Title: Carlos Mandri v. State of Florida
Citation: N/A
Docket Number: SC00-2162
State: Florida
Issuer: Florida Supreme Court
Date: February 28, 2002

Supreme 
Court 
of 
Florida
 
____________
No. SC00-2162
____________
CARLOS MANDRI,
Petitioner,
vs.
STATE OF FLORIDA,
Respondent.
[February 28, 2002]
PER CURIAM.
We have for review Mandri v. State, 767 So. 2d 523 (Fla. 3d DCA 2000),
reh’g denied and question certified, 767 So. 2d at 524, in which the Third District
certified the following question as one of great public importance:
WHERE A TRIAL COURT FAILS TO FILE WRITTEN
REASONS IN SUPPORT OF A GUIDELINES DEPARTURE
SENTENCE BUT, THEREAFTER, IN RESPONSE TO A
FLORIDA RULE OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE 3.800(B)
MOTION FILED BY DEFENDANT, DOES FILE WRITTEN
REASONS JUSTIFYING THE DEPARTURE, IS DEFENDANT
ENTITLED TO A REVERSAL AND A REMAND FOR A
GUIDELINES SENTENCE, UNDER MADDOX V. STATE, 760 So.
2d 89 (Fla. 2000)?
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Mandri, 767 So. 2d at 524.  We have jurisdiction.  See art. V, § 3(b)(4), Fla. Const.
In Weiss v. State, 761 So. 2d 318, 319 (Fla. 2000), we approved the
application of the harmless error doctrine to nonfundamental sentencing error.  See
also Matchett v. State, 791 So. 2d 1087 (Fla. 2001).  In the case before us, the trial
court did not commit fundamental error, as the petitioner was not prejudiced in his
ability to challenge the trial court’s reasons for imposing the departure sentence on
direct appeal.  See Maddox v. State, 760 So. 2d 89, 108 (Fla. 2000).  Thus, the trial
court’s errors in filing the written reasons for departure were subject to harmless
error analysis.  See Weiss, 761 So. 2d at 319.  We therefore approve the Third
District’s decision and answer the certified question in the negative.
It is so ordered.
WELLS, C.J., and SHAW, HARDING, LEWIS, and QUINCE, JJ., concur.
ANSTEAD and PARIENTE, JJ., concur in result only.
NOT FINAL UNTIL TIME EXPIRES TO FILE REHEARING MOTION, AND
IF FILED, DETERMINED.
Application for Review of the Decision of the District Court of Appeal - Certified
Great Public Importance
Third District - Case No. 3D99-1367 
(Dade County)
Bennett H. Brummer, Public Defender, and Lisa Walsh, Assistant Public Defender,
-3-
Eleventh Judicial Circuit, Miami, Florida,
for Petitioner
Robert A. Butterworth, Attorney General, Michael J. Neimand, Bureau Chief, and
Paulette R. Taylor, Assistant Attorney General, Miami, Florida,
for Respondent