Case Title: State of Florida v. Joseph M. Damico

Citation: 

Docket Number: SC96-392

State: florida

Court: Florida Supreme Court

Date: 2000-06-29T00:00:00Z

Document:
Supreme 
Court 
of 
Florida
 
____________
No. SC96392
____________
STATE OF FLORIDA,
Petitioner,
vs.
JOSEPH M. DAMICO,
Respondent.
[June 29, 2000]
PER CURIAM.
We have for review the decision in State v. Damico, 742 So. 2d 349 (Fla. 2d
DCA 1999), which the district court certified to be in conflict with the opinion in
Woods v. State, 740 So. 2d 20 (Fla. 1st DCA 1999), and McKnight v. State, 727
So. 2d 314 (Fla. 3d DCA 1999).  We have jurisdiction.  See art. V, § 3(b)(4), Fla.
Const.
We recently approved the First District's decision in Woods, holding that the
Prison Releasee Reoffender Act, as properly interpreted by the First District, does
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not violate separation of powers, and rejecting other constitutional challenges to the
Act.  See State v. Cotton, Nos. SC94996 & SC95281 (Fla. June 15, 2000). 
Accordingly, for the reasons expressed in Cotton, we quash the Second District’s
decision in this case, and remand for further proceedings consistent with our opinion
in Cotton.  Because it appears that the respondent entered a plea of guilty with the
understanding that respondent, upon such plea, would not be sentenced pursuant to
the Act, upon remand to the trial court, respondent shall have the right to withdraw
his guilty plea.  
It is so ordered.
HARDING, C.J., and SHAW, WELLS, ANSTEAD, PARIENTE and LEWIS, JJ.,
concur.
QUINCE, J., dissents with an opinion.
NOT FINAL UNTIL TIME EXPIRES TO FILE REHEARING MOTION, AND IF
FILED, DETERMINED.
QUINCE, J., dissenting.
I dissent for the reasons stated in my dissent in State v. Cotton, Nos.
SC94996 & SC95281 (Fla. June 15, 2000).
Application for Review of the Decision of the District Court of Appeal - Certified
Direct Conflict of Decisions
Second District - Case No. 2D98-03904
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(Pinellas County)
Robert A. Butterworth, Attorney General, Robert J. Krauss, Senior Assistant
Attorney General, Chief of Criminal Law, and Wendy Buffington, Assistant
Attorney General, Tampa, Florida,
for Petitioner
Walter L. Grantham, Jr., Clearwater, Florida
for Respondent