Holland v. Wainwright, BM-46

Decision Date12 December 1986
Docket NumberNo. BM-46,BM-46
Citation499 So.2d 21,11 Fla. L. Weekly 2620
Parties11 Fla. L. Weekly 2620 Bush Wade HOLLAND, Appellant, v. L.L. WAINWRIGHT, Secretary, Florida Department of Corrections, Appellee.
CourtFlorida District Court of Appeals

Bush Wade Holland, pro se.

Jim Smith, Atty. Gen., Kimberly J. Tucker, Asst. Atty. Gen., for appellee.

MILLS, Judge.

Holland is currently confined as an inmate at the Apalachee Correctional Institution. In August of 1985, he filed a petition for a writ of mandamus, challenging the assignment of the prefix letter "C" to his inmate number. The trial court denied Holland's petition on the ground that it failed to state a cause of action. We agree and affirm.

In order for a petition for a writ of mandamus to be granted, it must be shown that the petitioner has a clear legal right to the performance of the particular duty sought and that he has no other legal method for redressing the wrong or of obtaining the relief to which he is entitled. State ex rel. Long v. Carey, 121 Fla. 515, 164 So. 199 (1935); Heath v. Becktell, 327 So.2d 3 (Fla.1976). The writ may be used to compel the performance of a ministerial duty imposed by law where it has not been performed as the law requires, State ex rel. Clendinen v. Dekle, 173 So.2d 452 (Fla.1965), but discretionary authority cannot be the subject of the writ. Hunter v. Solomon, 75 So.2d 803 (Fla.1954).

Here, Holland has no clear legal right to a particular prefix, nor is the assignment of a particular prefix a ministerial duty imposed on the Department of Corrections by law. Rather, as the record supports, the assignment of prefixes has been adopted by the Department to facilitate clearer record keeping, pursuant to its discretionary rule-making authority. According to the affidavit of Bobbie Glover, Admission and Release Administrator of the Department of Corrections, the assignment of prefixes serves simply to identify one or more sets of commitment papers received from sheriff's offices when an inmate is delivered to a reception facility, and has no bearing on a prisoner's custody status.

As the trial court's determination that Holland's petition fails to state a cause of action is supported by competent substantial evidence, we affirm.

SHIVERS and JOANOS, JJ., concur.

To continue reading

Request your trial
9 cases
  • Plymel v. Moore, 1D99-1250.
    • United States
    • Court of Appeal of Florida (US)
    • October 26, 2000
    ...only if there is a clear legal obligation to perform a duty in a prescribed manner." See Adams, 560 So.2d at 323; Holland v. Wainwright, 499 So.2d 21, 22 (Fla. 1st DCA 1986)("The writ may be used to compel the performance of a ministerial duty imposed by law where it has not been performed ......
  • Adams v. State
    • United States
    • Court of Appeal of Florida (US)
    • April 23, 1990
    ...clear legal duty of performance, and no other adequate remedy exists. Heath v. Becktell, 327 So.2d 3, 4 (Fla.1976); Holland v. Wainwright, 499 So.2d 21 (Fla. 1st DCA 1986); Hall v. Key, 476 So.2d 787, 788 (Fla. 1st DCA 1985). While the writ is available to compel performance of a duty impos......
  • Stokes v. Florida Dept. of Corrections, 1D06-0114.
    • United States
    • Court of Appeal of Florida (US)
    • January 19, 2007
    ...a prison disciplinary proceeding). Mandamus may lie where a party seeks an agency's compliance of its rules. See Holland v. Wainwright, 499 So.2d 21, 22 (Fla. 1st DCA 1986) ("The writ may be used to compel the performance of a ministerial duty imposed by law where it has not been performed ......
  • Milanick v. Town of Beverly Beach
    • United States
    • Court of Appeal of Florida (US)
    • October 19, 2001
    ...only if there is a clear legal obligation to perform a duty in a prescribed manner." See Adams, 560 So.2d at 323; Holland v. Wainwright, 499 So.2d 21, 22 (Fla. 1st DCA 1986) ("The writ may be used to compel the performance of a ministerial duty imposed by law where it has not been performed......
  • Request a trial to view additional results

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT