Thaddeus Terrell v. State of Florida
CourtDistrict Court of Appeal of Florida
Date FiledApril 30, 2021
Docket2D20-1407
StatusPublished
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Full Opinion
NOT FINAL UNTIL TIME EXPIRES TO FILE REHEARING
MOTION AND, IF FILED, DETERMINED
IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF APPEAL
OF FLORIDA
SECOND DISTRICT
THADDEUS TERRELL, )
)
Appellant, )
)
v. ) Case No. 2D20-1407
)
STATE OF FLORIDA, )
)
Appellee. )
___________________________________)
Opinion filed April 30, 2021.
Appeal pursuant to Fla. R. App. P.
9.141(b)(2) from the Circuit Court for
Hillsborough County; Michael S. Williams,
Judge.
PER CURIAM.
Thaddeus Terrell appeals the summary denial of his motion to correct jail
credit. In the opening paragraph of his motion, Terrell appeared to invoke Florida Rule
of Criminal Procedure 3.801, but in the body of his motion he argued entitlement to
relief under rule 3.800(a). The postconviction court interpreted the motion as having
been filed under rule 3.801 and denied relief without opportunity to amend. We reverse
and remand for further proceedings.
In his motion, Terrell explained that he was incarcerated in Georgia before
being transported to Florida to face outstanding charges in Polk County and
Hillsborough County. He was convicted and sentenced in Polk and Hillsborough
counties. His sentencing in Hillsborough County is the subject of this appeal because,
while he did receive credit for the time spent in Florida jails, he did not receive credit for
the time he was incarcerated in Georgia. He subsequently filed a motion for jail credit
arguing that he should receive credit for the time he was in jail in Georgia.
Claims for out-of-state jail credit are not cognizable under rule 3.801;
rather, they must be raised in a timely motion for postconviction relief under rule 3.850.
See Gisi v. State, 135 So. 3d 493, 495 (Fla. 2d DCA 2014); Garnett v. State, 957 So. 2d
32, 33 (Fla. 2d DCA 2007) (en banc) ("If a defendant is seeking out-of-state jail credit in
a postconviction proceeding, it would appear that the proper method to seek such relief
would normally require a timely allegation of ineffective assistance of trial counsel under
rule 3.850."). Here, the postconviction court evaluated Terrell's claim as if he was
seeking credit for the period of time he was incarcerated in a Florida county jail. But the
court did not consider Terrell's claim for out-of-state jail credit. Instead of denying
Terrell's rule 3.801 motion, the postconviction court should have treated the motion—at
least insofar as it pertained to his claim for out-of-state jail credit—as if it had been filed
under the correct rule. See Gil v. State, 829 So. 2d 299, 300 (Fla. 2d DCA 2002)
("Where a movant files a properly pleaded claim but incorrectly styles the postconviction
motion in which it was raised, the trial court must treat the claim as if it had been filed in
a properly styled motion."). Accordingly, the postconviction court should have given
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Terrell the opportunity to file a facially sufficient rule 3.850 motion. See Patterson v.
State, 141 So. 3d 707, 708–09 (Fla. 2d DCA 2014).
We therefore reverse the postconviction court’s order and remand with
directions for the postconviction court to permit Terrell to file a facially sufficient rule
3.850 motion for out-of-state jail credit within sixty days of the date that this opinion
becomes final if he can do so in good faith.
VILLANTI, LUCAS, and SMITH, JJ., Concur.
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