Source: http://www.husseinandwebber.com/crimes/public-order-obstruction/escape/
Timestamp: 2019-04-24 20:42:40+00:00

Document:
Under Florida law, the crime of escape occurs where an arrested or convicted defendant flees or attempts to flee from custody with the intent to avoid lawful confinement. Escape is a second degree felony with penalties of up to 15 years in prison.
The defendant escaped or attempted to escape with the intent to avoid lawful confinement.
The defendant understands the communication (that an arrest is taking place).
Source: Kyser v. State, 533 So. 2d 285, 287 (Fla. 1988); McKinnon v. State, 17 So. 3d 860, 861 (Fla. 5th DCA 2009); Fla. Std. Jury Instr. 27.1.
See also- Spann v. State, 996 So. 2d 873 (Fla. 4th DCA 2008) affirming where a deputy ordered the defendant defendant “put [his] hands behind [his] back” and then reached for the defendant’s wrists; Thomas v. State, 805 So. 2d 102 (Fla. 4th DCA 2002) (affirming where defendant was advised of the intended arrest and then failed to return after being allowed by the officer to briefly reenter the residence).
Escape requires a technical completion of an arrest. Where there is no ‘touching’ of the defendant, or where the defendant does not acquiesce or submit to the intended arrest by the officer, a conviction for escape cannot be sustained. Herbert v. State, 962 So. 2d 1068, 1072 (reversing escape conviction and finding that no arrest occurred because defendant took flight and was neither touched nor shown to have submitted to authority).
See also- Brown v. State, 623 So. 2d 800 (Fla. 4th DCA 1993) (reversing escape conviction where the evidence established neither a physical touching of the defendant by the officer nor an acquiescence by the defendant to the attempted arrest).
To sustain a conviction for escape, the arrest or custody at issue must be lawful in nature. Jean v. State, 27 So. 3d 784, 787 (Fla. 3d DCA 2010) (reversing escape conviction where the trial court prohibited defense counsel raising the issue of lawful custody).
See also- Applewhite v. State, 874 So. 2d 1276, 1278 (Fla. 5th DCA 2004) (stating that “[t]he elements of [escape include whether] defendant was a prisoner, which is defined as any person who is under arrest and in the lawful custody of a law enforcement official”); State v. Ramsey, 475 So. 2d 671, 672 (Fla.1985) (identifying ‘legal custody’ as an element of escape).
Contrary to the plain language of Section 944.40 and rules of statutory construction, Florida courts have consistently held that “transportation to a place of confinement” begins at the time an individual is placed under arrest. State v. Ramsey, 475 So. 2d 671, 672-73 (Fla. 1985) (citing State v. Iafornaro, 447 So. 2d 961 (Fla. 5th DCA 1984).
Thus, there is no requirement of actual transport. This rule essentially eliminates the second element of an escape charge for defendants who are alleged to have ‘escaped’ prior to being booked in jail or sentenced to prison.
In Florida, the crime of escape is a second degree felony, with penalties of up to fifteen (15) years in prison or 15 years of probation, and a $10,000 fine.
Due to the nature of the charge as a crime against an officer and law enforcement authority, such offenses are harshly prosecuted throughout the State. Escape is considered a Level 6 offense under Florida’s Criminal Punishment Code.
If you have been arrested for escape, contact Hussein & Webber, PL today for a free consultation. Our attorneys handle cases in Jacksonville, Orlando, and the surrounding counties of northeast and central Florida.

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