Himmelein v. State of Florida
CourtDistrict Court of Appeal of Florida
Date FiledSeptember 18, 2026
Docket2D2025-0114
StatusPublished
📰 News Coverage: Read the LAWS.com news report on this case
Full Opinion
DISTRICT COURT OF APPEAL OF FLORIDA
SECOND DISTRICT
SHAN LEVI HIMMELEIN,
Appellant,
v.
STATE OF FLORIDA,
Appellee.
No. 2D2025-0114
September 18, 2026
Appeal from the County Court for Pasco County; Frank I. Grey, Judge.
Blair Allen, Public Defender, and Caroline S. Cassidy, Assistant Public
Defender, Bartow, for Appellant.
James Uthmeier, Attorney General, Tallahassee, and Christopher Manon,
Assistant Attorney General, Tampa, for Appellee.
SLEET, Judge.
Shan Levi Himmelein appeals from his judgment and sentence for
misdemeanor driving while under the influence. He was convicted
following a jury trial, and the trial court sentenced him to time served.
We affirm.
Himmelein first argues on appeal that the trial court erred by
excluding certain testimony from his treating physician. We find no
merit to this argument and comment on it no further.
Himmelein also argues on appeal that the trial court committed
fundamental error by allowing him to be tried for a noncapital offense
using a six-person jury.1 He maintains that section 913.10, Florida
Statutes—which provides that "[t]welve persons shall constitute a jury to
try all capital cases, and six persons shall constitute a jury to try all
other criminal cases"—is unconstitutional on its face. We conclude that
Himmelein has failed to demonstrate any error, let alone fundamental
error, with regard to this argument. See Serrano-Delgado v. State, 392
So. 3d 251, 253 (Fla. 2d DCA 2024) ("In Williams v. Florida, 399 U.S. 78,
86 (Fla. 1970), the United States Supreme Court held that Florida's use
of a six-person jury does not violate the Sixth or Fourteenth Amendment.
The Court reasoned that no historical evidence shows that a twelve-
person jury was an indispensable component of the Sixth Amendment or
that the Framers intended to require a twelve-person jury. Williams is
binding precedent and 'indisputably remains good law.' " (citation
omitted) (quoting Simpson v. State, 368 So. 3d 513, 520 (Fla. 5th DCA
2023) (Pratt, J., concurring))); see also Jack v. State, 349 So. 3d 925, 927
(Fla. 1st DCA 2022) ("[N]o fundamental error occurred when [a]ppellant
was tried and convicted by a six-person jury on noncapital charges.").
Affirmed.
ROTHSTEIN-YOUAKIM and SMITH, JJ., Concur.
1 The United States Supreme Court has recently granted a petition
for writ of certiorari to review this issue in Kian v. State, 421 So. 3d 439
(Fla. 4th DCA 2025) (table decision), cert. granted, No. 25-6623, 2026 WL
1718018 (U.S. June 15, 2026).
2
Opinion subject to revision prior to official publication.
3