Jennifer Carrol Leeka Wasko v. State of Florida
CourtDistrict Court of Appeal of Florida
Date FiledJuly 31, 2026
Docket6D2025-0557
StatusPublished
📰 News Coverage: Read the LAWS.com news report on this case
Full Opinion
SIXTH DISTRICT COURT OF APPEAL
STATE OF FLORIDA
_____________________________
Case No. 6D2025-0557
Lower Tribunal No. 2022-CF-000217
_____________________________
JENNIFER CARROL LEEKA WASKO,
Appellant,
v.
STATE OF FLORIDA,
Appellee.
_____________________________
Appeal from the Circuit Court for Hendry County.
Darrell R. Hill, Judge.
July 31, 2026
PER CURIAM.
AFFIRMED. See, e.g., § 924.051(1)(a)-(b), (3), (7) Fla. Stat. (“‘Prejudicial
error’ means an error in the trial court that harmfully affected the judgment or
sentence. . . . ‘Preserved’ means that an issue, legal argument, or objection to
evidence was timely raised before, and ruled on by, the trial court, and that the issue,
legal argument, or objection to evidence was sufficiently precise that it fairly
apprised the trial court of the relief sought and the grounds therefor. . . . An appeal
may not be taken from a judgment or order of a trial court unless a prejudicial error
is alleged and is properly preserved or, if not properly preserved, would constitute
fundamental error. A judgment or sentence may be reversed on appeal only when an
appellate court determines after a review of the complete record that prejudicial error
occurred and was properly preserved in the trial court or, if not properly preserved,
would constitute fundamental error. . . . In a direct appeal or a collateral proceeding,
the party challenging the judgment or order of the trial court has the burden of
demonstrating that a prejudicial error occurred in the trial court. . . .”); I.R. v. State,
395 So. 3d 567, 569-71 & n.3 (Fla. 6th DCA 2024) (“The error [Appellant] alleges
here is not preserved for our review [and neither party argues that the error alleged
here was fundamental]. . . . We decline to consider this issue on the merits
notwithstanding that the State concedes error. . . . [W]e are not bound by such
concessions. . . . [W]e find [Appellant] has not presented prejudicial error from
which this Court may properly grant him relief.” (citations omitted)); Conner v.
State, 987 So. 2d 130, 132 n.2 (Fla. 2d DCA 2008) (“We note that the State has not
argued the lack of preservation in this appeal. However, this court has an
independent obligation to ensure that an alleged prejudicial error was properly
preserved for appellate review.” (citing § 924.051(3), Fla. Stat.)).
BROWNLEE, KAMOUTSAS and PRATT, JJ., concur
Blair Allen, Public Defender, and Tosha Cohen, Assistant Public Defender, Bartow,
for Appellant.
2
James Uthmeier, Attorney General, Tallahassee, and Angela H. Fernandez, Assistant
Attorney General, Tampa, for Appellee.
NOT FINAL UNTIL TIME EXPIRES TO FILE MOTION FOR REHEARING
AND DISPOSITION THEREOF IF TIMELY FILED
3