Title: Brett Fenster v. State of Florida

State: florida

Issuer: Florida Supreme Court

Document:

Supreme Court of Florida 
 
 
____________ 
 
No. SC11-1164 
____________ 
 
BRETT FENSTER,  
Petitioner, 
 
vs. 
 
STATE OF FLORIDA,  
Respondent. 
 
[March 20, 2014] 
 
 
 
LABARGA, J. 
We have for review Fenster v. State, 61 So. 3d 465 (Fla. 4th DCA 2011), in 
which the Fourth District Court of Appeal cited as authority its decision in 
Williams v. State, 40 So. 3d 72 (Fla. 4th DCA 2010), quashed, 123 So. 3d 23 (Fla. 
2013).  At the time the Fourth District issued its decision in Fenster, Williams 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 Williams v. 
State, 123 So. 3d 23 (Fla. 2013), in which we ultimately quashed the Fourth 
 
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District’s underlying Williams decision.  We then issued an order directing the 
Respondent to show cause why this Court should not accept jurisdiction, 
summarily quash the Fourth District’s decision in Fenster, and remand for 
reconsideration in light of our decision in Williams. 
 
Upon consideration of the State’s response and Fenster’s reply, we grant the 
petition for review, quash the Fourth District’s decision in Fenster, and remand this 
case to the Fourth District for further proceedings consistent with our decision in 
Williams. 
 
It is so ordered. 
 
POLSTON, C.J., and PARIENTE, LEWIS, QUINCE, CANADY, and PERRY, JJ., 
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 - Certified 
Direct Conflict of Decisions  
 
Fourth District – Case No. 4D07-1983  
 
(Broward County)  
 
Carol Stafford Haughwout, Public Defender, and John Michael Conway, Assistant 
Public Defender, West Palm Beach, Florida,  
 
for Petitioner 
 
Pamela Jo Bondi, Attorney General, Tallahassee, Florida, and Laura J. Fisher, 
Assistant Attorney General, West Palm Beach, Florida,   
 
for Respondent