Williams v. State, Case No. 5D17–742

• Decision Date: 08 June 2018
• Docket Number: Case No. 5D17–742
• Citation: 249 So.3d 721
• Parties: Mel Roucell WILLIAMS, Appellant, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee.
• Court: Florida District Court of Appeals

249 So.3d 721

Mel Roucell WILLIAMS, Appellant,

v.STATE of Florida, Appellee.

Case No. 5D17–742

District Court of Appeal of Florida, Fifth District.

Opinion filed June 8, 2018

James S. Purdy, Public Defender, and Nicole Joanne Martingano, Assistant Public Defender, Daytona Beach, for Appellant.

Pamela Jo Bondi, Attorney General, Tallahassee, and Allison L. Morris, Assistant Attorney General, Daytona Beach, for Appellee.

PER CURIAM.

Mel Roucell Williams appeals his sentence for burglary of an unoccupied structure, arguing that the trial court incorrectly believed that it was required to sentence him to a minimum of ten years' incarceration as a violent career criminal. Based upon the record before us, we reverse and remand for resentencing.

After the jury returned its guilty verdict, the State proceeded to have Williams sentenced as a violent career criminal pursuant to section 775.084, Florida Statutes (2017). Under section 775.084, a trial court "shall sentence the violent career criminal ... [i]n the case of a felony of the third degree, for a term of years not exceeding 15, with a mandatory minimum term of 10 years' imprisonment." § 775.084(4)(d), Fla. Stat. (2017). "[T]o be sentenced as a violent career criminal, a defendant must have been previously incarcerated in state or federal prison, must have been convicted three times as an adult of certain violent felonies (listed in the statute), and must have committed another such offense within the above time frame." Clines v. State, 912 So.2d 550, 553 (Fla. 2005) (citing § 775.084(1)(d), Fla. Stat. (2002) ). However, if a trial court finds "that it is not necessary for the protection of the public to sentence a defendant who meets the criteria for sentencing as a ... violent career criminal, ... sentence shall be imposed without regard to this section." § 775.084(4)(e), Fla. Stat. (2017). Therefore, a trial court has the discretion not to sentence a defendant as a violent career criminal if it determines that such a sentence is not necessary for the protection of the public. See Harris v. State, 849 So.2d 449, 450 (Fla. 3d DCA 2003) ("[T]he trial judge mistakenly believed he was compelled to impose a violent career criminal sentence once the qualifying offenses were established. The trial court actually had discretion, per Section 775.084(4)(d), Florida Statutes (2000), to determine whether the ... classification, and enhanced sentence, is necessary for the protection of the public.").

The transcript of Williams's sentencing hearing indicates that the trial court may have been unaware that it had this discretion. During the hearing, the trial court discussed the issue:

THE COURT: Yeah. And I haven't heard any justification that would allow me not to find that Mr. Williams does qualify as a violent career criminal based on the evidence and the testimony that I've seen today.

And given the statute, 775.084 requires me to sentence you, Mr. Williams, to at least 10 years, and it does seem like a lot of time to do, but the Legislature didn't give me any discretion, so that's what I

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