Johnson v. State

Decision Date24 October 1985
Docket NumberNo. 85-33,85-33
Citation10 Fla. L. Weekly 2404,477 So.2d 56
Parties10 Fla. L. Weekly 2404 Harry Lee JOHNSON, Appellant, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee.
CourtFlorida District Court of Appeals

James B. Gibson, Public Defender, and Brynn Newton, Asst. Public Defender, Daytona Beach, for appellant.

Jim Smith, Atty. Gen., Tallahassee, and Ellen D. Phillps, Asst. Atty. Gen., Daytona Beach, for appellee.

UPCHURCH, Judge.

Appellant, Harry Lee Johnson, was charged by information with burglary of a dwelling and grand theft. Subsequently, he entered guilty pleas to the lesser offense of burglary of a structure and to grand theft. Johnson was then sentenced to concurrent terms of five years in prison. On appeal, Johnson contends that he was improperly sentenced under section 39.111(6)(c), Florida Statutes (1983), which allows juveniles to be sentenced as adults, and that the trial court improperly departed from the sentencing guidelines.

Johnson first contends that, as a juvenile, he should not have been sentenced as an adult unless the court conformed in writing with the six statutory criteria specified in section 39.111(6)(c). The state contends that the reasons given in the order entered for departing from the guidelines were adequate grounds for imposing adult sanctions.

In State v. Rhoden, 448 So.2d 1013 (Fla.1984), the Florida supreme court held that the trial court must not only consider the specific statutory criteria pertaining to the suitability of adult sanctions but must also reduce to writing its findings of fact and reasons for imposing an adult sentence on a juvenile. 1 The court remanded the case in Rhoden for re-sentencing even though the juvenile failed to request statutory compliance at trial and also failed to contemporaneously object to the sentence when it was imposed. 448 So.2d at 1016.

In a recent decision, the First District ruled that the criteria in section 39.111(6), Florida Statutes, impose a mandatory duty on the trial court to make a written statement before applying adult sanctions to juveniles. Franklin v. State, 473 So.2d 763 (Fla. 1st DCA 1985). The facts in Franklin indicate that the trial court at sentencing expressed concern over the serious and violent nature of the juvenile's offenses and the need to protect the community from future occurrences of similar conduct but the court was still required to make a factual finding under section 39.111(6). Id.

Johnson also contends that the trial court erred in departing from the guidelines. He argues that the court should not have considered his prior record in departing when the prior offenses had been computed in the scoresheet. See Hendrix v. State, 475 So.2d 1218 (Fla.1985). We do not read the court's reasons that way. The reference to prior offenses was to illustrate the course Johnson's criminal conduct was taking: "[t]hat his offenses are...

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  • Kelly v. State, 87-2004
    • United States
    • Florida District Court of Appeals
    • 19 Octubre 1989
    ... ... See Keeley v. State, 460 So.2d 552 (Fla. 5th DCA 1984); Keys v. State, 473 So.2d 800 (Fla. 5th DCA 1985); May v. State, 475 So.2d 1004 (Fla. 5th DCA 1985); Johnson v. State, 477 So.2d 56 ... (Fla. 5th DCA 1985); and Smith v. State, No. 85-845 [480 So.2d 663] (Fla. 5th DCA Nov. 29, 1985) [10 F.L.W. 2634] ...         3. The instant offenses as well as the defendant's prior convictions all involved violence and this kind of activity has continued ... ...
  • Brier v. State, 85-1515
    • United States
    • Florida District Court of Appeals
    • 3 Abril 1987
    ...1985). See also Smith v. State, 480 So.2d 663 (Fla. 5th DCA 1985); May v. State, 475 So.2d 1004 (Fla. 5th DCA 1985); Johnson v. State, 477 So.2d 56 (Fla. 5th DCA 1985); Riggins v. State, 489 So.2d 180 (Fla. 1st DCA 1986). Compare Frank v. State, 490 So.2d 190 (Fla. 2d DCA 1986) (where a con......
  • Mack v. State
    • United States
    • Florida District Court of Appeals
    • 5 Febrero 1986
    ...1st DCA 1985); Booker v. State, 482 So.2d 414 (Fla. 2d DCA 1985); Dawkins v. State, 479 So.2d 818 (Fla. 2d DCA 1985); Johnson v. State, 477 So.2d 56 (Fla. 5th DCA 1985); Swain v. State, 455 So.2d 533 (Fla. 1st DCA 1984); Manning v. State, 452 So.2d 136 (Fla. 1st DCA Reversed and remanded fo......
  • Middleton v. State
    • United States
    • Florida District Court of Appeals
    • 28 Mayo 1986
    ...courts. See Booker v. State, 482 So.2d 414 (Fla. 2d DCA 1985); Smith v. State, 480 So.2d 663 (Fla. 5th DCA 1985); Johnson v. State, 477 So.2d 56 (Fla. 5th DCA 1985); and May v. State, 475 So.2d 1004 (Fla. 5th DCA The defendant's continuing and persistent pattern of criminal activity since a......
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