Case Title: Leonard Gonzales v. State of Florida

Citation: 

Docket Number: SC97-066

State: florida

Court: Florida Supreme Court

Date: 2000-07-06T00:00:00Z

Document:
Supreme 
Court 
of 
Florida
 
____________
No. SC97066
____________
LEONARDO GONZALES,
Petitioner,
vs.
STATE OF FLORIDA,
Respondent.
[July 6, 2000]
PER CURIAM.
We have for review the decision in Gonzales v. State, 24 Fla. L. Weekly
D2356 (Fla. 3d DCA Oct. 13, 1999), in which the district court certified the same
question of great public importance which was certified in Woods v. State, 740 So.
2d 20 (Fla. 1st DCA 1999):
DOES THE PRISON RELEASEE REOFFENDER PUNISHMENT
ACT, CODIFIED AS SECTION 775.082(8), FLORIDA STATUTES
(1997), VIOLATE THE SEPARATION OF POWERS CLAUSE OF
THE FLORIDA CONSTITUTION?
1We do not express an opinion regarding the ex post facto argument addressed
by the Third District in its opinion, as that issue has not been raised before this Court.
-2-
24 Fla. Weekly at D2356.  We have jurisdiction.  See art. V, § 3(b)(4), Fla. Const.
We recently approved the First District's decision in Woods, holding that the
Prisoner Releasee Reoffender Act, as properly interpreted by the First District,
does 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 answer the certified question
in the negative and approve the Third District’s decision regarding the issue posed
therein.1
It is so ordered.
WELLS, C.J., and SHAW, HARDING, 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).
-3-
Application for Review of the Decision of the District Court of Appeal - Certified
Great Public Importance
Third District - Case No. 3D98-1378  
( Monroe County)
Bennett H. Brummer, Public Defender, and Bruce A. Rosenthal, Assistant Public
Defender, Eleventh Judicial Circuit, Miami, Florida,
for Petitioner
Robert A. Butterworth, Attorney General, and Michael J. Neimand and Barbara A.
Zappi, Assistant Attorneys General, Fort Lauderdale, Florida,
for Respondent