Ruben Chimale v. State of Florida
CourtDistrict Court of Appeal of Florida
Date FiledApril 15, 2020
Docket1D19-1205
StatusPublished
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Full Opinion
FIRST DISTRICT COURT OF APPEAL
STATE OF FLORIDA
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No. 1D19-1205
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RUBEN CHIMALE,
Appellant,
v.
STATE OF FLORIDA,
Appellee.
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On appeal from the Circuit Court for Leon County.
Angela C. Dempsey, Judge.
April 15, 2020
PER CURIAM.
Ruben Chimale appeals the trial court’s denial of his rule
3.850 motion seeking 97 days of additional foreign jail credit. We
agree with the trial court that, for the most part, this claim is
refuted by the record. However, we reverse the order in part
because the court’s attachments show that Mr. Chimale was held
in Argentina for eight days, not the six days that the sentencing
court originally awarded.
“The trial court has discretion to award, and should consider
awarding, credit to defendants for time served in foreign jails while
awaiting transfer to Florida, particularly when the defendant was
incarcerated in another state solely on Florida charges.” Krause v.
State, 857 So. 2d 343, 343 (Fla. 1st DCA 2003). Such claims for
foreign jail credit are filed pursuant to Florida Rule of Criminal
Procedure 3.850. See West v. State, 22 So. 3d 797, 798 (Fla. 1st DCA
2009). At sentencing, the court exercised its discretion and
awarded Mr. Chimale six days of credit for time he was held on
this case in Argentina, awaiting extradition. The court also told
Mr. Chimale that if he could document additional time held, it
would grant that credit too.
In his motion for postconviction relief, Mr. Chimale asserted
that he was held on this case in Argentina for 97 days. The trial
court’s record attachments refute this specific period of time.
Rather, these records indicate that “the time of detention suffered
by Chimale in this country for the present extradition procedure
was between July 19, 2012 and July 26, 2012”—a period of eight
days, instead of the six days that the trial court awarded.
Accordingly, we reverse and remand the order on appeal for
the court to consider whether to add two additional days of foreign
jail credit.
REVERSED and REMANDED.
RAY, C.J., and LEWIS and OSTERHAUS, 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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Ruben Chimale, pro se, Appellant.
Ashley Moody, Attorney General, and Barbara Debelius, Assistant
Attorney General, Tallahassee, for Appellee.
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