D. S. v. State of Florida
CourtDistrict Court of Appeal of Florida
Date FiledJanuary 13, 2021
Docket2D19-0800
StatusPublished
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Full Opinion
NOT FINAL UNTIL TIME EXPIRES TO FILE REHEARING
MOTION AND, IF FILED, DETERMINED
IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF APPEAL
OF FLORIDA
SECOND DISTRICT
D.S., )
)
Appellant, )
)
v. ) Case No. 2D19-800
)
STATE OF FLORIDA, )
)
Appellee. )
)
Opinion filed January 13, 2021.
Appeal from the Circuit Court for
Hillsborough County; Michael J. Scionti,
Judge.
Howard L. Dimmig, II, Public Defender,
and Carly J. Robbins-Gilbert, Assistant
Public Defender, Bartow, for Appellant.
Ashley Moody, Attorney General,
Tallahassee, and Johnny T. Salgado,
Assistant Attorney General, Tampa, for
Appellee.
SLEET, Judge.
D.S. challenges the trial court's disposition order that, in pertinent part,
imposes a $50 fee for "the Legal Assistance Lien for payment of attorney's fees or
costs." Because the trial court failed to provide D.S. notice of his right to contest the
$50 fee, we reverse the imposition of the fee. We affirm D.S.'s disposition order in all
other respects.
During the pendency of this appeal, D.S. filed a motion to correct
sentencing error pursuant to Florida Rule of Juvenile Procedure 8.135(b)(2), arguing
that the trial court imposed the $50 fee without advising D.S. of the right to a hearing to
contest the fee or without inquiring whether D.S. agreed to the fee. Since the trial court
did not rule on the motion within thirty days, it is deemed denied. See Fla. R. Juv. P.
8.135(b)(2)(B).
When imposing a public defender fee, a trial court must first give a
defendant notice of his right to a hearing. J.S. v. State, 277 So. 3d 270, 276 (Fla. 2d
DCA 2019); Newton v. State, 262 So. 3d 849, 850 (Fla. 2d DCA 2018). Here, the trial
court failed to notify D.S. of his right to a hearing to contest the $50 public defender fee
imposed at sentencing. We therefore reverse and remand with instructions to strike the
$50 fee and consider whether to reimpose it after D.S. is given notice and an
opportunity to be heard. As this court did in Newton, 262 So. 3d at 850, we certify
conflict with the First District's decision in Mills v. State, 177 So. 3d 984 (Fla. 1st DCA
2015). We also certify conflict with Alexis v. State, 211 So. 3d 81 (Fla. 4th DCA 2017).
Affirmed in part, reversed in part, and remanded; conflict certified.
LaROSE and ROTHSTEIN-YOUAKIM, JJ., Concur.
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