Case Name: Cedric THOMPSON, Appellant, v. The STATE of Florida, Appellee
Court: Florida District Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 2003-11-26
Citations: 859 So. 2d 1276
Docket Number: No. 3D03-1616
Parties: Cedric THOMPSON, Appellant, v. The STATE of Florida, Appellee.
Judges: Before COPE, GODERICH and SHEVIN, JJ.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 859
Pages: 1276–1276

Head Matter:
Cedric THOMPSON, Appellant, v. The STATE of Florida, Appellee.
No. 3D03-1616.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, Third District.
Nov. 26, 2003.
Cedric Lemar Thompson, in proper person.
Charles J. Crist, Jr., Attorney General, and Jill K. Traína, Assistant Attorney General, for appellee.
Before COPE, GODERICH and SHEVIN, JJ.

Opinion:
SHEVIN, Judge.
We reverse the order summarily denying defendant's motion for post-conviction relief based on ineffective assistance of trial counsel. The court erred in concluding that the motion was untimely, as it was filed within two years of the conviction becoming final. Fla. R.Crim. P. 3.850. Additionally, the motion was improperly denied on grounds that the claims asserted by defendant were or could have been raised on direct appeal. Ineffective assistance of trial counsel claims are properly raised in post-conviction relief motions, not direct appeals. Fla. R.Crim. P. 3.850; Robinson v. State, 637 So.2d 998 (Fla. 1st DCA 1994). Moreover, although the state, on appeal, addresses the merits of the defendant's claims, those claims appear facially sufficient and must be considered by the trial court on remand. On remand, the court may attach to its order those portions of the record which conclusively show that the movant is not entitled to relief, see Fla. R.Crim. P. 3.850(d), or, alternatively, must conduct an evidentiary hearing.
Reversed and remanded.