Title: In Re: Amendments to the Florida Rules of Criminal Procedure (Revised Opinion)

State: florida

Issuer: Florida Supreme Court

Document:

Supreme Court of Florida 
 
 
____________ 
 
No. SC12-187 
____________ 
 
 
IN RE:  AMENDMENTS TO THE 
FLORIDA RULES OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE. 
 
[October 18, 2012] 
 
PER CURIAM. 
 
The Florida Bar’s Criminal Procedure Rules Committee (Committee) has 
filed with the Court its triennial report of regular-cycle proposed rule amendments 
in accordance with Florida Rule of Judicial Administration 2.140(b)(4).  We have 
jurisdiction.  See art. V, § 2(a), Fla. Const. 
Background 
 
The Committee proposes amendments to Florida Rules of Criminal 
Procedure 3.111 (Providing Counsel to Indigents); 3.125 (Notice to Appear); 3.140 
(Indictments; Informations); 3.191 (Speedy Trial); 3.220 (Discovery); 3.410 (Jury 
Request to Review Evidence or for Additional Instructions); 3.590 (Time for and 
Method of Making Motions; Procedure; Custody Pending Hearing); 3.691 (Post-
Trial Release); 3.800(a) (Correction, Reduction, and Modification of Sentences—
 
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Correction); and 3.851 (Collateral Relief After Death Sentence has been Imposed 
and Affirmed on Direct Appeal).  In addition, the Committee proposes deletion of 
rule 3.170(l) (Pleas—Motion to Withdraw the Plea after Sentencing). 
 
In accordance with Florida Rule of Judicial Administration 2.140(b)(2), the 
Committee published its proposals for comment prior to filing them here.  
Comments were received from one individual.  Based upon the comment, the 
Committee withdrew two of the proposals that had been published and made 
additional amendments to two other rules.  The revised proposals were published 
prior to the Committee filing the proposals with the Court.  The Committee also 
submitted the proposals to the Board of Governors of The Florida Bar, which voted 
unanimously to approve them.  See Fla. R. Jud. Admin. 2.140(b)(3).  The Court 
published the proposals for comment after they were filed.  A comment was 
received from the Florida Public Defender Association, to which the Committee 
responded. 
 
After reviewing the proposals, comment, and response, and upon 
consideration of the oral argument heard in this case, we adopt the Committee’s 
proposals to amend rules 3.111, 3.125, 3.140, 3.191, 3.220, 3.410, 3.590, 3.691, 
and 3.800 as proposed.  We also adopt the editorial amendments to rule 3.851 but 
decline to adopt the substantive amendments to rule 3.851 pertaining to the filing 
and sealing of expert reports.  Finally, we sever the proposed amendments to rule 
 
3 
 
3.170 from this case, which will be considered with the proposed amendments to 
rule 3.170 pending in In re Amendments to the Florida Rules of Criminal 
Procedure—Postconviction Rules, Case No. SC11-1679. 
Amendments 
 
The more significant amendments are discussed below. 
 
The notice to appear form in rule 3.125(l) is amended to comply with a prior 
amendment to rule 2.540(c) (Requests for Accommodations by Persons with 
Disabilities—Notice Requirement), requiring the inclusion of instructions for 
obtaining assistance to individuals with a disability who may need 
accommodations to participate in a court proceeding.  See In re Amendments to 
Florida Rule of Judicial Administration 2.540, 41 So. 3d 881, 883-84 (Fla. 2010). 
Rule 3.125(l) is amended to add the language required by rule 2.540(c). 
 
The Court amends rule 3.140(c)(1) (Indictments; Informations—Caption, 
Commencement, Date, and Personal Statistics; Caption) to include a caption for 
use in municipal ordinance violation cases.  The amendment is based upon the 
caption format set forth in rule 2.265(e) (Municipal Ordinance Violations—Style 
of Municipal Ordinance Cases). 
 
Subdivision (h) of rule 3.191 (Speedy Trial; Notice of Expiration of Time 
for Speedy Trial; When Timely) is amended to clarify when a notice of expiration 
of time for speedy trial is timely filed and served.  By striking the phrase “on or” 
 
4 
 
from the portion of the rule providing “on or after the expiration of the periods of 
time for trial provided in this rule,” the rule clarifies that only after the expiration 
of time for speedy trial is a notification of such an event timely filed. 
 
Subdivision (h)(1) of rule 3.220 (Discovery—Discovery Depositions; 
Generally) is amended to clarify that, upon application, either a pro se litigant or an 
attorney for either party may have the court or clerk issue subpoenas. 
 
The amendments to rule 3.410 (Jury Request to Review Evidence or for 
Additional Instructions) address two separate issues.  First, we amend rule 3.410 to 
permit the playback of digital recordings of trial testimony.  Second, the rule is 
amended to allow the trial court, in its discretion, to respond in writing to a juror’s 
question rather than bringing the jury back into the courtroom in order for the trial 
judge to orally respond to the question. 
 
Rule 3.800(a) (Correction, Reduction, and Modification of Sentences—
Correction) is amended to clarify that a defendant may seek correction of an 
allegedly erroneous sexual predator designation under the rule, but only when it is 
apparent from the face of the record that the defendant did not meet the criteria for 
designation as a sexual predator.  This amendment is consistent with our decision 
in Saintelien v. State, 990 So. 2d 494, 497 (Fla. 2008). 
 
The amendments to rule 3.851 are limited to editorial changes.  We reject 
the Committee’s proposal to require that certain mental health expert reports in 
 
5 
 
capital postconviction proceedings be filed and maintained under seal in the trial 
court file.  See In re Amendments to Florida Rule of Judicial Administration 2.420, 
68 So. 3d 228, 230 (Fla. 2011) (rejecting a comment urging that Florida Rule of 
Judicial Administration 2.420 be amended to provide for the automatic sealing of 
all mental health evaluations and reports filed in criminal cases). 
 
It is so ordered. 
 
POLSTON, C.J., and PARIENTE, LEWIS, QUINCE, CANADY, LABARGA, 
and PERRY, JJ., concur. 
 
THE FILING OF A MOTION FOR REHEARING SHALL NOT ALTER THE 
EFFECTIVE DATE OF THESE AMENDMENTS. 
 
Original Proceeding – Florida Rules of Criminal Procedure 
 
Mark Caliel, Chair, Criminal Procedure Rules Committee, Jacksonville, Florida; 
and John F. Harkness, Jr., Executive Director, The Florida Bar, Tallahassee, 
Florida, 
 
 
for Petitioner 
 
Nancy Ann Daniels, Public Defender and Glen Phillip Gifford, Assistant Public 
Defender, Second Judicial Circuit, Tallahassee, Florida, 
 
 
Responding with comments 
 
 
 
APPENDIX 
 
RULE 3.111.  
PROVIDING COUNSEL TO INDIGENTS 
 
(a) [No change] 
 
(b) Cases Applicable. 
 
(1) [No change] 
 
(A) [No change] 
 
(B) [No change] 
 
i.(i) not discharge appointed counsel; or 
 
ii.(ii) discharge appointed counsel and allow the defendant a 
reasonable time to obtain private counsel, or if the defendant elects to represent 
himself or herself, a reasonable time to prepare for trial. 
 
(C) [No change]  
 
(2) – (5) [No change] 
 
 
(c) – (e) [No change] 
 
Committee Notes 
 
[No change] 
 
RULE 3.125. 
NOTICE TO APPEAR 
(a) – (k) [No Change] 
 
(l) Form of Notice to Appear and Schedule of Witnesses and Evidence. The 
notice to appear and schedule of witnesses and evidence shall be in substantially 
the following form: 
 
7 
 
 
IN THE COUNTY COURT, IN AND FOR 
              COUNTY, FLORIDA 
 
NOTICE TO APPEAR 
               
 
       
Agency Case # 
 
STATE OF FLORIDA, COUNTY OF  
 
 
 
In the name of                      County, Florida: The undersigned certifies that he or 
she has just and reasonable grounds to believe, and does believe, that: 
 
On .....(date)....., at                         (  )a.m. (  )p.m. 
 
                 
            
   
 
 
 
 
 
Last Name First  
 
M.I.  
Aliases 
 
                                          
 
 
 
 
 
Street—City and State     
Date and Place of Birth 
 
                                               
                         
            
 
 
Phone     Race/Sex   Height    
Weight     Hair   
Eyes  Scars/Marks 
 
                                                   
      
 
 
 
Occupation   Place of Employment 
 Employment Phone 
                                                                       
 
    
Complexion  Driver’s License #  Yr./St.   Social Security # 
 
at (location)  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
in             County, Florida, committed the following offense(s): 
 
(1)                                       (2)   
 
 
 
 
in violation of section(s):           :              
(  ) State Statute 
 
 
 
 
 
         
(  ) Municipal Ord. 
 
DID (Narrative):   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
8 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                   
              
  
 
 
Name of Officer               ID          
Agency 
 
[  ]  Mandatory appearance in court,   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Location             
 
on .....(date)....., at ______ (  )a.m. (  )p.m. 
 
[  ] You need not appear in court, but must comply with instructions on back. 
 
CO-DEFENDANTS: 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
[  ]  Cited 
1.                                                                      
[  ]  Jailed 
    Name            DOB        Address 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
[  ]  Cited 
2.                                                                    
[  ]  Jailed 
    Name                DOB                Address 
 
If you are a person with a disability who needs any accommodation in order 
to participate in this proceeding, you are entitled, at no cost to you, to the 
provision of certain assistance. Please contact [identify applicable court 
personnel by name, address, and telephone number] at least 7 days before 
your scheduled court appearance, or immediately upon receiving this 
notification if the time before the scheduled appearance is less than 7 days; if 
you are hearing or voice impaired, call 711. 
 
I AGREE TO APPEAR AT THE TIME AND PLACE DESIGNATED ABOVE 
TO ANSWER THE OFFENSE CHARGED OR TO PAY THE FINE 
SUBSCRIBED. I UNDERSTAND THAT SHOULD I WILLFULLY FAIL TO 
APPEAR BEFORE THE COURT AS REQUIRED BY THIS NOTICE TO 
 
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APPEAR, I MAY BE HELD IN CONTEMPT OF COURT AND A WARRANT 
FOR MY ARREST SHALL BE ISSUED. 
 
                                      
Signature of Defendant 
 
 
I swear the above and reverse and attached statements are true and correct to 
the best of my knowledge and belief. 
 
                                     
Complainant 
 
                                     
Agency or Department 
 
Sworn to and subscribed before me on .....(date)...... 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Notary Public, State of Florida 
 
WAIVER INFORMATION 
 
If you desire to plead guilty or nolo contendere (no contest) and you need not 
appear in court as indicated on the face of this notice, you may present this notice 
at the county court named on the reverse of this page. 
 
From .....(date).....,          to .....(date).....,   
 
 
         
  
 
           Hour 
 
 
    
Hour 
 
and pay a fine of   
 dollars in cash, money order, or certified check. 
 
The waiver below must be completed and attached. Read carefully. 
 
Your failure to answer this summons in the manner subscribed will result in a 
warrant being issued on a separate and additional charge. 
 
“In consideration of my not appearing in court, I the undersigned, do hereby 
enter my appearance on the affidavit for the offense charged on the other side of 
this notice and waive the reading of the affidavit in the above named cause and the 
 
10 
 
right to be present at the trial of said action. I hereby enter my plea of Guilty [  ] or 
Nolo Contendere [  ], and waive my right to prosecute appeal or error proceedings. 
 
“I understand the nature of the charge against me; I understand my right to 
have counsel and waive this right and the right to a continuance. I waive my right 
to trial before a judge or jury. I plead Guilty [  ] or Nolo Contendere [  ] to the 
charge, being fully aware that my signature to this plea will have the same effect as 
a judgment of this court.” 
 
Total Fine and Cost  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Defendant Signature  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Address  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
IN THE COUNTY COURT, IN AND FOR 
                          COUNTY, FLORIDA 
 
SCHEDULE OF WITNESSES AND  
EVIDENCE FOR NOTICE TO APPEAR 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                       
Agency Case # 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Last Name               First              M.I.    Aliases 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Address 
 
.....(date of notice to appear)..... Offense(s):   (1)  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  (2)  
 
 
TANGIBLE EVIDENCE: (If none, write “None”) 
Item:   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Obtained from (person and/or place):   
 
 
first received by:   
 
 
 
 
 
given to:  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
11 
 
 
WITNESSES: (If none, write “None”) 
#1 Name:   
 
 
 
 
 
 
Res. Tel. No.                
 
 Address:  
 
 
Bus. Tel. No.                
 
 Business:   
 
Testimony:   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
#2 Name:   
 
 
 
 
 
 
Res. Tel. No.                
 
 Address:  
 
 
Bus. Tel. No.                
 
 Business:   
 
Testimony:   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
#3 Name:   
 
 
 
 
 
 
Res. Tel. No.                
 
 Address:  
 
 
Bus. Tel. No.                
 
 Business:   
 
Testimony:   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
I certify that the foregoing is a complete list of witnesses and evidence known to 
me. 
 
                                  
Investigating Officer 
 
                                  
Agency 
 
 
Committee Notes 
 
[No change] 
 
 
 
 
12 
 
RULE 3.140. 
INDICTMENTS; INFORMATIONS 
 
(a) – (b) [No change] 
 
(c) Caption, Commencement, Date, and Personal Statistics. 
 
(1) Caption. No formal caption is essential to the validity of an indictment 
or information on which the defendant is to be tried. Upon objection made as to its 
absence a caption shall be prefixed in substantially the following manner: 
 
In the (name of court) 
 
State of Florida versus (name of defendant) 
or, in the case of municipal ordinance cases in county court, 
City of ____/____ County versus (name of defendant). 
 
Any defect, error, or omission in a caption may be amended as of course, at any 
stage of the proceeding, whether before or after a plea to the merits, by court order. 
 
(2) – (4) [No change] 
 
(d) – (o) [No change] 
 
Committee Notes 
 
[No change] 
 
 
RULE 3.191. 
SPEEDY TRIAL 
 
(a) – (g) [No change] 
 
(h) Notice of Expiration of Time for Speedy Trial; When Timely. A notice 
of expiration of speedy trial time shall be timely if filed and served on or after the 
expiration of the periods of time for trial provided in this rule. However, a notice of 
expiration of speedy trial time filed before expiration of the period of time for trial 
is invalid and shall be stricken on motion of the prosecuting attorney. 
 
(i) – (p) [No change] 
 
13 
 
 
Committee Notes 
 
[No change] 
 
 
RULE 3.220. 
DISCOVERY 
 
(a) – (g) [No change] 
 
(h) Discovery Depositions. 
 
(1) Generally. At any time after the filing of the charging document any 
party may take the deposition upon oral examination of any person authorized by 
this rule. A party taking a deposition shall give reasonable written notice to each 
other party and shall make a good faith effort to coordinate the date, time, and 
location of the deposition to accommodate the schedules of other parties and the 
witness to be deposed. The notice shall state the time and the location where the 
deposition is to be taken, the name of each person to be examined, and a certificate 
of counsel that a good faith effort was made to coordinate the deposition schedule. 
After notice to the parties the court may, for good cause shown, extend or shorten 
the time and may change the location of the deposition. Except as provided herein, 
the procedure for taking the deposition, including the scope of the examination, 
and the issuance of a subpoena (except a subpoena duces tecum) for deposition by 
an attorney of record in the action, shall be the same as that provided in the Florida 
Rules of Civil Procedure. Any deposition taken pursuant to this rule may be used 
by any party for the purpose of contradicting or impeaching the testimony of the 
deponent as a witness. The trial court or the clerk of the court may, upon 
application by a pro se litigant or the attorney for any party, issue subpoenas for 
the persons whose depositions are to be taken. In any case, including multiple 
defendants or consolidated cases, no person shall be deposed more than once 
except by consent of the parties or by order of the court issued on good cause 
shown. A witness who refuses to obey a duly served subpoena may be adjudged in 
contempt of the court from which the subpoena issued. 
 
(A) – (D) [No change] 
 
(2) – (8) [No change] 
 
(i) – (o) [No change] 
 
14 
 
 
Committee Notes 
 
[No change] 
 
Court Commentary 
 
[No change] 
 
RULE 3.410. 
JURY REQUEST TO REVIEW EVIDENCE OR FOR 
 
 
ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS 
 
After the jurors have retired to consider their verdict, if they request additional 
instructions or to have any testimony read or played back to them they shallmay be 
conducted into the courtroom by the officer who has them in charge and the court 
may give them the additional instructions or may order the testimony read or 
played back to them. The instructions shall be given and the testimony 
readpresented only after notice to the prosecuting attorney and to counsel for the 
defendant. All testimony read or played back must be done in open court in the 
presence of all parties. In its discretion, the court may respond in writing to the 
inquiry without having the jury brought before the court, provided the parties have 
received the opportunity to place objections on the record and both the inquiry and 
response are made part of the record. 
 
Committee Notes 
 
[No change] 
 
RULE 3.590. 
TIME FOR AND METHOD OF MAKING MOTIONS; 
PROCEDURE; CUSTODY PENDING HEARING 
(a) [No change] 
 
(b) Time for Filing in Capital Cases Where the Death Penalty Is an Issue. A 
motion for new trial or arrest of judgment, or both, or for a new penalty phase 
hearing may be made within ten10 days after written final judgment of conviction 
and sentence of life imprisonment or death is filed. The motion may address 
 
15 
 
grounds which arose in the guilt phase and the penalty phase of the trial. Separate 
motions for the guilt phase and the penalty phase may be filed. The motion or 
motions may be amended without leave of court prior to the expiration of the ten10 
day period, and in the discretion of the court, at any other time before the motion is 
determined. 
 
(c) – (e) [No change] 
 
Committee Notes 
 
[No change] 
 
 
RULE 3.691. 
POST-TRIAL RELEASE 
 
(a) – (b) [No change] 
 
(c) Appeal fromReview of Denial. An order by a trial court denying bail to a 
person pursuant to the provisions of subdivision (a) may be appealed as a matter of 
rightreviewed by motion to anthe appellate court and the appealmotion shall be 
advanced on the calendar of the appellate court for expeditious review. 
 
(d) – (e) [No change] 
 
Committee Notes 
 
[No change] 
 
 
RULE 3.800. 
CORRECTION, REDUCTION, AND MODIFICATION 
OF SENTENCES 
(a) Correction. A court may at any time correct an illegal sentence imposed 
by it, or an incorrect calculation made by it in a sentencing scoresheet, or a 
sentence that does not grant proper credit for time served when it is affirmatively 
alleged that the court records demonstrate on their face an entitlement to that relief, 
provided that a party may not file a motion to correct an illegal sentence under this 
subdivision during the time allowed for the filing of a motion under subdivision 
(b)(1) or during the pendency of a direct appeal. A defendant may seek correction 
of an allegedly erroneous sexual predator designation under this subdivision, but 
 
16 
 
only when it is apparent from the face of the record that the defendant did not meet 
the criteria for designation as a sexual predator. All orders denying motions under 
this subdivision shall include a statement that the movant has the right to appeal 
within 30 days of rendition of the order. 
(b) – (c) [No change] 
 
Committee Notes 
[No change] 
Court Commentary 
[No change] 
 
 
RULE 3.851. 
COLLATERAL RELIEF AFTER DEATH SENTENCE 
 
HAS BEEN IMPOSED AND AFFIRMED ON DIRECT 
 
APPEAL 
 
(a) – (h) [No change] 
 
(i) Dismissal of Postconviction Proceedings. 
 
(1) [No change] 
 
(2) If the prisoner files the motion pro se, the Clerk of the Court shall serve 
copies of the motion on counsel of record for both the prisoner and the state. 
Counsel of record may file responses within ten10 days. 
 
(3) [No change] 
 
(4) The judge shall examine the prisoner at the hearing and shall hear 
argument of the prisoner, collateral counsel, and the state. No fewer than two2 or 
more than three3 qualified experts shall be appointed to examine the prisoner if the 
judge concludes that there are reasonable grounds to believe the prisoner is not 
mentally competent for purposes of this rule. The experts shall file reports with the 
court setting forth their findings. Thereafter, the court shall conduct an evidentiary 
hearing and enter an order setting forth findings of competency or incompetency. 
 
 
17 
 
(5) – (6) [No change] 
 
(7) If the court determines that the prisoner has made the decision to dismiss 
pending postconviction proceedings and discharge collateral counsel knowingly, 
freely, and voluntarily, the court shall enter an order dismissing all pending 
postconviction proceedings and discharging collateral counsel. But if the court 
determines that the prisoner has not made the decision to dismiss pending 
postconviction proceedings and discharge collateral counsel knowingly, freely, and 
voluntarily, the court shall enter an order denying the motion without prejudice. 
 
 
(8) – (9) [No change] 
 
Court Commentary 
 
[No change]