Title: Larry Waldo v. State of Florida

State: florida

Issuer: Florida Supreme Court

Document:

Supreme 
Court 
of 
Florida
 
____________
No. SC95101
____________
LARRY WALDO,
Petitioner,
vs.
STATE OF FLORIDA,
Respondent.
[May 18, 2000]
PER CURIAM.
We have for review Waldo v. State, 728 So. 2d 280 (Fla. 3d DCA 1999), in
which the Third District Court of Appeal affirmed Larry Waldo’s violent career
criminal sentences based on its prior decision in Higgs v. State, 695 So. 2d 872 (Fla.
3d DCA 1997).  In so affirming, the Waldo court 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, 750 So. 2d 643 (Fla. 1999), in which we held
1 Based on our decision in Salters v. State, No. SC95663 (Fla. May 11, 2000), we determine
that Waldo has standing to challenge chapter 95-182, Laws of Florida, on single subject rule grounds.
Further, even though Waldo 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, 748 So. 2d
237, 241-42 (Fla. 1999), cert. denied, 120 S. Ct. 950 (2000); State v. Johnson, 616 So. 2d 1, 3-4
(Fla. 1993).
-2-
unconstitutional chapter 95-182, Laws of Florida, as violative of the single subject
rule, we quash the decision below and remand this cause for resentencing in
accordance with the valid laws in effect on January 25, 1997, the date on which
Waldo committed the underlying offenses in this case.1  See Thompson, 750 So. 2d
at 649 (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. 3D97-3482
(Dade County)
-3-
Bennett H. Brummer, Public Defender, and Howard K. Blumberg, Assistant Public
Defender, Eleventh Judicial Circuit, Miami, Florida,
for Petitioner
Robert A. Butterworth, Attorney General, and Michael J. Neimand and Keith S.
Kromash, Assistant Attorneys General,  Miami, Florida,
for Respondent