Case Name: Recardo CLAYTON, Appellant, v. The STATE of Florida, Appellee
Court: Florida District Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 2008-11-05
Citations: 994 So. 2d 1179
Docket Number: No. 3D08-2456
Parties: Recardo CLAYTON, Appellant, v. The STATE of Florida, Appellee.
Judges: Before WELLS, SHEPHERD, and ROTHENBERG, JJ.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 994
Pages: 1179–1180

Head Matter:
Recardo CLAYTON, Appellant, v. The STATE of Florida, Appellee.
No. 3D08-2456.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, Third District.
Nov. 5, 2008.
Rehearing Denied Dec. 3, 2008.
Recardo Clayton, in proper person.
Bill McCollum, Attorney General, for appellee.
Before WELLS, SHEPHERD, and ROTHENBERG, JJ.

Opinion:
ROTHENBERG, J.
Recardo Clayton ("Clayton") appeals the trial court's order denying his motion for postconviction relief filed pursuant to Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.850. We affirm.
Clayton claims that his trial counsel provided ineffective assistance of counsel by failing to file a post-trial motion for new trial or make an ore tenus motion to reduce his robbery conviction to theft. The defendant, who was charged with robbery with a firearm, but found guilty of robbery, argues that there was no evidence presented regarding an essential element of the crime-that force, violence, or fear was used in the course of the taking. Clayton additionally argues that his trial counsel's failure to raise these issues at the trial level constituted a waiver of the issue on appeal.
A review of the record on direct appeal, however, conclusively refutes these claims. Clayton's trial counsel did file a Motion for Judgment Notwithstanding the Verdict on July 13, 2006, specifically raising this argument. The briefs filed on direct appeal reflect that Clayton's appellate counsel also raised this issue, and that the Attorney General's Office did not claim that the issue had not been preserved below and addressed the merits of this claim. Additionally, the opinion issued on direct appeal reflects that this Court decided the appeal on the merits and rejected defense counsel's argument that Clayton was improperly convicted of robbery where the jury found no firearm was involved.
Affirmed.