Opinion ID: 1644833
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Violation of Section 922.06(2), Florida Statutes

Text: Next, Tompkins argues that Governor Crist's action on October 2, 2008, in resetting his execution, violated section 922.06(2), Florida Statutes. [11] Specifically, Tompkins alleges that Governor Bush was required to reschedule his execution within ten days of the lifting of the stay of execution after this Court's decision in Tompkins IV became final, and therefore Governor Crist lacked the authority to reset the execution in October 2008. We conclude that the trial court did not err in summarily denying this claim. First, the claim is procedurally barred as untimely. This Court recently reiterated in Hunter v. State, 33 Fla. L. Weekly S721, S724, ___ So.2d ___, ___, 2008 WL 4348485 (Fla. Sept. 25, 2008): Rule 3.851 requires motions filed beyond the time limitations to specifically allege that the facts on which the claim is predicated were unknown or could not have been ascertained by the exercise of due diligence. Fla. R.Crim. P. 3.851(d)(2)(A). Furthermore, the rule requires successive motions to articulate the reasons why a claim was not raised previously and why the evidence used in support of the claim was not previously available. Fla. R.Crim. P. 3.851(e)(2)(B), (e)(2)(C)(iv). Tompkins failed in his fifth successive postconviction motion to explain why he could not have raised this claim in 2004, when Tompkins IV became final and the Governor failed to reschedule the execution date within ten days. [12] Tompkins attempts to circumvent the argument that he failed to raise this claim in a timely manner by arguing that he was under no obligation to make this claim until the Governor actually reset his execution in October 2008. Tompkins's argument concerning an excuse for his delay fails because he did not adequately assert it in the trial court. See Green v. State, 975 So.2d 1090, 1104 (Fla.2008) (finding a claim procedurally barred because it was neither raised in Green's 3.851 motion nor addressed by the trial court). Second, even if Tompkins had raised this argument in the trial court, there is no authority that supports a claim that section 922.06(2) either explicitly or implicitly provides criminal defendants with any enforceable rights and, specifically, a right to a speedy execution. Further, shortly after Tompkins IV became final, Tompkins filed his third postconviction motion, the summary denial of which was not affirmed by this Court until 2007 in Tompkins VI. Accordingly, the trial court did not err in summarily denying Tompkins's claim that Governor Crist violated section 922.06(2) in resetting his execution.