Gerald Robert-Vernon Bowling v. State of Florida
CourtDistrict Court of Appeal of Florida
Date FiledJune 10, 2020
Docket1D19-2331
StatusPublished
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Full Opinion
FIRST DISTRICT COURT OF APPEAL
STATE OF FLORIDA
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No. 1D19-2331
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GERALD ROBERT-VERNON
BOWLING,
Appellant,
v.
STATE OF FLORIDA,
Appellee.
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On appeal from the Circuit Court for Escambia County.
Jennie Kinsey, Judge.
June 10, 2020
PER CURIAM.
Gerald Robert-Vernon Bowling appeals his sentence of
twenty-four months in state prison imposed after being
adjudicated guilty of felony petit theft. Mr. Bowling’s criminal
punishment code scoresheet total was 20.6 points. He argues on
appeal that the trial court erred in sentencing him to state prison
when his criminal punishment code total was less than twenty-two
points, and the jury did not make a finding of dangerousness. We
agree and reverse. See Gaymon v. State, 288 So. 3d 1087, 1089–90
(Fla. 2020); Brown v. State, 260 So. 3d 147, 149 (Fla. 2018).
We also find that the State failed to show the error was
harmless where all but one of Appellant’s prior convictions
occurred in 2000. See Booker v. State, 244 So. 3d 1151, 1165–66
(Fla. 1st DCA 2018) (holding the error was not harmless where the
defendant’s sentencing points were close to the twenty-two-point
cutoff, and he had committed prior offenses), overruled on other
grounds by Gaymon, 288 So. 3d at 1089.
Therefore, we reverse Mr. Bowling’s sentence and remand the
case for resentencing. On remand, the trial court is directed to
empanel a jury to make the determination of dangerousness, if the
State still seeks a finding of dangerousness under section
775.082(10), Florida Statutes. See Gaymon, 288 So. 3d at 1089–
90.
REVERSED and REMANDED.
WOLF, BILBREY, and M.K. THOMAS, 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 Jasmine Russell, Assistant
Public Defender, Tallahassee, for Appellant.
Ashley Moody, Attorney General, and Quentin Humphrey,
Assistant Attorney General, Tallahassee, for Appellee.
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