Title: Richard Arthur Bertke v. State Of Florida

State: florida

Issuer: Florida Supreme Court

Document:

Supreme Court of Florida 
 
 
____________ 
 
No. SC07-1178 
____________ 
 
RICHARD ARTHUR BERTKE,  
Petitioner, 
 
vs. 
 
STATE OF FLORIDA,  
Respondent. 
 
[January 15, 2009] 
 
LEWIS, J. 
 
We have for review Bertke v. State, 949 So. 2d 1118 (Fla. 5th DCA 2007), 
in which the Fifth District Court of Appeal expressly relied upon the Third District 
Court of Appeal’s decision in Martinez v. State, 933 So. 2d 1155 (Fla. 3d DCA 
2006), approved, 981 So. 2d 449 (Fla. 2008).  At the time the Fifth District issued 
its decision in Bertke, Martinez was pending review in this Court.  We have 
jurisdiction.  See art. V, § 3(b)(3), Fla. Const.; Jollie v. State, 405 So. 2d 418 (Fla. 
1981).  
We stayed proceedings in this case pending our disposition of Martinez.  See 
Martinez v. State, 981 So. 2d 449 (Fla. 2008) (approving the result—but not the 
reasoning—of the Third District in Martinez, upon which the Fifth District relied 
in Bertke).  When our decision in Martinez became final, we issued an order 
directing respondent to show cause why we should not accept jurisdiction, quash 
the Bertke decision, and remand for reconsideration in light of our decision 
in Martinez.  Upon consideration of the responses of the parties, along with 
petitioner’s previously filed jurisdictional brief, we accept jurisdiction.   
We accordingly grant the petition for review in the present case.  The 
decision under review is quashed, and this matter is remanded to the Fifth District 
Court of Appeal for reconsideration upon application of this Court’s decision 
in Martinez.  
It is so ordered.  
QUINCE, C.J., WELLS, PARIENTE, CANADY, and POLSTON, JJ., and 
ANSTEAD, Senior Justice, concur. 
 
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 – Direct 
Conflict of Decisions  
 
 
Fifth District - Case No. 5D06-1347 
 
 
(St. Johns County) 
 
Richard Arthur Bertke, pro se, Lowell, Florida, 
 
 
for Petitioner 
 
 
- 2 -
 
- 3 -
Bill McCollum, Attorney General, Tallahassee, Florida, and Kristen L. Davenport, 
Assistant Attorney General, Daytona Beach, Florida, 
 
 
for Respondent