Opinion ID: 1920315
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: facts

Text: This case involves the payment of attorney's fees to a registry attorney in excess of the amounts provided for by statute. John D. Freeman, a prisoner under a sentence of death, appealed to this Court the trial court's denial of his motion for postconviction relief. After briefing and oral argument on the appeal by another lawyer, the trial court appointed attorney Frank J. Tassone (Tassone) to represent Freeman. Ten days after this Court affirmed the trial court's denial of postconviction relief, Tassone filed a motion for extension of time to file a motion for rehearing. A motion for rehearing was filed, arguing in substantial part that Freeman was entitled to relief based on Ring v. Arizona, 536 U.S. 584, 122 S.Ct. 2428, 153 L.Ed.2d 556 (2002). We denied the motion for rehearing, and thereafter Tassone filed a petition for writ of certiorari in the United States Supreme Court based on the Ring issue he raised in Freeman's motion for rehearing. The petition for writ of certiorari was denied. After certiorari relief was denied, Tassone filed a motion in the circuit court for attorney's fees and miscellaneous expenses pursuant to section 27.711, Florida Statutes (2005). The motion sought fees and costs for work performed and expenses incurred on and after November 12, 2003; that is, for work on the petition for writ of certiorari. Tassone sought a total of $27,940.74 in fees and costs. The Department argued that the amount requested was unreasonable and should be limited to the statutory amount of $2,500 plus applicable costs. See § 27.711(4)(g), Fla. Stat. (2005). Tassone argued that because he became involved in Freeman's case after the postconviction motion was denied, he did not have a working knowledge of the case, and therefore had to review forty boxes of record in order to adequately represent Freeman. The trial court granted Tassone's motion and ordered the Department to pay the fees and costs. The Department filed this appeal, alleging that the circuit court departed from the essential requirements of law by refusing to apply the maximum fee limit prescribed by the statute.