Case Name: Paul BESONG, Appellant, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee
Court: Florida District Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 2006-03-10
Citations: 922 So. 2d 445
Docket Number: No. 2D05-3041
Parties: Paul BESONG, Appellant, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee.
Judges: NORTHCUTT and SILBERMAN, JJ., Concur.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 922
Pages: 445–446

Head Matter:
Paul BESONG, Appellant, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee.
No. 2D05-3041.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, Second District.
March 10, 2006.
James Marion Moorman, Public Defender, and Lanitra Sanehez-Moore, Assistant Public Defender, Bartow, for Appellant.
Charles J. Crist, Jr., Attorney General, Tallahassee, and Sonya Roebuck Horbelt, Assistant Attorney General, Tampa, for Appellee.

Opinion:
LaROSE, Judge.
Paul Besong appeals the trial court's denial of his motion to correct his judgment and sentence. Mr. Besong filed a motion under Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.800(a) challenging his sexual predator designation. Relying on Angell v. State, 712 So.2d 1132 (Fla. 2d DCA 1998), the trial court, on June 2, 2005, concluded that rule 3.800(a) was not available for such a challenge. Subsequently, however, we receded from Angell in King v. State, 911 So.2d 229 (Fla. 2d DCA 2005) (en banc), and held that rule 3.800(a) is available to correct an erroneous sexual predator designation.
Decisions announcing new rules of law apply retroactively to cases pending on direct review or not yet final. Smith v. State, 598 So.2d 1063, 1066 (Fla.1992). Accordingly, King applies to Mr. Besong's case. The State concedes that, although the trial court's ruling was correct under Angelí, this case should be reversed and remanded for a ruling on the merits under King.
Reversed and remanded.
NORTHCUTT and SILBERMAN, JJ., Concur.