Case Name: Carlos GARCIA, Appellant, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee
Court: Florida District Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 2000-10-04
Citations: 769 So. 2d 449
Docket Number: Nos. 4D99-2065, 4D99-2067
Parties: Carlos GARCIA, Appellant, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee.
Judges: GROSS and HAZOURI, JJ., concur.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 769
Pages: 449–449

Head Matter:
Carlos GARCIA, Appellant, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee.
Nos. 4D99-2065, 4D99-2067.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, Fourth District.
Oct. 4, 2000.
Richard L. Jorandby, Public Defender, and Gary Caldwell, Assistant Public Defender, West Palm Beach, for appellant.
Robert A. Butterworth, Attorney General, Tallahassee, and Claudine M. LaF-rance, Assistant Attorney General, West Palm Beach, for appellee.

Opinion:
WARNER, C.J.
In challenging his convictions and sentences for sexual battery and simple battery as a lesser included offense of burglary with a battery, appellant raises two trial issues and challenges his dual convictions and sentences as a violation of double jeopardy. While we find no reversible error in the trial, we conclude that because there was one continuous offense in this case, and the battery was not separate from the sexual battery, double jeopardy prohibits the multiple convictions and punishments. See Pryor v. State, 755 So.2d 155 (Fla. 4th DCA 2000). In the instant case, while the state argues that the appellant pushed the victim to the bed, which could be classified as a battery, that act was an integral part of the sexual battery, since it prevented the victim from escaping and facilitated the subsequent act. Cf. Saavedra v. State, 576 So.2d 953 (Fla. 1st DCA 1991); Pulido v. State, 566 So.2d 1388, 1389 (Fla. 3d DCA 1990).
We therefore affirm the conviction and sentence for sexual battery and vacate the conviction and sentence for battery.
GROSS and HAZOURI, JJ., concur.