Demcak v. State, s. 92-820

• Decision Date: 19 March 1993
• Docket Number: 92-1009,Nos. 92-820,s. 92-820
• Citation: 616 So.2d 519
• Parties: 18 Fla. L. Week. D763 George DEMCAK, Appellant, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee.
• Court: Florida District Court of Appeals

Page 519

616 So.2d 519

18 Fla. L. Week. D763

George DEMCAK, Appellant, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee.

Nos. 92-820, 92-1009.

District Court of Appeal of Florida Fifth District.

March 19, 1993.

Rehearing Denied April 13, 1993.

David E. Silverman, Cocoa Beach, for appellant.

Robert A. Butterworth, Atty. Gen., Tallahassee, and Barbara C. Davis, Asst. Atty. Gen., Daytona Beach, for appellee.

W. SHARP, Judge.

Demcak appeals from his judgment and sentence of probation imposed after he pled no contest to one count of a scheme to defraud pursuant to a plea bargain. ¹ Demcak claims the trial court erred in sentencing him to special conditions of probation, which had not been included in the plea agreement; and thereafter by refusing to allow him to withdraw his plea and go to a jury trial. We agree.

Demcak was a partial owner of an automobile repair business, Automotive Plus, Inc. When a former employee of Automotive contacted the state attorney's office and gave them a sworn statement that the business was engaging in fraudulent automobile repair practices, an extensive and lengthy investigation was conducted by the Palm Bay Police Department. It resulted in the arrest of Demcak and two other employees.

Demcak negotiated a plea agreement with the state, which was read into the record when Demcak entered his no contest plea. The plea included two years probation, the inclusion of standard conditions on the plea form, and several special conditions, one of which required restitution to the Palm Bay Police Department for the costs of its investigation. No other restitution was included in the agreement.

However, Demcak's attorney advised the court that Demcak was offering to arbitrate any claims made by the public, whether based on fraud or mere dissatisfaction with the automotive repairs received at Automotive. The arbitration was to be conducted by an independent third party, Mediation, Inc. Demcak further offered to personally guarantee any monies which were to be paid by Automotive Plus, and agreed a claimant could take the arbitration award or reject it and bring a civil action.

The judge questioned Demcak about the plea and advised him of the results of making the plea. Demcak's lawyer requested that the court delay sentencing because the arbitration could take up to sixty days before it was completed. The judge acquiesced in this request.

At the sentencing hearing there was testimony that between four and five thousand dollars had been paid in claims as a result of the arbitration, and that additional repairs to vehicles had been ordered. But in sentencing Demcak, the judge reserved jurisdiction to impose additional restitution to as yet unnamed, unknown victims who had been harmed by Automotive's fraudulent repair practices. Demcak objected to this provision, but he failed to object to any of the other special conditions of probation, which were read into the record by the trial judge at sentencing. ²

Demcak argued that the arbitration had been voluntary and had not been part of the plea agreement. He also sought to withdraw his plea. The judge rejected his argument and denied him the opportunity to withdraw his...