Case Title: State of Florida v. Tyrone Cowart

Citation: 

Docket Number: SC95-541

State: florida

Court: Florida Supreme Court

Date: 2000-06-22T00:00:00Z

Document:
Supreme 
Court 
of 
Florida
 
____________
No. SC95541
____________
STATE OF FLORIDA,
Petitioner,
vs.
TYRONE COWART,
Respondent.
[June 22, 2000]
PER CURIAM.
We have for review the decision in State v. Cowart, 24 Fla.  L. Weekly D1085
(Fla. 2d DCA Apr. 28, 1999), which the 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
Act, as properly interpreted by the First District, does not violate separation of powers,
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and rejecting other constitutional challenges to the Act.  See State v. Cotton, 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 this opinion.  Because it appears that the respondent
entered a plea of guilty based upon the trial court’s indication 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. 2D98-03185
(Pinellas County)
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Robert A. Butterworth, Attorney General, Robert J. Krauss, Senior Assistant Attorney
General, and Wendy Buffington, Assistant Attorney General, Tampa, Florida,
for Petitioner
Judith Ellis, St. Petersburg, Florida,
for Respondent