Timothy Price Pirtle v. State of Florida
CourtDistrict Court of Appeal of Florida
Date FiledJuly 28, 2021
Docket2D19-0672
StatusPublished
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Full Opinion
DISTRICT COURT OF APPEAL OF FLORIDA
SECOND DISTRICT
TIMOTHY PRICE PIRTLE,
Appellant,
v.
STATE OF FLORIDA,
Appellee.
No. 2D19-672
July 28, 2021
Appeal from the Circuit Court for Charlotte County; George C.
Richards, Judge.
Howard L. Dimmig, II, Public Defender, and Daniel Muller,
Assistant Public Defender, Bartow, for Appellant.
Ashley Moody, Attorney General, Tallahassee, for Appellee.
LABRIT, Judge.
Timothy Price Pirtle appeals his judgment and sentence for
misdemeanor battery. We reverse and remand to correct one minor
sentencing error but otherwise affirm.
While this appeal was pending, Mr. Pirtle filed a motion to
correct two minor sentencing errors under Florida Rule of Criminal
Procedure 3.800(b)(2). He argued that the trial court erroneously
imposed a $50 fee for court-appointed counsel without giving him
notice and an opportunity to be heard. He also claimed the trial
court erred by including $220 of unidentified "court costs" in the
sentencing order. This motion was effectively denied when the time
limit for judicial action passed. See Fla. R. Crim. P. 3.800(b)(2)(B).
Mr. Pirtle now argues that the denial of this rule 3.800(b)(2)
motion was error. To the extent Mr. Pirtle's motion sought redress
for the $220 in "court costs," we agree. Because these mysterious
"court costs" were neither discussed at the sentencing hearing nor
cited in the subsequent sentencing order, we too are unable to
discern the bases for requiring $220 in court costs. See Vick v.
State, 37 So. 3d 951, 952 (Fla. 2d DCA 2010) ("The statutory
authority for all costs imposed, whether they are mandatory or
discretionary, must be cited in the written order.").
However, we find no error with the trial court's imposition of
the $50 court-appointed counsel fee. As recent supreme court
precedent shows, Mr. Pirtle has no right to notice or a hearing to
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contest the $50 court-appointed counsel fee. See State v. J.A.R., 46
Fla. L. Weekly S157, S158 (Fla. June 3, 2021) ("Notably, section
938.29(1)(a) does not require the trial court to announce the
imposition of the statutorily required fee; nor does it afford the
defendant any substantive right to contest the fee. And, no other
portion of section 938.29 requires notice and a hearing when the
court imposes the minimum fee required under subsection (1)(a).").
Accordingly, we reverse the imposition of $220 court costs but
affirm the $50 court-appointed counsel fee. On remand, the trial
court shall strike the $220 in court costs from the sentencing order
and correct the probation order to reflect these changes. See
Haddock v. State, 255 So. 3d 994, 994 (Fla. 2d DCA 2018); Vick, 37
So. 3d at 952. That said, the trial court may reimpose these court
costs if it cites proper statutory authority. See Vick, 37 So. 3d at
952.
Affirmed in part, reversed in part, and remanded with
directions.
KHOUZAM and LUCAS, JJ., Concur.
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Opinion subject to revision prior to official publication.
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