Case Title: Billy Lamont Culpepper v. State of Florida

Citation: 

Docket Number: SC00-1252

State: florida

Court: Florida Supreme Court

Date: 2001-06-28T00:00:00Z

Document:
Supreme 
Court 
of 
Florida
 
____________
No. SC00-1252
____________
BILLY LAMONT CULPEPPER
Petitioner,
vs.
STATE OF FLORIDA,
Respondent.
[June 28, 2001]
LEWIS, J.
We have for review the opinion in Culpepper v. State, 757 So. 2d 1260 (Fla.
3d DCA 2000).  We have jurisdiction.  See art. V, § 3(b)(4), Fla. Const.
Culpepper challenges his sentencing under the Prison Releasee Reoffender
Act (the “Act”) on grounds previously addressed by this Court.  See Grant v.
State, 770 So. 2d 655 (Fla. 2000) (rejecting an ex post facto challenge to the Act
and holding that the Act violates neither the single subject rule for legislation nor
principles of equal protection ); McKnight v. State, 769 So. 2d 1039 (Fla. 2000)
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(holding that a defendant has the right both to present evidence to prove that the
defendant does not qualify for sentencing under the Act and to challenge the
State’s evidence regarding the defendant’s eligibility for sentencing as a prison
releasee reoffender); State v. Cotton, 769 So. 2d 345 (Fla. 2000) (holding that the
Act does not permit a “victim veto” which would violate a defendant’s due process
rights by precluding application of the Act in some instances but not others, as well
as holding that the Act is not void for vagueness and does not constitute a form of
cruel or unusual punishment); Ellis v. State, 762 So. 2d 912 (Fla. 2000)
(recognizing that publication in the Laws of Florida or the Florida Statutes gives all
citizens constructive notice of the consequences of their actions).  Accordingly, we
approve the decision of the district court to the extent that it is consistent with
Grant, McKnight, Cotton, and Ellis.
It is so ordered.
WELLS, C.J., and SHAW, HARDING, ANSTEAD, and PARIENTE, JJ., concur.
QUINCE, J., dissents.
NOT FINAL UNTIL TIME EXPIRES TO FILE REHEARING MOTION, AND
IF FILED, DETERMINED.
Application for Review of the Decision of the District Court of Appeal - 
Certified Direct Conflict
Third District - Case No. 3D99-2387 
-3-
(Dade County)
Bennett H. Brummer, Public Defender, and Robert Kalter, Assistant Public
Defender, Eleventh Judicial Circuit, Miami, Florida,
for Petitioner
Robert A. Butterworth, Attorney General, Michael J. Neimand, Senior Assistant
Attorney General, and Frank J. Ingrassia, Assistant Attorney General, Fort
Lauderdale, Florida,
for Respondent