Dave Vernon Teart v. State of Florida
CourtDistrict Court of Appeal of Florida
Date FiledSeptember 22, 2023
Docket2D2023-0639
StatusPublished
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Full Opinion
DISTRICT COURT OF APPEAL OF FLORIDA
SECOND DISTRICT
DAVE VERNON TEART,
Appellant,
v.
STATE OF FLORIDA,
Appellee.
No. 2D23-639
September 22, 2023
Appeal pursuant to Fla. R. App. P. 9.141(b)(2) from the Circuit Court for
Hillsborough County; Michelle D. Sisco, Judge.
Dave Vernon Teart, pro se
Ashley Moody, Attorney General, Tallahassee, and Alicia M. Winterkorn,
Assistant Attorney General, Tampa, for Appellee.
CASANUEVA, Judge.
Dave Vernon Teart appeals the dismissal of his petition for writ of
habeas corpus, which challenged his continued imprisonment in the
Department of Corrections. We reverse and remand for further
proceedings.
Mr. Teart filed a petition for writ of habeas corpus in the Thirteenth
Judicial Circuit Court in and for Hillsborough County, where he was
convicted and sentenced. The circuit court dismissed the petition on
procedural grounds and addressed its merits. However, because Mr.
Teart challenged his continued detention and claimed entitlement to
immediate release, the court should have transferred the petition to the
Third Judicial Circuit Court in and for Suwannee County, where he was
detained. See Vierra v. State, 980 So. 2d 588, 589 (Fla. 2d DCA 2008)
("[A] habeas petition filed in circuit court alleging entitlement to
immediate release 'shall be filed with the clerk of the circuit court of the
county in which the prisoner is detained.' " (alteration in original)
(quoting Bush v. State, 945 So. 2d 1207, 1213 n.11 (Fla. 2006))).
Accordingly, we reverse and remand for the court to transfer the
petition for writ of habeas corpus to the Third Judicial Circuit Court in
and for Suwannee County or to the circuit court in the county where Mr.
Teart is currently incarcerated.
Reversed and remanded.
ATKINSON and SMITH, JJ., Concur.
Opinion subject to revision prior to official publication.
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