Case Name: Gregory M. HOPEWELL, Appellant, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee
Court: Florida District Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 1996-09-25
Citations: 680 So. 2d 600
Docket Number: No. 95-04954
Parties: Gregory M. HOPEWELL, Appellant, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee.
Judges: FRANK, A.C.J., and PARKER and FULMER, JJ., concur.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 680
Pages: 600–600

Head Matter:
Gregory M. HOPEWELL, Appellant, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee.
No. 95-04954.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, Second District.
Sept. 25, 1996.
Douglas L. Grose of Douglas L. Grose, P.A., Tampa, for Appellant.
Robert A. Butterworth, Attorney General, Tallahassee, and Ronald Napolitano, Assistant Attorney General, Tampa, for Appellee.

Opinion:
PER CURIAM.
The defendant appeals the revocation of his probation. He contends, and the state concedes, that the evidence presented was insufficient to establish that his probation violations were willful. We agree and reverse.
The state has the burden of proving by a preponderance of the evidence that probation violations are willful. Love v. State, 606 So.2d 755 (Fla. 2d DCA 1992). However, in this case, the state failed to call the defendant's probation officer or introduce any evidence to satisfy this burden. The only evidence presented was the defendant's sworn testimony that he did not intentionally violate his probation. Because the greater weight of the evidence does not support a finding that the defendant's actions were willful, we believe that the trial court abused its discretion in revoking the defendant's probation. See, e.g., Cason v. State, 623 So.2d 824 (Fla. 2d DCA 1993); Davidson v. State, 419 So.2d 728 (Fla. 2d DCA 1982).
Accordingly, we reverse the order of revocation and remand for reinstatement of probation.
Reversed and remanded.
FRANK, A.C.J., and PARKER and FULMER, JJ., concur.