Title: Todd E. Watson v. Shevaun Harris, etc.

State: florida

Issuer: Florida Supreme Court

Document:

Supreme Court of Florida 
 
____________ 
 
No. SC2023-0980 
____________ 
 
TODD E. WATSON, 
Petitioner, 
 
vs. 
 
SHEVAUN HARRIS, etc., 
Respondents. 
 
January 11, 2024 
 
PER CURIAM. 
 
Todd E. Watson, an inmate in state custody, filed a pro se 
petition for writ of habeas corpus.1  On September 26, 2023, we 
denied the instant petition and expressly retained jurisdiction to 
pursue possible sanctions against Petitioner.  Watson v. Harris, No. 
SC2023-0980, 2023 WL 6236809 (Fla. Sept. 26, 2023); see Fla. R. 
App. P. 9.410(a) (Sanctions; Court’s Motion).  We now find that 
Petitioner has failed to show cause why he should not be barred, 
and we sanction him as set forth below. 
 
 
1.  We have jurisdiction.  See art. V, § 3(b)(9), Fla. Const. 
 
- 2 - 
Petitioner was convicted in the Eleventh Judicial Circuit, in 
and for Miami-Dade County, Florida, case number 
132017CF0187890001XX of two counts of threats/extortion and 
five counts of stalking and sentenced to 364 days imprisonment 
followed by a five-year probationary period.  Since being sentenced 
in 2019, Petitioner has demonstrated a pattern of vexatious filing of 
meritless pro se requests for relief related to case number 
132017CF0187890001XX. 
Including the petition in the instant case, Petitioner has filed 
eight pro se petitions with this Court.  The Court has never granted 
Petitioner the relief sought in any of his filings here; each of the 
petitions was dismissed, denied, or transferred.  His petition in this 
case is no exception.  Petitioner argued that the Eleventh Judicial 
Circuit lacked jurisdiction to accept his plea because the executive 
order transferring jurisdiction had expired.  On September 26, 
2023, we denied the instant petition as repetitive pursuant to Topps 
v. State, 865 So. 2d 1253 (Fla. 2004), as Petitioner had previously 
raised this exact claim in a prior habeas petition filed with the 
Court.  See Watson v. Harris, No. SC2023-0980, 2023 WL 6236809 
 
- 3 - 
(Fla. Sept. 26, 2023) (citing Watson v. Reyes, No. SC2023-0510, 
2023 WL 4094719 (Fla. June 21, 2023)).   
In response to this Court’s show cause order, Petitioner again 
argued that the Eleventh Judicial Circuit lacked jurisdiction to 
accept his plea because the executive order transferring jurisdiction 
had expired. 
Upon consideration of Petitioner’s response, we find that he 
has failed to show cause why sanctions should not be imposed.  
Therefore, based on Petitioner’s extensive history of filing pro se 
petitions and requests for relief that were meritless or otherwise 
inappropriate for this Court’s review, we now find that he has 
abused the Court’s limited judicial resources.  See Pettway v. 
McNeil, 987 So. 2d 20, 22 (Fla. 2008) (explaining that this Court 
has previously “exercised the inherent judicial authority to sanction 
an abusive litigant” and that “[o]ne justification for such a sanction 
lies in the protection of the rights of others to have the Court 
conduct timely reviews of their legitimate filings”).  If no action is 
taken, Petitioner will continue to burden the Court’s resources.  We 
further conclude that Petitioner’s habeas petition filed in this case 
 
- 4 - 
is a frivolous proceeding brought before the Court by a state 
prisoner.  See § 944.279(1), Fla. Stat. (2023).   
 
Accordingly, we direct the Clerk of this Court to reject any 
future pleadings or other requests for relief submitted by Todd E. 
Watson that are related to case number 132017CF0187890001XX, 
unless such filings are signed by a member in good standing of The 
Florida Bar.  Furthermore, because we have found Petitioner’s 
petition to be frivolous, we direct the Clerk of this Court, pursuant 
to section 944.279(1), Florida Statutes (2023), to forward a copy of 
this opinion to the Florida Department of Corrections’ institution or 
facility in which Petitioner is incarcerated.   
No motion for rehearing or clarification will be entertained by 
this Court. 
It is so ordered. 
MUÑIZ, C.J., and CANADY, LABARGA, COURIEL, GROSSHANS, 
FRANCIS, and SASSO, JJ., concur. 
 
Original Proceeding – Habeas Corpus 
Todd E. Watson, pro se, Chattahoochee, Florida, 
 
for Petitioner 
No appearance for Respondents