Case Title: Gregory W. Valentine v. State of Florida

Citation: 

Docket Number: SC96-502

State: florida

Court: Florida Supreme Court

Date: 2000-06-01T00:00:00Z

Document:
Supreme 
Court 
of 
Florida
 
____________
No. SC96502
____________
GREGORY W. VALENTINE,
Petitioner,
vs.
STATE OF FLORIDA,
Respondent.
[June 1, 2000]
PER CURIAM.
We have for review Valentine v. State, 737 So. 2d 654 (Fla. 1st DCA 1999),
in which the First District Court of Appeal certified the following question to be one
of great public importance:
WHETHER CHAPTER 95-184 VIOLATES ARTICLE
III, SECTION 6 OF THE FLORIDA CONSTITUTION.
We have jurisdiction.  See Art. V, § 3(b)(4), Fla. Const.  Based on our recent
decision in Heggs v. State, 25 Fla. L. Weekly S137 (Fla. Feb. 17, 2000), in which
we held chapter 95-184 to be unconstitutional as violative of article III, section 6 of
1 Valentine committed the underlying aggravated battery offense in this case on March 2,
1997, and he thus has standing to challenge chapter 95-184 on single subject rule grounds.  See Trapp
v. State, No. SC96074 (Fla. June 1, 2000).  Further, even though Valentine failed to raise a single
subject rule challenge in the trial court, we find that such challenge may be properly addressed in this
case for the first time on appeal.  See Heggs v. State, 25 Fla. L. Weekly S137, S138, S140 n. 4 (Fla.
Feb. 17, 2000); cf. Nelson v. State, 748 So. 2d 237, 241-42 (Fla. 1999), cert. denied, 120 S. Ct. 950
(2000); State v. Johnson, 616 So. 2d 1, 3-4 (Fla. 1993).
-2-
the Florida Constitution, we answer the certified question in the affirmative. 
Accordingly, we quash the decision below, and  remand with directions that
Gregory W. Valentine’s sentence on the underlying aggravated battery offense be
reversed and the case remanded for resentencing in accordance with the sentencing
guidelines in effect before the relevant amendments made in chapter 95-184 became
effective. 1
It is so ordered.
HARDING, C.J., and SHAW, ANSTEAD, PARIENTE, LEWIS and QUINCE, JJ.,
concur.
WELLS, 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 Great
Public Importance
First District - Case No. 1D98-2143 
(Dixie County)
David A. Hallman, Chiefland, Florida,
-3-
for Petitioner
Robert A. Butterworth, Attorney General, James W. Rogers, Tallahassee Bureau Chief,
Criminal Appeals, and L. Michael Billmeier, Assistant Attorney General, Tallahassee,
Florida,
for Respondent