Case Title: Maselli v. State

Citation: 446 So. 2d 1079

Docket Number: 63183

State: florida

Court: Florida Supreme Court

Date: 1984-03-08T00:00:00Z

Document:
446 So. 2d 1079 (1984)
Michael MASELLI, Petitioner,
v.
STATE of Florida, Respondent.
No. 63183.

Supreme Court of Florida.
March 8, 1984.
*1080 Jerry Hill, Public Defender and John T. Kilcrease, Jr., Asst. Public Defender, Tenth Judicial Circuit, Bartow, for petitioner.
Jim Smith, Atty. Gen. and Michael J. Kotler, Asst. Atty. Gen., Tampa, for respondent.
BOYD, Justice.
This case is before us on petition for review of the decision in Maselli v. State, 425 So. 2d 176 (Fla. 2d DCA 1983). We granted review of the case on the ground of conflict of decisions. Art. V, § 3(b)(3), Fla. Const.
Petitioner was on probation when he was charged with uttering a forged instrument. He pleaded nolo contendere to the charge and was adjudged guilty. Subsequently, he was charged with violating the terms of his probation, which included the standard condition against any violation of law. On the basis of the conviction for uttering a forged instrument, the trial court revoked petitioner's probation.
On appeal petitioner argued that the judgment of guilt rendered pursuant to a plea of nolo contendere was not a legally sufficient ground for the revocation of probation. The district court of appeal rejected this argument and affirmed the order of revocation, reasoning as follows:
425 So. 2d  at 176-77. We agree with the reasoning and the holding of the district court.
It should be pointed out that when a probationer is before the court accused of violating probation by committing an unlawful act, the judge may revoke probation upon finding that such unlawful act was committed by the probationer; it is not necessary that there be a conviction of the unlawful act. Russ v. State, 313 So. 2d 758 (Fla.), cert. denied, 423 U.S. 924, 96 S. Ct. 267, 46 L. Ed. 2d 250 (1975). When there has been a conviction, as the district court said, there is a clearly sufficient basis for the revocation. The judge may rely on the conviction even if it was imposed pursuant to a plea of nolo contendere. A plea of nolo contendere relieves the state of its burden of proving the factual allegations of the indictment or information. Bell v. State, 369 So. 2d 932, 934 (Fla. 1979); Chesebrough v. State, 255 So. 2d 675 (Fla. 1971), cert. denied, 406 U.S. 976, 92 S. Ct. 2427, 32 L. Ed. 2d 676 (1972). The record of such a conviction speaks for itself. Of course, as the district court indicated, the probationer must be provided an opportunity to be *1081 heard on the question of whether he is guilty of the charge to which he pleaded no contest.
A conflicting decision is Donaldson v. State, 407 So. 2d 623 (Fla. 5th DCA 1981). There the court held that at a revocation hearing, where the basis for the alleged violation is a conviction entered upon a nolo contendere plea, the court must make inquiry into the circumstances of the nolo contendere plea. If it is found that the accused tendered such plea while maintaining his innocence, there must be further inquiry into whether the probationer in fact committed the offense put forth as the basis for revocation. The court cannot, under Donaldson, ground a revocation order solely on a judgment of conviction entered pursuant to a nolo plea. We find that the Donaldson decision was an erroneous statement of the law and we disapprove it.
We hold that a conviction entered upon a plea of nolo contendere by a probationer is a sufficient lawful basis for revocation of probation. Such a conviction is a sufficient ground for revocation because the court, before rendering judgment of conviction on a plea of nolo contendere, must hold a hearing and be satisfied that the plea is voluntary and that a factual basis exists for accepting it.
The decision of the district court of appeal is approved.
It is so ordered.
ALDERMAN, C.J., and OVERTON, McDONALD, EHRLICH and SHAW, JJ., concur.