Case Title: In re: Amendment to Florida Rule of Criminal Procedutre 3.851 & Florida Rule of Appellate Procedure 9.142

Citation: 

Docket Number: SC08-1833

State: florida

Court: Florida Supreme Court

Date: 2008-12-30T00:00:00Z

Document:
Supreme Court of Florida 
 
 
____________ 
 
No. SC08-1833 
____________ 
 
 
IN RE:  AMENDMENTS TO FLORIDA RULE OF CRIMINAL 
PROCEDURE 3.851 AND FLORIDA RULE OF APPELLATE 
PROCEDURE 9.142. 
 
[December 30, 2008] 
 
PER CURIAM. 
 
Upon its own motion, the Court amends Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 
3.851 and Florida Rule of Appellate Procedure 9.142.1  In doing so, we clarify that, 
as is the case with rule 3.850, belated appeals may under specifically narrow 
circumstances be sought from the denial of rule 3.851 relief. 
 
The counterpart to rule 3.851, rule 3.850, provides for postconviction relief 
in noncapital cases and, under subdivision (g), authorizes seeking belated appeals 
from the denial of rule 3.850 motions.  To reflect a comparable procedure to seek a 
belated appeal in capital cases, we amend rule 3.851 to include subdivision (j), 
providing that “[a] petitioner may seek a belated appeal upon the allegation that the 
                                          
 
1.  We have jurisdiction.  See art. V, § 2(a), Fla. Const.; Fla. R. Jud. Admin. 
2.140(d). 
 
- 2 - 
petitioner timely requested counsel to appeal the order denying petitioner's motion 
for postconviction relief and counsel, through neglect, failed to do so.”  
Rule 9.141(c)(4) refines the belated appeal provision of rule 3.850(g), setting 
forth a time limit for making the request, and qualifying the circumstances that 
support an exception to the time limit.  In turn, we amend rule 9.142 to qualify the 
circumstances upon which a belated appeal may be sought in a capital 
postconviction case.  Specifically, a petitioner under a sentence of death, seeking to 
bring a belated appeal from the denial of rule 3.851relief, must file the petition 
within one year after the expiration of time for filing a timely notice of appeal.  
Fla. R. App. P. 9.142(d).  An exception to that one-year period exists upon an 
allegation, made under oath and on a sufficient factual basis, that the petitioner was 
unaware the appeal had not been timely filed or that he or she had not been advised 
of the right to appeal, and could not have ascertained those facts through the 
exercise of reasonable diligence.  
Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.851 and Florida Rule of Appellate 
Procedure 9.142 are hereby amended as reflected in the appendix to this opinion.   
New language is indicated by underscoring.  The amendments shall become 
effective immediately upon the release of this opinion.  In addition, we refer rules 
3.850(g) and 3.851(j) to The Florida Bar’s Criminal Procedure Rules Committee, 
and rules 9.141(c) and 9.142(d) to The Florida Bar’s Appellate Procedure Rules 
 
- 3 - 
Committee, for joint consideration by the committees, in conjunction with the 
consideration of the specified rules also to be done by the Florida Supreme Court 
Criminal Court Steering Committee.  The committees, in preparing one joint 
report, should consider procedural matters pertaining to belated appeals, including, 
but not limited to, the placement of the provisions authorizing belated appeals, the 
need for cross-referencing the corresponding rules to the extent the rules remain in 
both the criminal and appellate rules, and time limits for seeking a belated appeal.  
See § 924.09, Fla. Stat. (2008) (“An appeal may be taken by the defendant only 
within the time provided by the Florida Rules of Appellate Procedure after the 
judgment, sentence, or order appealed from is entered . . . .”). 
It is so ordered. 
QUINCE, C.J., and WELLS, ANSTEAD, PARIENTE, LEWIS, and CANADY, 
JJ., concur. 
POLSTON, J., did not participate. 
 
NOT FINAL UNTIL TIME EXPIRES TO FILE REHEARING MOTION, AND 
IF FILED, DETERMINED. 
 
 
Original Proceedings – Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure and Florida Rule of 
Appellate Procedure. 
 
Judge Thomas H. Bateman, III, Chair, Florida Criminal Procedure Rules 
Committee, Second Judicial Circuit, Quincy, Florida, and Jodi Beth Jennings, Bar 
Liaison, The Florida Bar, Tallahassee, Florida; and John S. Mills, Chair, Florida 
Appellate Court Rules Committee, Jacksonville, Florida, and Krys Godwin, Bar 
Liaison, The Florida Bar, Tallahassee, Florida, 
 
 
for Petitioner 
 
- 4 - 
APPENDIX 
 
RULE 3.851.   COLLATERAL RELIEF AFTER DEATH SENTENCE HAS 
BEEN IMPOSED AND AFFIRMED ON DIRECT APPEAL 
 
 
(a)-(i)  [No change] 
 
 
(j)  Belated Appeals.  Pursuant to the procedures outlined in Florida Rule of 
Appellate Procedure 9.142(d), a petitioner may seek a belated appeal upon the 
allegation that the petitioner timely requested counsel to appeal the order denying 
petitioner's motion for postconviction relief and counsel, through neglect, failed to 
do so. 
 
Court Commentary 
[No Change] 
 
 
RULE 9.142.   PROCEDURES FOR REVIEW IN DEATH PENALTY 
CASES 
 
 
(a)-(c)  [No change] 
 
 
(d) Petitions Seeking Belated Appeal.  A petition for belated appeal shall 
not be filed more than 1 year after the expiration of time for filing the notice of 
appeal from a final order denying rule 3.851 relief, unless it alleges under oath 
with a specific factual basis that the petitioner 
 
 (1) was unaware an appeal had not been timely filed or was not advised 
of the right to an appeal; and 
 (2) should not have ascertained such facts by the exercise of reasonable 
diligence.