Case Name: Thomas Ray SPARKMAN, Appellant, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee
Court: Florida District Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 1987-06-02
Citations: 507 So. 2d 1188
Docket Number: No. BG-340
Parties: Thomas Ray SPARKMAN, Appellant, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee.
Judges: THOMPSON and NIMMONS, JJ., concur.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 507
Pages: 1188–1189

Head Matter:
Thomas Ray SPARKMAN, Appellant, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee.
No. BG-340.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, First District.
June 2, 1987.
Michael E. Allen, Public Defender, Kathleen Stover, Asst. Public Defender, for appellant.
Jim Smith, Atty. Gen., Kurt L. Barch, Asst. Atty. Gen., for appellee.

Opinion:
SHIVERS, Judge.
While incarcerated in the Bay County Jail on a charge of grand theft, appellant and a codefendant grabbed a correctional officer, locked him in a cell, and escaped. Appellant was subsequently charged with kidnapping and escape, to which he entered pleas of nolo contendere. On April 18, 1985, he was sentenced to consecutive 12-year terms of imprisonment on each count. The presumptive guideline sentence was 9-12 years.
We find two bases for reversal. First, it appears from the record that the trial court was under the impression that appellant's escape sentence was required to be consecutive to both his former sentence for grand theft and the kidnapping sentence. Although section 944.40, Florida Statutes, mandates that any punishment of imprisonment imposed for escape run consecutive to a former sentence, it was within the court's discretion to impose the escape sentence either consecutively or concurrently to the kidnapping sentence. Jordan v. State, 505 So.2d 2 (Fla. 1st DCA, 1986). Second, although the total sentence imposed in this case for both offenses exceeded the total guideline sentence of 12 years, no written reasons for departure were given, as required by Rule 3.701(d)(12), Fla.R.Crim.P.
Therefore, we reverse the sentence and remand for resentencing in accordance with this opinion.
REVERSED and REMANDED.
THOMPSON and NIMMONS, JJ., concur.