Case Name: Michael WHITE, a/k/a Michael Bethea, a/k/a Henri White, Appellant, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee
Court: Florida District Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 1992-12-14
Citations: 609 So. 2d 169
Docket Number: No. 91-1672
Parties: Michael WHITE, a/k/a Michael Bethea, a/k/a Henri White, Appellant, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee.
Judges: MINER and ALLEN, JJ., concur.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 609
Pages: 169–170

Head Matter:
Michael WHITE, a/k/a Michael Bethea, a/k/a Henri White, Appellant, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee.
No. 91-1672.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, First District.
Dec. 14, 1992.
Nancy A. Daniels, Public Defender, Carol Ann Turner, Asst. Public Defender, Tallahassee, for appellant.
Robert A. Butterworth, Atty. Gen., Carolyn J. Mosley, Asst. Atty. Gen., Tallahassee, for appellee.

Opinion:
SHIVERS, Judge.
Michael White appeals his judgment and sentence as a habitual offender. Of the issues raised, one has merit. We agree that this case must be remanded for the trial court to make specific findings regarding whether White's prior felonies were pardoned or set aside pursuant to subsections 775.084(1)(a)(3) and (4). See Anderson v. State, 592 So.2d 1119 (Fla. 1st DCA 1991); Jones v. State, 606 S.2d 709 (Fla. 1st DCA 1992). As in Anderson, we certify the following question to the supreme court as one of great public importance:
Does the holding in Eutsey v. State, 383 So.2d 219 (Fla.1980), that the state has no burden of proof as to whether the convictions necessary for habitual felony offender sentencing have been pardoned or set aside, in that they are 'affirmative defenses available to [a defendant]', relieve the trial court of its statutory obligation to make findings regarding those factors, if the defendant does not affirmatively raise, as a defense, that the qualifying convictions provided by the state have been pardoned or set aside?
REVERSED and REMANDED.
MINER and ALLEN, JJ., concur.