Florida Criminal Procedure (Me) Flashcards
What is a noncriminal violation?
Offenses punishable by no more than a fine, forfeiture or other civil penalty. Most traffic violations are noncriminal, but some may be misdemeanors or felonies.
What is a felony?
any criminal offense punishable by death or imprisonment in a state correctional facility for more than 1 year.
What is a misdemeanor?
Any criminal offense punishable by imprisonment in a county correctional facility for not more than one year. violation of county or municipal ordinances are not misdemeanors even if punishable by imprisonment in a county facility.
What is the jurisdiction of the County Court?
- misdemeanors (except those joined with felonies).
- violations of county and municipal ordinances
- first appearance proceedings.
What is the jurisdiction of the circuit court?
cases not triable in county court, including:
- felonies
- misdemeanors joined with felonies
- juvenile cases
- extraordinary writs
What is the appellate jurisdiction of the circuit courts?
Appeals from criminal cases tried in county court, except those heard directly by supreme court
What is the appellate jurisdiction of the District Court of Appeals?
Appeals as of right form circuit court judgments and sentences.
What is the appellate jurisdiction of the Supreme Court of Florida?
- death penalty cases
- cases from lower courts initially construing the validity of a state or federal statute, treaty or constitutional provision
- district court decisions conflicting with other district court or supreme court decisions
- extraordinary writs
- questions certified by the district courts
What is the right to counsel in criminal cases in Florida?
State must offer to provide counsel for indigent or partially indigent persons in cases where conviction is punishable by incarceration. Juveniles cases and one appeal also included.
No provision of counsel necessary if offense not a felony and judge agrees at least 15 days in advance that D will not be incarcerated.
Can a D waive her right to counsel in Florida?
Yes. Must be waived:
- knowingly;
- intelligently; and
- voluntarily.
D must also be mentally competent to conduct trial proceedings.
Waiver must be made in court on the record or out of court in writing before 2 witnesses.
Counsel must be offerred again at each subsequent stage of proceedings.
Can defense counsel withdraw from representation?
No, not without approval of the court for good cause.
What are minimum standards for attorneys in felony cases?
Before an attorney can be counsel of record for any adult felony case, the attorney must complete a course approved by the Florida Bar covering the legal and ethical obligations of discovery in a criminal case.
What are minimum standards for attorneys in capital cases?
Lead counsel must have at least 5 years’ experience in criminal litigation, have tried as lead counsel at least 9 complex cases, have experience in using expert witnesses, and have attended at least 12 hours of CLE programs dealing with the defense of capital cases.
How can a D be compelled to appear in court?
- arrest warrant (judge)
- summons for a misdemeanor (court clerk)
- capias (bench warrant (judge)
- notice to appear (arresting officer of booking officer), unless
- accused fails to identify himself or sign the notice to appear
- officer reasonably believes the accused’s liberty presents an unreasonable risk of harm to himself or others; or
- the accused is a flight risk, has previously failed to appear or is supsected of being wanted for another crime.
4.
What are the duties of the booking officer?
- advise accused of right to counsel
- may release accused on notice to appear, if after investigation, determines that accused will likely appear as required.
- consider length of residence in community, family ties, employment history, character, mental condition, past convictions, and history of appearance at trial.
When must the first appearance of the accused occur?
Within 24 hours if the accused is not released. State attorney and public defender (if no private counsel) must be given notice and attend. Judicial officer must advise of charges and right to remain silent, right to have assistance of counsel and to communicate with counsel, family and friends.
If don’t meet 24 hour requirement, D must be released, but does not bar prosection or affect admissibility of a lawfully obtained confession, where no evidence that delay induced confession.
What is a pretrial release?
A D may be released on recognizance, on monetary bond, into the custody of a supervisory person or organization, under restrictions as to travel, associations or residence, or on other conditions necesary to ensure appearance. Nonmonetary conditions favored.
Accused entitled to pre trial release except where offense is punishable by life imprisonment or death and proof of guilt evident or presumption of guilt great, or where no condition of release can assure D’s appearance and community safety.
Special showings required for release to pretrial release service if D charged with dangerous crime.
What is pretrial detention?
A court may order pretrial detention if it finds that D poses a threat of harm to community, has previously violated conditions on release or parole, and no condition of release will reasonably assure the D’s appearance at subsequent proceedings.
State will move for pretrial detention when above statutory criteria are met.
At detention hearing, D entitled to counsel and may present and cross examine witnesses. Detention order may not be based solely on hearsay. Exclusionary rule applies, and D’s testimony may not be used substantively against him at tril. Pretrial detention orders are appealable.
What is a probable cause determination?
Persons in custody or under signficant restraints on their liberty are entitled to a neutral magistrate’s determination of probably cause. If a person was arrest pursuant to valid warrant, no futher determination required.
Must be made within 48 hours of arrest (2 24 hours extensions available for good cause).
Person not in custody may file within 21 days of arrest a motion for probably cause determination if her liberty is significantly restrained. Magistrate must make determination within 7 days of motion.
If probably cause not found or no hearing is held, D released on recognizance, but prosecution not barred.
What is an adversary preliminary hearing?
A felony D not charged within 21 days of arrest has a right to an adversary preliminary hearing to determine whether probably cause exists to support the felony charges.
- Witnesses may be summoned and examined.
- Statements by D may be used against him.
- If probable cause found, D is held to answer charges.
- If probable cuase not found, D is realeased unless an information or indictment has been filed, in which case D is released on recognizance.
How long can D be held in custody without being formally charged?
- If D remains in custody and is not charged by information or indictment within 30 days of arrest, he must be released by the 33rd day, unless good cause is shown why a charge has not been filed, in which case he must be released by 40th day unless formal charges are filed.
What is an indictment?
Any crime may be, and all capital crimes must be, prosecuted by an indicment returned by a grand jury.
- must allege the essential facts of the offense and recite the law violated.
- must include name, race, gender, and birth date
- must state prosecution brought in the name and by the authority of the state of Florida.
- no account of an indictment or information will be dismissed unless it is so vague and indefinite as to mislead the D or expose him after conviction or acquittal to a substantial danger of a new prosecution for the same offense.
- formal defects may be amended on motion any time before trial.
- D has right to copy of instrument at least 24 hours before required to plead and may move for statement of particulars.
- Any error cause by failure to provide a copy is cured by D’s entering a plea.
What is an information?
The state attorneys’ office may prosecute any noncapital crime by filing an information.
Misdemeanors and ordinance violations may be prosecuted in county court by information.
- must allege the essential facts of the offense and recite the law violated.
- must include name, race, gender, and birth date
- must state prosecution brought in the name and by the authority of the state of Florida.
- no account of an indictment or information will be dismissed unless it is so vague and indefinite as to mislead the D or expose him after conviction or acquittal to a substantial danger of a new prosecution for the same offense.
- formal defects may be amended on motion any time before trial.
- D has right to copy of instrument at least 24 hours before required to plead and may move for statement of particulars.
- Any error cause by failure to provide a copy is cured by D’s entering a plea.
What is a capital crime?
A crime that carries the possibility of a death sentence.
e.g., murder, treason, espionage, and terrorism.
FL: murder, capital drug trafficking, armed kidnapping and some felony crimes when there are death or sexual components to the felony charge.