Case Name: Oliver THAMES, Appellant, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee
Court: Florida District Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 1984-07-25
Citations: 454 So. 2d 1061
Docket Number: No. AY-188
Parties: Oliver THAMES, Appellant, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee.
Judges: SMITH and JOANOS, JJ., concur.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 454
Pages: 1061–1066

Head Matter:
Oliver THAMES, Appellant, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee.
No. AY-188.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, First District.
July 25, 1984.
Rehearing Denied Sept. 5, 1984.
Oliver Thames, pro se.
Jim Smith, Atty. Gen., Tallahassee, for appellee.

Opinion:
ZEHMER, Judge.
Oliver Thames appeals from the trial court's order summarily denying his rule 3.850 motion. The order was entered by the trial court without explanation or attachment of supporting portions of the record. Appellant's motion alleged ineffective assistance of counsel because of defense counsel's failure to move for severance of the two counts against Thames, i.e., armed robbery and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Thames alleged that he was prejudiced by counsel's failure to make such motion for severance because the evidence of three prior felony convictions received at trial, although relevant to the possession of a firearm count, was irrelevant and highly prejudicial as to the armed robbery count.
According to rule 3.152, Florida Rules of Criminal Procedure, a defendant has an absolute right, upon timely motion, to have two or more offenses severed from a single information if the offenses are not based upon the same or connected acts or transactions. Puhl v. State, 426 So.2d 1226 (Fla. 4th DCA 1983). Additionally, rule 3.152 provides that the trial court shall grant a severance of two or more charges included in an information, even if such charges are properly joined, if the defendant proves that severance is appropriate to promote a fair determination of the defendant's guilt or innocence of each offense. The Florida Supreme Court has specifically held that a defendant is entitled to severance of properly joined counts where one count is possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and the other count is one in which evidence of prior felony convictions would be inadmissable under the facts of the particular case. State v. Vazquez, 419 So.2d 1088 (Fla.1982). The Court held that when two such counts are joined in a single information and evidence of prior felony convictions is admitted into evidence it is reversible error for the trial court to refuse to grant a severance based upon timely motion by the defendant.
We find that appellant's 3.850 motion is not legally insufficient on its face; accordingly, we reverse and remand to the trial court. If on remand the court finds, in light of rule 3.152 and Vazquez, supra, that the record in the case conclusively shows that the defendant is entitled to no relief and denies the motion, it must attach portions of the record supporting this conclusion. If the record does not conclusively show that defendant is entitled to no relief, then the court should hold an evidentiary hearing and make appropriate findings of fact and conclusions of law. The court's disposition of the motion on remand should be made in light of the criteria set forth in Armstrong v. State, 429 So.2d 287 (Fla.1983).
REVERSED and REMANDED.
SMITH and JOANOS, JJ., concur.
. Rule 3.850, Fla.R.Crim.P.