Jules Ducas v. the State of Florida
CourtDistrict Court of Appeal of Florida
Date FiledApril 29, 2020
Docket3D20-0316
StatusPublished
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Full Opinion
Third District Court of Appeal
State of Florida
Opinion filed April 29, 2020.
Not final until disposition of timely filed motion for rehearing.
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No. 3D20-316
Lower Tribunal No. 09-7316B
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Jules Ducas,
Appellant,
vs.
The State of Florida,
Appellee.
An Appeal under Florida Rule of Appellate Procedure 9.141(b)(2) from the
Circuit Court for Miami-Dade County, Miguel M. de la O, Judge.
Jules Ducas, in proper person.
Ashley Moody, Attorney General, for appellee.
Before EMAS, C.J., and FERNANDEZ and LINDSEY, JJ.
PER CURIAM.
Affirmed. See Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668, 689-91 (1984) (to be
entitled to relief on a claim of ineffective assistance of trial counsel, a defendant
must allege and establish both the performance and prejudice prongs; in examining
trial counsel’s performance, courts are required to make every effort to eliminate the
distorting effects of hindsight by evaluating the performance from counsel’s
perspective at the time, and indulge a strong presumption that counsel rendered
constitutionally adequate assistance and exercised professionally reasonable
judgment in making the challenged decisions). See also Taylor v. State, 619 So. 2d
1017 (Fla. 5th DCA 1993) (holding that a defendant convicted as a principal in the
first degree (see § 777.011, Fla. Statutes, (1992)) may properly be assessed victim
injury points on the sentencing guidelines scoresheet as if he had himself committed
(rather than merely aided and abetted another who committed) the crime); Clifford
v. State, 518 So. 2d 983 (Fla. 2d DCA 1988) (same).
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