Case Title: State v. Diers

Citation: 532 So. 2d 1271

Docket Number: 71779

State: florida

Court: Florida Supreme Court

Date: 1988-10-27T00:00:00Z

Document:
532 So. 2d 1271 (1988)
STATE of Florida, Petitioner,
v.
Raymond Eric DIERS, Respondent.
No. 71779.

Supreme Court of Florida.
October 27, 1988.
Robert A. Butterworth, Atty. Gen. and David R. Gemmer, Asst. Atty. Gen., Tampa, for petitioner.
James Marion Moorman, Public Defender and Paul C. Helm, Asst. Public Defender, Tenth Judicial Circuit, Bartow, for respondent.
McDONALD, Justice.
We review State v. Diers, 517 So. 2d 788 (Fla. 2d DCA 1988), because of conflict with State v. Evans, 503 So. 2d 985 (Fla. 5th DCA 1987). We have jurisdiction pursuant to article V, section 3(b)(3) of the state constitution. Diers held that the state could not appeal the sentence of a defendant sentenced pursuant to the Youthful Offender Act (section 958.04, Florida Statutes (1985)) even though the youthful offender sentence was less than that prescribed by the sentencing guidelines. Evans reversed a youthful offender sentence when the trial judge failed to state clear and convincing reasons for the sentence, which was less than that which the guidelines called for.
The issue is whether the state could appeal Diers' sentence as a youthful offender, which was less than that prescribed by sentencing guidelines.[*] In its decision the Second District Court of Appeal relied upon the analysis and reasoning of the Third District Court of Appeal in State v. Weston, 510 So. 2d 1001 (Fla. 3d DCA 1987). In Weston, Judge Schwartz wrote:
510 So. 2d  at 1002-03 (footnotes omitted).
We, too, agree with this analysis and therefore approve Diers. To the extent of conflict, we disapprove Evans.
It is so ordered.
EHRLICH, C.J., and OVERTON, SHAW, BARKETT, GRIMES and KOGAN, JJ., concur.
[*]  We express no opinion on the effect of any legislation adopted subsequent to the sentence in question.