Case Name: Bret Robert LOUDEN, Appellant, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee
Court: Florida District Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 2010-12-29
Citations: 49 So. 3d 868
Docket Number: No. 4D09-3153
Parties: Bret Robert LOUDEN, Appellant, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee.
Judges: GROSS, C.J., STEVENSON and TAYLOR, JJ., concur.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Third Series
Volume: 49
Pages: 868–869

Head Matter:
Bret Robert LOUDEN, Appellant, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee.
No. 4D09-3153.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, Fourth District.
Dec. 29, 2010.
Carey Haughwout, Public Defender, and Anthony Calvello, Assistant Public Defender, West Palm Beach, for appellant.
Bill McCollum, Attorney General, Tallahassee, and Myra J. Fried, Assistant Attorney General, West Palm Beach, for ap-pellee.

Opinion:
PER CURIAM.
Appellant entered a no contest plea to fleeing and eluding a law enforcement officer; willful, wanton reckless driving; resisting arrest without violence; and driving while his license was suspended or revoked. Subsequently, before sentencing, he retained new counsel and filed a written motion to withdraw his plea. He alleged that his prior counsel misstated the law, the possible sentence to be imposed, and- possible defenses to the various charges, and that his plea was the result of "fear, misapprehension, persuasion, promises, inadvertence or ignorance."
Without ruling on appellant's motion to withdraw his plea, the trial court proceeded to sentencing, over appellant's objection. We reverse appellant's judgment of convictions and sentences, because the trial court reversibly erred by failing to rule on appellant's written motion to withdraw his no contest plea before sentencing. On remand, the trial court shall conduct further proceedings and rule on appellant's motion to withdraw his no contest plea.
Reversed and Remanded.
GROSS, C.J., STEVENSON and TAYLOR, JJ., concur.