Ellis v. State

Decision Date03 July 1974
Docket NumberNo. 73--770,73--770
Citation298 So.2d 527
PartiesHarold Bernard ELLIS, Appellant, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee.
CourtFlorida District Court of Appeals

James A. Gardner, Public Defender, and Elliott C. Metcalfe, Jr., Asst. Public Defender, Bradenton, for appellant.

Robert L. Shevin, Atty. Gen., Tallahassee, and Robert J. Landry, Asst. Atty. Gen., Tampa, for appellee.

HOBSON, Acting Chief Judge.

Appellant first contends that his sentence is illegal in that he was sentenced twice for the same criminal act or episode. He was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment on each of two counts of an information. Count 1 charged him with accessory after the fact as to the assault on Officer Alexander Joe on October 18, 1971; Count 2 charged him with accessory after the fact as to assault on Officer George Kistner on the same date.

The evidence shows that Officer Kistner was shot with a .22 caliber gun and Officer Joe was shot with a 30--30 rifle. The evidence also shows that appellant concealed both guns. The appellant hid two separate guns used in assaults against two different individuals. The offenses were therefore two separate offenses, even though the assaults were committed during the same criminal episode. Harris v. State, Fla.App.2d 1973, 286 So.2d 32; Trousdale v. State, Fla.App.2d 1974, 287 So.2d 721.

Appellant next contends that he should have been sentenced to only five years, since this was the maximum punishment provided by F.S. § 776.03 F.S.A. at the time he was sentenced. The courts of Florida have long held that the statute in effect at the time of the commission of the crime, rather than at the time of sentencing, is the controlling statute. Raines v. State, 42 Fla. 141, 28 So. 57 (1900); Turner v. State, 1924, 87 Fla. 155, 99 So. 334; Ex parte Browne, 1927, 93 Fla. 332, 111 So. 518; Bazarte v. State, Fla.App.2d 1959, 114 So.2d 500; Sing v. State, Fla.App.1st 1959, 115 So.2d 773; Wood v. Cochran, Fla.1960, 118 So.2d 193; Collins v. State, Fla.App.4th 1972, 271 So.2d 156.

Affirmed.

McNULTY and GRIMES, JJ., concur.

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13 cases
  • Jackson v. State, 91-0963
    • United States
    • Florida District Court of Appeals
    • June 3, 1992
    ...300 So.2d 21 (Fla.1974); Hampton v. State, 336 So.2d 378 (Fla. 1st DCA), cert. denied, 339 So.2d 1169 (Fla.1976); Ellis v. State, 298 So.2d 527 (Fla. 2d DCA), cert. dismissed, 298 So.2d 411 (Fla.1974). For instance, in Hampton, the single transaction rule did not preclude the trial court fr......
  • Heilmann v. State, 74--440
    • United States
    • Florida District Court of Appeals
    • April 2, 1975
    ...statutes are also governed by Fla.Const. Art. X, § 9. See, Turner v. State, 1924, 87 Fla. 155, 99 So. 334. See, also Ellis v. State, Fla.App.2d 1974, 298 So.2d 527 and cases cited therein.3 See, e.g., Ratner v. Hensley, Fla.App.3d 1974, 303 So.2d 41. See, also, Lee v. State, 1937, 128 Fla. ......
  • Cooper v. Wainwright
    • United States
    • Florida District Court of Appeals
    • February 21, 1975
    ...87 Fla. 155, 99 So. 334; Wood v. Cochran, Fla.1960, 118 So.2d 193; Collins v. State, Fla.App.1972, 271 So.2d 156; Ellis v. State, Fla.App.1974, 298 So.2d 527; Rozinski v. State, Fla.App.1974, 298 So.2d The second point challenges the legality of the five year consecutive sentence under Coun......
  • Reynolds v. State
    • United States
    • Florida District Court of Appeals
    • March 11, 2016
    ...5th DCA 1980) (noting that the court must apply the law that was in effect at the time the crime was committed) (citing Ellis v. State, 298 So.2d 527 (Fla. 2d DCA 1974) ).2 In the order on appeal denying Reynolds' motion, the postconviction court recognized the inconsistency when it directe......
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