Title: State of Florida v. Kerry Betts (Corrected Opinion)
Citation: N/A
Docket Number: SC96-391
State: Florida
Issuer: Florida Supreme Court
Date: August 1, 2000

Supreme 
Court 
of 
Florida
  
____________
No. SC96391
____________
STATE OF FLORIDA,
Petitioner,
vs.
KERRY BETTS,
Respondent.
[June 29, 2000]
CORRECTED OPINION
PER CURIAM.
We have for review the decision in State v. Betts, 743 So. 2d 554 (Fla. 2d
DCA 1999), in which the district court affirmed the lower court’s sentencing
decision based upon State v. Cotton, 728 So. 2d 251 (Fla. 2d DCA 1998)(holding
that the trial court has discretion to determine whether a defendant should be
sentenced as a Prison Releasee Reoffender under the Prison Releasee Reoffender
Act).  In so doing, the Second District certified conflict with Woods v. State, 740
So. 2d 20 (Fla. 1st DCA 1999) and McKnight v. State, 727 So. 2d 314 (Fla. 3d
-2-
DCA 1999).   We have jurisdiction.  See V, § 3(b)(4), Fla. Const.
We recently quashed the Second District’s decision in Cotton, and approved
the First District's decision in Woods v. State, 740 So. 2d 20 (Fla. 1st DCA 1999),
holding that the Act, as properly interpreted by the First District, does not violate
separation of powers, and rejecting other constitutional challenges to the Act.  See
State v. Cotton, Nos. SC94996 & SC95281 (Fla. June 15, 2000).  Accordingly, for
the reasons expressed in Cotton, we quash the Second District’s decision in this
case with directions to remand the cause to the trial court for proceedings
consistent with our opinion in Cotton.
It is so ordered.
HARDING, C.J., and SHAW, WELLS, ANSTEAD, PARIENTE and LEWIS, JJ.,
concur.
QUINCE, J., dissents with an opinion.
NOT FINAL UNTIL TIME EXPIRES TO FILE REHEARING MOTION, AND
IF FILED, DETERMINED.
QUINCE, J., dissenting.
I dissent for the reasons stated in my dissent in State v. Cotton, Nos.
SC94996 & SC95281 (Fla. June 15, 2000).
Application for Review of the Decision of the District Court of Appeal - Certified
Direct Conflict of Decisions
-3-
Second District - Case No. 2D98-02575
(Pinellas County)
Robert A. Butterworth, Attorney General, Robert J. Krauss, Senior Assistant
Attorney General, Chief of Criminal Law, and Wendy Buffington, Assistant
Attorney General, Tampa, Florida,
for Petitioner
Larry D. Combs of Combs & Walker, Sarasota, Florida,
for Respondent