Case Name: STATE of Florida, Appellant, v. James O. HUGHES, Jr., Appellee
Court: Florida District Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 1995-12-19
Citations: 677 So. 2d 852
Docket Number: No. 95-1198
Parties: STATE of Florida, Appellant, v. James O. HUGHES, Jr., Appellee.
Judges: MINER, WOLF and VAN NORTWICK, JJ., concur.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 677
Pages: 852–852

Head Matter:
STATE of Florida, Appellant, v. James O. HUGHES, Jr., Appellee.
No. 95-1198.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, First District.
Dec. 19, 1995.
Robert A. Butterworth, Attorney General; Douglas Gurnie, Assistant Attorney General, Tallahassee, for appellant.
David C. Sutton of Sutton & Ellis, P.A., Pensacola, for appellee.

Opinion:
PER CURIAM.
The trial court sentenced the appellee to 5.375 years in prison, which term represented the minimum guideline sentence. On ap-pellee's motion for modification of sentence, the trial court suspended the entire term. According to the trial court, "suspension [did] not take it outside of the guidelines sentence. It remains a guideline sentence."
On appeal, the state asserts that this constituted a downward departure without written reasons, and that the trial court should be required to impose a guidelines sentence on remand. The appellee correctly concedes that the sentence must be reversed. See Fraser v. State, 602 So.2d 1299 (Fla.1992); Salemi v. State, 636 So.2d 824 (Fla. 2d DCA 1994). However, the appellee argues that the trial court should be permitted to impose a departure sentence upon remand since the court was unaware it was imposing a departure sentence.
Where, as here, the record indicates that the trial court was not aware that a departure sentence had been imposed, the court may consider whether a departure sentence is appropriate on remand, and if so, the court must set forth valid reasons for the departure. Nelson v. State, 650 So.2d 1085 (Fla. 1st DCA 1995).
Accordingly, this cause is reversed and remanded for resentencing.
MINER, WOLF and VAN NORTWICK, JJ., concur.