Source: http://floridasentencing.blogspot.com/2018/07/sentence-mitigation-acceptance-of.html
Timestamp: 2019-04-25 10:34:02+00:00

Document:
A common and longstanding practice in the trial courts of Florida is to reward defendants who accept responsibility for their actions with lighter sentences than those defendants might otherwise have received. Many prosecutors encourage this form of sentence mitigation and it is not unusual for prosecutors to agree to downward departure sentences for such defendants in appropriate circumstances, usually early in the case. Appellate courts have noted that acceptance of responsibility is an appropriate factor for the court to consider in mitigating a sentence.1 As a practical matter, early acceptance of responsibility can show actual or potential rehabilitation,2 and it furthers the important state interests in judicial efficiency and economy. There is, however, no consensus within the trial and appellate courts as to what “acceptance of responsibility” or “early acceptance of responsibility” is, and so it is an open question as to whether or not this is a valid stand-alone basis for departure below a presumptive minimum sentence.
1See Green v. State, 84 So. 3d 1169 (Fla. 3d DCA 2012); also Rankin v. State, 174 So. 3d 1092, 1097 (Fla. 4th DCA 2015) (remorse and admission of guilt may be grounds for mitigation of sentence).
2“Acceptance of responsibility . . . demonstrates that an offender ‘is ready and willing to admit his crime and enter the correctional system in a frame of mind that affords hope for success in rehabilitation over a shorter period of time than might otherwise be necessary.’” McKune v. Lile, 536 U.S. 24, 36-37, 122 S.Ct. 2017 (2002) (quoting Brady v. U.S., 397 U.S. 742, 753, 90 S. Ct. 1463 (1970)).
3See U.S. v. Beserra, 967 F. 2d 254 (7th Cir. 1992).
4See U.S. v. Douglas, 569 F. 3d 523 (5th Cir. 2009).
5See, e.g., Stephens v. State, 787 So. 2d 747, 761 (Fla. 2001) (upholding trial court’s downplaying plea of guilty made for tactical advantage and for use as argument before the jury).
6State v. Randall, 746 So. 2d 550 (Fla. 5th DCA 1999).
7State v. Ayers, 901 So. 2d 942, 945 (Fla. 2d DCA 2005) (“It is impossible for a defendant who refuses to accept responsibility for an offense to show remorse for that offense.”).
8State v. Hall, 47 So. 3d 361, 364 (Fla. 2d DCA 2010), n. 5.

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