Tony Kwabena Lovelace v. State of Florida
CourtDistrict Court of Appeal of Florida
Date FiledAugust 17, 2020
Docket1D19-0243
StatusPublished
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Full Opinion
FIRST DISTRICT COURT OF APPEAL
STATE OF FLORIDA
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No. 1D19-243
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TONY KWABENA LOVELACE,
Appellant,
v.
STATE OF FLORIDA,
Appellee.
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On appeal from the Circuit Court for Escambia County.
Stephen A. Pitre, Judge.
August 17, 2020
PER CURIAM.
Tony Lovelace was convicted of one count trafficking in
heroin, one count possession of methamphetamine with intent to
sell, one count possession of cocaine with intent to sell, two counts
of child neglect, and one count possession of drug paraphernalia.
We agree the evidence was not legally sufficient to support the
charges of trafficking in heroin and possession of cocaine with
intent to sell, and the trial court should have granted Lovelace’s
motions for judgment of acquittal on those counts. See, e.g., Hill v.
State, 873 So. 2d 491, 492 (Fla. 1st DCA 2004); Santiago v. State,
991 So. 2d 439 (Fla. 2d DCA 2008). We reject Lovelace’s other
issues on appeal and affirm the remaining convictions.
Accordingly, we reverse the convictions for trafficking in heroin
and possession of cocaine with intent to sell, vacate the sentence,
and remand for resentencing on the remaining counts.
AFFIRMED in part, REVERSED in part, and REMANDED with
instructions.
B.L. THOMAS, WINOKUR, and JAY, JJ., concur.
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Not final until disposition of any timely and
authorized motion under Fla. R. App. P. 9.330 or
9.331.
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Andy Thomas, Public Defender, and Kathryn Lane, Assistant
Public Defender, Tallahassee, for Appellant.
Ashley Moody, Attorney General, and Heather Flanagan Ross,
Assistant Attorney General, Tallahassee, for Appellee.
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