Case Title: Gary L. Robbins v. State of Florida

Citation: 

Docket Number: SC95-049

State: florida

Court: Florida Supreme Court

Date: 2000-03-23T00:00:00Z

Document:
Supreme Court of Florida
 
____________
No. SC95049
____________
GARY L. ROBBINS,
Petitioner,
vs.
STATE OF FLORIDA,
Respondent.
[March 23, 2000]
PER CURIAM.
We have for review Robbins v. State, 730 So. 2d 313 (Fla. 3d DCA 1999), in
which the Third District Court of Appeal affirmed Gary L. Robbins’ violent career
criminal sentence and certified conflict with the Second District Court of Appeal’s
decision in Thompson v. State, 708 So. 2d 315 (Fla. 2d DCA 1998).  We have
jurisdiction.  See Art. V, § 3(b)(4), Fla. Const.  Based on our decision in State v.
Thompson, 25 Fla. L. Weekly S1 (Fla. Dec. 22, 1999), in which we held
unconstitutional chapter 95-182, Laws of Florida, as violative of the single subject
1 We note that Robbins has standing to raise a single subject rule challenge to chapter 95-
182, Laws of Florida, even assuming the window period for raising such a challenge closed on
October 1, 1996, as determined by the Fourth District Court of Appeal in Salters v. State, 731 So.
2d 826, 826 (Fla. 4th DCA), review granted, No. 95,663 (Fla. Dec. 3, 1999).  Further, even
though Robbins 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.  Cf. Heggs v. State,
25 Fla. L. Weekly S137, S138, S140 n.4 (Fla. Feb. 17, 2000); Nelson v. State, 24 Fla. L. Weekly
S250, S251 (Fla. May 27, 1999), cert. denied, 120 S. Ct. 950 (2000); State v. Johnson, 616 So.
2d 1, 3-4 (Fla. 1993).
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rule, we quash the decision below and remand for resentencing in accordance with
the valid laws in effect on February 12, 1996, the date on which Robbins committed
the underlying offense in this case.1  See Thompson, 25 Fla. L. Weekly at S3
(remanding for resentencing in accordance with the valid laws in effect at the time
the defendant committed her offenses).
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
Direct Conflict of Decisions
Third District - Case No. 3D97-3043
( Dade County)
Bennet H. Brummer, Public Defender, and Lisa Walsh, Assistant Public Defender,
Eleventh Judicial Circuit, Miami, Florida,
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for Petitioner
Robert A. Butterworth, Attorney General, Michael J. Neimand, Bureau Chief,
Assistant Attorney General, and Lara J. Edelstein, Assistant Attorney General, Fort
Lauderdale, Florida,
for Respondent