Opinion ID: 460229
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Constitutionality of Fla.Stat. Sec. 713.34(3)

Text: 20 Appellant also challenges the constitutionality of Fla.Stat. Sec. 713.34(3), both as applied to him and on its face. A statute that relieves the State of the affirmative burden of proving one of the elements of an offense is analyzed in accordance with the same principles as the jury instructions that are based on that statute. See Mullaney v. Wilbur, 421 U.S. 684, 95 S.Ct. 1881, 44 L.Ed.2d 508 (1975). 21 The Florida Supreme Court has held that Fla.Stat. Sec. 713.34(3) creates a permissive inference, and not a mandatory rebuttable presumption. Farrari, 398 So.2d 804. Normally, a state supreme court is the ultimate expositor of state law. Mullaney, 421 U.S. at 691, 95 S.Ct. at 1886. However, when a court determines whether a statute creates a mandatory rebuttable presumption or a permissive inference, the court is directly deciding the question of whether that statute comports with federal constitutional requirements. The determination of the type of presumption a state statute creates is thus a federal question subject to review by federal courts. We note that to hold otherwise would create the anomalous situation where a statute is held to be constitutional, although jury instructions that are merely a verbatim rendition of the statute are held to be unconstitutional. 22 For the reasons discussed in the first part of this opinion, we conclude that Fla.Stat. Sec. 713.34(3) creates a mandatory rebuttable presumption. We therefore hold that Fla.Stat. Sec. 713.34(3) is unconstitutional both on its face and as applied to the defendant in the present case. See Francis, 105 S.Ct. at 1973. 23 The order of the district court denying appellant's Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus is REVERSED.