Court Opinion

ID: 9902514
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-11-27 15:18:12.833223+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:21:52.716982
License: Public Domain

FIFTH DISTRICT COURT OF APPEAL
                STATE OF FLORIDA
                 _____________________________

                       Case No. 5D23-61
           LT Case No. 16-2017-CF-006971-AXXX-MA
                _____________________________

MATTHEW SYVERSON,

    Appellant,

    v.

STATE OF FLORIDA,

    Appellee.
                 _____________________________

On appeal from the Circuit Court for Duval County.
Tatiana Salvador, Judge.

Jessica J. Yeary, Public Defender, and Megan Long, Assistant
Public Defender, Tallahassee, for Appellant.

Ashley Moody, Attorney General, Tallahassee, and Kristie Regan,
Assistant Attorney General, Tallahassee, for Appellee.

                        October 27, 2023

EDWARDS, C.J.

      For crimes committed while he was already on probation,
Matthew Syverson entered guilty pleas to second-degree murder
with a weapon, armed robbery, armed burglary with assault or
battery, first-degree arson, and tampering with evidence. On
January 31, 2022, the trial court entered a judgment of guilty and
sentenced him to life in prison on each count of murder, armed
robbery, and armed burglary, and five years in prison, concurrent,
on each count of arson and tampering with evidence. 1 Syverson
was represented by counsel during the plea and sentencing.

      One week later, on February 7, 2022, Syverson filed a pro se
notice of appeal. Ten days after filing his notice of appeal,
February 17, 2022, he filed a pro se motion to withdraw his guilty
plea. On March 15, 2022, the trial court entered an order
summarily denying Syverson’s motion to withdraw his plea. On
April 5, 2022, Syverson’s counsel filed an amended notice of appeal
noting that it was an appeal of the January 31, 2022 judgment and
sentence; no other order was mentioned in the notice of appeal.

       Because Syverson pled guilty without an express reservation
of the right to appeal a legally dispositive issue, he has no right to
a direct appeal. See § 924.06(3), Fla. Stat. (2022). Accordingly, we
affirm the underlying judgment and sentence. See Schaefer v.
State, 343 So. 3d 1216, 1217 (Fla. 5th DCA 2022) (citing Leonard
v. State, 760 So. 2d 114, 119 (Fla. 2000)).

       In his brief, filed by counsel, Syverson argues that the trial
court erred in denying his motion to withdraw plea without
holding an evidentiary hearing. Indeed, the only arguments
advanced on appeal by Syverson concern the order denying his
motion to withdraw his plea. The State’s brief argues in support
of the trial court’s order denying the motion to withdraw plea.
However, both sides overlooked the fact that the trial court lacked
jurisdiction to rule on the motion to withdraw plea which was filed
after the notice of appeal had been filed. 2 “When a defendant files
a [pro se] notice of appeal following the entry of a final judgment

    1 The same day, the   trial court revoked his probation in a
different case and sentenced him to fifteen years in prison on the
charges for which he was on probation. That case is not before this
Court.
    2 The sequence of filings in this case does not constitutea
premature appeal which should be held in abeyance. See Fla. R.
App. P. 9.020(h)(2)(C) (concerning cases in which the motion to
withdraw plea is filed before the notice of appeal).

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and sentence, whether ultimately determined to be effectual or
not, the trial court is divested of jurisdiction [to consider the
motion to withdraw plea].” Carroll v. State, 266 So. 3d 1270, 1272
(Fla. 5th DCA 2019). Both the motion to withdraw plea and the
order denying the motion are nullities and should be stricken. See
Payet v. State, 357 So. 3d 172, 173 (Fla. 5th DCA 2022). We decline
to consider Syverson’s arguments directed to the denial of his
motion to withdraw plea.

      Accordingly, we affirm the judgment and sentences, dismiss
the appeal as to the order denying motion to withdraw plea, and
remand for entry of an order striking the motion to withdraw plea
and the order denying that motion. As this Court has previously
advised other defendants in this situation, Syverson may still file
a motion for postconviction relief pursuant to Florida Rule of
Criminal Procedure 3.850, if he can do so in good faith. 3

    AFFIRMED and REMANDED.

JAY and MACIVER, JJ., concur.

                 _____________________________

    Not final until disposition of any timely and
    authorized motion under Fla. R. App. P. 9.330 or
    9.331.
               _____________________________

    3 Payet, 357 So. 3d at 173; Schaefer, 342 So. 3d at 1218;
Carroll, 266 So. 3d at 1272.

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