Jerome Person v. State of Florida
CourtDistrict Court of Appeal of Florida
Date FiledJuly 7, 2021
Docket2D20-2227
StatusPublished
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Full Opinion
DISTRICT COURT OF APPEAL OF FLORIDA
SECOND DISTRICT
JEROME PERSON,
Appellant,
v.
STATE OF FLORIDA,
Appellee.
No. 2D20-2227
July 7, 2021
Appeal pursuant to Fla. R. App. P.9.141(b)(2) from the Circuit Court
for Polk County; J. Kevin Abdoney, Judge.
MORRIS, Chief Judge.
Jerome Person appeals the summary denial of his motion to
correct illegal sentence pursuant to Florida Rule of Criminal
Procedure 3.800(a). We affirm without comment the denial of his
first claim that his twenty-five-year minimum mandatory sentence
in case 03CF-000338 and his twenty-year minimum mandatory
sentence in case 03CF-000039 are illegal because they conflict.
However, we reverse and remand for consideration of his second
claim, which was not addressed by the postconviction court.
In his second claim, Person argued that he filed a motion in
February 2020 requesting a "complete presentment of sentence and
sentences" that was granted and showed a "scrivener's error." He
further claimed that a "stipulation" in case 03CF-000338 has been
"blacked out," that he received two different sentences on the one
charge of armed robbery in 03CF-000338, and that his twenty-year
minimum mandatory was "blocked out," rendering his sentences
illegal because it is illegal to sentence a person to two different
sentences on one charge.
In denying Person's motion, the postconviction court recited
Person's sentences as follows:
In case number 03CF-000039, Defendant was
adjudicated guilty of Attempted Murder of the Second
Degree and sentenced to 32 years prison with a 20-year
mandatory minimum sentence to run concurrent with
any active sentence being served. (See attachments) In
case number 03CF-000338, Defendant was adjudicated
guilty of Armed Robbery (firearm) and sentenced to 32
years prison with a 25-year mandatory minimum
sentence to run concurrent with case numbers 03CF-
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000339. (See attachments) In case number 03CF-
000339, Defendant was found guilty of Attempted
Robbery (no firearm or weapon) and sentenced to 5 years
prison. No mandatory minimum sentence was involved.
(See attachments)
The record attached to the postconviction court's order supports the
court's recitation of Person's sentences with the exception of the
written judgment and sentence in case 03CF-000338. The court
attached a written sentence in case 03CF-000338 that indicates on
page six that Person received a twenty-year minimum mandatory
sentence, not the twenty-five-year minimum mandatory sentence
referred to by the postconviction court. And the written sentence
attached by the court does not match the written sentence for case
03CF-000338 attached to Person's rule 3.800(a) motion, which
indicates on page seven that he received a twenty-five-year
minimum mandatory term.
It appears that the different written sentence in case 03CF-
000338 attached to the postconviction court's order was the result
of a motion filed by Person in early 2020. The progress docket for
03CF-000338, included in our record, contains an entry for
January 27, 2020, indicating that Person filed a motion "requesting
a complete and full presentation of sent [sic] and sent [sic] imposed
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by the court." It also contains an entry for February 4, 2020,
indicating that an order was entered on the motion, and an entry
for February 11, 2020, indicating "state prison commitment issued
being re-recorded to correct pg. 7 of 8 as per order dated
2/02/2020." The written sentence in case 03CF-000338 attached
to the postconviction court's order also contains a handwritten
notation on page one stating: "To correct pg. 7 of 8 per order dated
February 2, 2020." In addition, page 8 of that written sentence lists
case number "CF03-0039XX," rather than 03CF-000338, and a
twenty-year minimum mandatory sentence.
These confusing discrepancies in the written sentences serve
to explain Person's second argument in his rule 3.800(a) motion.
He argued that he received two different sentences and it appears
that this is what he was referring to, but the postconviction court
did not address this part of Person's rule 3.800(a) motion. In
addition, the postconviction court's attachments support his claim.
For this reason, we reverse and remand for the postconviction court
to address this part of Person's motion challenging these sentences.
See Fla. R. App. P. 9.141(b)(2)(D) ("On appeal from the denial of
relief [of a rule 3.800(a) motion], unless the record shows
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conclusively that the appellant is entitled to no relief, the order
shall be reversed and the cause remanded for an evidentiary
hearing or other appropriate relief."); Solis v. State, 38 So. 3d 230
(Fla. 2d DCA 2010) (reversing and remanding for reconsideration
because items attached to court's summary denial of rule 3.800(a)
motion did not conclusively refute defendant's claim).
Affirmed in part; reversed in part; remanded.
CASANUEVA and KELLY, JJ., Concur.
Opinion subject to revision prior to official publication.
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