IVORY FERRELL, PETITIONER,
v.
RANDALL R. MUSIC, SUPERINTENDENT GLADES CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION, AND JIM SMITH, ATTORNEY GENERAL, STATE OF FLORIDA, RESPONDENTS

Fla. 4th DCA | 1985-11-06
No. 85-1682
WALDEN and BARKETT, JJ., concur.
484 So. 2d 595 Florida District Court of Appeal, Fourth District (1985) Positive Treatment
Cited by 14 cases

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Synopsis

A prisoner petitioned for a writ of habeas corpus to belatedly appeal the denial of his post-conviction relief motion, claiming he did not receive the trial court's order for seven months due to a mailing delay. The Florida District Court of Appeal granted the petition, finding that the lack of a proper certificate of service and the delayed receipt of the order prevented the prisoner from timely appealing within the required thirty-day period.


Holding

The court granted the petition for writ of habeas corpus. The court held that a prisoner who did not timely receive notice of the denial of his post-conviction relief motion, and thus could not timely appeal within thirty days, should be granted relief to pursue a belated appeal. The lack of a proper dated certificate of service corroborates the petitioner's allegation of delayed receipt.


Headnotes

[1] A writ of habeas corpus may be used to belatedly appeal a trial court's denial of post-conviction relief when the state fails to afford the petitioner the necessary incid…

[2] A prisoner who receives a copy of an order denying post-conviction relief seven months after its rendition cannot timely appeal that denial.

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Key Quotes

“It is obvious here that petitioner could not timely appeal the denial of his post-conviction relief motion if he received a copy of the order seven months after rendition.”

Establishes the core logic supporting the grant of habeas relief—the delayed receipt made timely appeal impossible.

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Facts & Procedural History

Petitioner Ferrell was sentenced on September 13, 1984, to a twelve-year term with a three-year mandatory minimum for robbery pursuant to a plea barga…

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Opinion of the Court
GLICKSTEIN, Judge.

GLICKSTEIN, Judge.

This is a prisoner’s petition for writ of habeas corpus whose object is to appeal belatedly the trial court’s denial of his post-conviction relief motion. The Florida Supreme Court has recognized the use of such writ in cases where the state has failed to afford the petitioner the necessary incidents of an appeal. Baggett v. Wainwright, 229 So. 2d 239 (Fla.1969). We grant the petition.

Petitioner was charged with robbery, and is currently serving a twelve year term, with a three year mandatory minimum, because of a sentence rendered September 13, 1984, upon a plea bargain. Petitioner sought post-conviction relief pursuant to Rule 3.850, Florida Rules of Criminal Procedure, on a theory of ineffective assistance of counsel and involuntary plea of guilty. His motion was denied January 2, 1985, but petitioner claims he did not receive the order denying his motion until July 9, 1985. He submits an affidavit to this effect, and a copy of the envelope, bearing a July 9, 1985, postmark, in which the copy of the order allegedly was mailed. Respondents, the attorney general and the superintendent of the Glades Correctional Institution, where petition is confined, say they do not know when the order was mailed because there is no record of the mailing. Their response proceeds to argue the merits of the appeal, rather than the grounds for the petition.

The issue is whether petitioner, who belatedly received a copy of the order denying his motion for post-conviction relief, should be granted his petition for writ of habeas corpus for the purpose of belatedly appealing the motion denial. We conclude he should.

Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.850 provides that a denial of a motion for post-conviction relief may be appealed in the manner in which a final judgment on a habeas petition would be appealed. The rule also requires all orders denying such motions to inform the movant of his right to appeal within thirty days of the order's rendition. The prisoner is to be promptly served with a copy of the order, and a dated certificate of service is also required.

It is obvious here that petitioner could not timely appeal the denial of his post-conviction relief motion if he received a copy of the order seven months after rendition. Lack of an appropriate certificate of service with the date of service shown thereon should in our view, be taken to corroborate petitioner’s allegation and sworn affidavit.1

WALDEN and BARKETT, JJ., concur. . In his motion to strike portions of the state’s response, petitioner states he did not intend to incorporate his appeal of the denial of his motion in his petition for writ of habeas corpus. Petitioner gives his arguments in support of his appeal, however, and the state gives its arguments in support of the denial of his 3.850 motion.

The order denying the motion is accompanied by a portion of the record which shows that the trial court had adequately checked whether the guilty plea was voluntary and intelligent and whether counsel had adequately advised the defendant. No evidentiary hearing is required when the motion and attached transcript conclusively show the movant is not entitled to relief. Likewise, petitioner is wrong in his contention he was entitled to appointed counsel for the rule 3.850 proceedings, as his motion does not on its face reflect a colorable or justiciable issue or a meritorious grievance. Graham v. State, 372 So. 2d 1363 (Fla.1979).


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Citator

Cited By

  • Jenkins v. State, 603 So. 2d 641 (Fla. 5th DCA 1992)
    …knowledge of all state affiliates and agents.1 The petition is granted and Jenkins is permitted to file a belated appeal.2 PETITION FOR WRIT OF HABEAS CORPUS FOR BELATED APPEAL GRANTED. COBB, COWART and GRIFFIN, JJ., concur. . Ferrell v. Music, 484 So. 2d 595 (Fla. 4th DCA 1985). . Jenkins also relied on the fact that the order denying relief did not contain the requisite notice that he had thirty days from the rendition date of the final order denying relief to appeal, citing Smith v. State, 582 So. 2d…
  • Anderson v. State, 539 So. 2d 1192 (Fla. 5th DCA 1989)
    …r than himself is to blame for not taking an appeal at the proper time. Cf. Brown v. State, 502 So. 2d 1006 (Fla. 5th DCA 1987) (3.850 appeal treated as timely because trial court failed to inform defendant of his right to appeal); Ferrell v. Music, 484 So. 2d 595 (Fla. 4th DCA 1985). PETITION DENIED. SHARP, C.J., ORFINGER and DANIEL, JJ., concur.…
  • Sherrod Everett v. Singletary, 603 So. 2d 117 (Fla. 4th DCA 1992)
    …with a copy of the order. The lack of an appropriate certificate of service with the date of service shown therein corroborates petitioner’s allegation. Accordingly, we agree that petitioner is [*118] entitled to a belated appeal. Ferrell v. Music, 484 So. 2d 595 (Fla. 4th DCA 1985). DOWNEY, STONE and FARMER, JJ., concur.…

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