Case Name: Gary A. CHOJNOWSKI, Appellant, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee
Court: Florida District Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 1997-11-19
Citations: 705 So. 2d 915
Docket Number: No. 97-02433
Parties: Gary A. CHOJNOWSKI, Appellant, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee.
Judges: PARKER, C.J., concurs.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 705
Pages: 915–919

Head Matter:
Gary A. CHOJNOWSKI, Appellant, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee.
No. 97-02433.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, Second District.
Nov. 19, 1997.

Opinion:
DANAHY, Judge.
On January 16, 1997, the appellant was sentenced to a term of imprisonment. On March 3, 1997, the appellant filed a pro se motion entitled "Motion to Allow Credit for Jail Time." In that motion the appellant alleged that he was entitled to jail time credit of 193 days, but was awarded only 150 days. He requested that his sentence be corrected to reflect the amount of jail time credit to which he claimed entitlement.
The trial court treated the appellant's motion as a motion filed under Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.800(b) and denied the motion as untimely. We affirm for the reasons set forth below.
The 1996 Florida legislature enacted the "Criminal Appeal Reform Act of 1996," effective July 1,1996. The Act amended portions of chapter 924, Florida Statutes (1995), which are reflected in chapter 924, Florida Statutes (Supp.1996). That chapter deals with ap peals and collateral review in criminal cases. The amendments place severe restrictions on a criminal defendant's opportunities for direct and collateral review of alleged errors at the trial court level.
Section 924.051(3) provides that a judgment or sentence may be reversed on appeal only when an appellate court determines that prejudicial error occurred and was properly preserved in the trial court or, if not properly preserved, would constitute fundamental error. Under section 924.051(1)(b) "preserved" means that an issue, legal argument, or objection to evidence was timely raised before, and ruled on by, the trial court, and that the issue, legal argument, or objection to evidence was sufficiently precise that it fairly apprised the trial court of the relief sought and the grounds therefor. Section 924.051(5) provides that collateral relief is not available on grounds that were or could have been raised at trial and, if properly preserved, on direct appeal of the conviction and sentence.
In response to the Criminal Appeal Reform Act of 1996, the Florida Supreme Court substantially rewrote Florida Rule of Appellate Procedure 9.140 dealing with appeal proceedings in criminal cases. Amendments to the Florida Rules of Appellate Procedure, 696 So.2d 1103 (Fla.1996). Previously, it had adopted amendments to. Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.800 and Florida Rule of Appellate Procedure 9.020(g), effective July 1, 1996. A new paragraph (b) was added to Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.800 to provide that a defendant may file a motion to correct the sentence or order of probation within ten days after the rendition of the sentence. Florida Rule of Appellate Procedure 9.020(g) was amended to provide that a final order shall not be deemed rendered until the disposition of a motion to correct a sentence or order of probation. In the words of the court, "[t]he purpose of these amendments is to ensure that a defendant will have the opportunity to raise sentencing errors on appeal." Amendments to Florida Rule of Appellate Procedure 9.020(g) and Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.800, 675 So.2d 1374, 1375 (Fla.1996). Subsequently the court amended rule 3.800(b) further by increasing the time for filing a motion from ten days to thirty days. Also, Florida Rule of Appellate Procedure 9.020(g) was changed to 9.020(h).
Section 924.051(8) states:
It is the intent of the Legislature that all terms and conditions of direct appeal and collateral review be strictly enforced, including the application of procedural bars, to ensure that all claims of error are raised and resolved at the first opportunity. It is also the Legislature's intent that all procedural bars to direct appeal and collateral review be fully enforced by the courts of this state.
As a result of these legislative enactments and amendments to the rules, a criminal defendant has only one avenue for correction of a nonfundamental sentencing error after the entry of a judgment and sentence. That avenue is the filing of a motion under rule 3.800(b). Such a motion gives a criminal defendant the opportunity to preserve an alleged sentencing error so that it can be reviewed on direct appeal.
Thus, failure to file a timely motion under rule 3.800(b) forecloses direct or collateral review of an alleged sentencing error that is not fundamental. This is the conclusion reached by other district courts of appeal in cases involving direct appeals. See Hunter v. State, 700 So.2d 728 (Fla. 5th DCA 1997) (Harris, J., dissenting) (sentence to term greater than the balance of a true split sentence and exceeding a one-cell bump); Callins v. State, 698 So.2d 883 (Fla. 4th DCA 1997) (incorrect guidelines scoresheet; illegal habitualization); Neal v. State, 688 So.2d 392 (Fla. 1st DCA), review denied, 698 So.2d 543 (Fla.1997) (upward departure for which no reasons given); Middleton v. State, 689 So.2d 304 (Fla. 1st DCA 1997) (habitualization on two counts of possession of cocaine). In all of these cases, direct review of the alleged sentencing errors was denied because of failure to file a timely motion under rule 3.800(b).
The case before us requires the same result. The trial court summarily denied the appellant's motion for additional jail time credit because it was not timely filed under rule 3.800(b). The trial court's ruling was correct; the appellant is not entitled to direct or collateral relief to remedy his alleged sentencing errors.
While we appreciate the concerns expressed by the concurrence if rule 3.800(b) is the only method to rectify an issue of jail time credit, we are convinced that the rules adopted by the legislature in section 924.051 require the conclusion that rule 3.800(b) must be used in order to preserve such errors for direct review. Furthermore, it is clear to us that collateral review is not available because sentencing errors may be raised on direct appeal by utilization of rule 3.800(b).
Affirmed.
PARKER, C.J., concurs.
ALTENBERND, J., concurs specially.