338 So.2d 1335 (Fla. 2d DCA 1976). In this connection, we note that since reversal of an order of revocation of probation on the ground that it was based solely on hearsay does not bar a second revocation hearing...

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18 cases
  • Jones v. State
    • United States
    • Florida District Court of Appeals
    • December 15, 1982
    ...place.2 See Purvis v. State, 397 So.2d 746 (Fla. 5th DCA 1981) [Revocation apparently based solely on fact of arrest]; Clemons v. State, 388 So.2d 639 (Fla. 2d DCA 1980) [Probation officer's testimony about what appellant's employer had said]; Curry v. State, 379 So.2d 140 (Fla. 4th DCA 198......
  • Albritton v. State
    • United States
    • Florida Supreme Court
    • August 29, 1985
    ...(Fla. 1st DCA 1982); Aaron v. State, 400 So.2d 1033, 1035 (Fla. 3d DCA), review denied, 408 So.2d 1095 (Fla.1981); Clemons v. State, 388 So.2d 639, 640 (Fla. 2d DCA 1980); Peterson v. State, 384 So.2d 965, 966 (Fla. 1st DCA 1980); Page v. State, 363 So.2d 621, 622 (Fla. 1st DCA 1978); McKee......
  • Miller v. State, AU-56
    • United States
    • Florida District Court of Appeals
    • January 20, 1984
    ...a probation violation charge cannot be sustained by hearsay alone. Turner v. State, 293 So.2d 771 (Fla. 1st DCA 1974); Clemons v. State, 388 So.2d 639 (Fla. 2nd DCA 1980); Combs v. State, 351 So.2d 1103 (Fla. 4th DCA With respect to the two criminal charges for which the State sought revoca......
  • Lanier v. State
    • United States
    • Florida District Court of Appeals
    • August 18, 2006
    ...revocation may not be based solely on hearsay evidence. Thompson v. State, 890 So.2d 382, 383 (Fla. 2d DCA 2004); Clemons v. State, 388 So.2d 639, 640 (Fla. 2d DCA 1980). In Thompson, this court held that testimony from Thompson's probation officer as to what the officer was told by "someon......
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