Opinion ID: 1702151
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Relevant Facts of L.B. and Bunkley

Text: Due process requires that the clarification of the common pocketknife exception in L.B. be applied in this case because there was no evidence that the pocketknife Bunkley possessed was in any way related to his offense of burglary. The material facts of L.B. match the facts relied upon first by the Second District in Bunkley's postconviction appeal, then by this Court in Bunkley I, and finally by the United States Supreme Court in Bunkley II. Each defendant carried in the folded position a common pocketknife with a blade of less than four inches in length. See Bunkley I, 833 So.2d at 741; L.B., 700 So.2d at 373. We ordered the defendant in L.B. discharged on the weapon offense, while Bunkley remains imprisoned pursuant to the weapon enhancement to his burglary conviction under this Court's decisions in his case. Even with the addition of testimony describing Bunkley's knife as a buck knife now relied upon by the majority, the holding in L.B. remains applicable because, as reflected in the Second District opinion in that case, the knife in L.B. was also described as a buck knife. See 681 So.2d at 1180. [31] Although additional testimony indicated that Bunkley's knife had a locking blade and was a little bit larger than a natural pocketknife, its blade was shorter than the four-inch threshold established in L.B. for common pocketknives. [32] Further, Bunkley testified that his reason for having the knife was to cut roofing materials. Accordingly, under the facts relied upon by the majority in either our previous or current review of this case, Bunkley's knife, which was not described as having a hilt guard or notched handle, was a common pocketknife. Cf. J.D.L.R. v. State, 701 So.2d 626 (Fla. 3d DCA 1997) (holding that a knife with a 3-3/4 inch pointed blade, notched handle and large metal hilt guard was not a common pocketknife). Therefore, the clarification of the common pocketknife exception in section 790.001(13) in L.B. applies directly to Bunkley.