MICHAEL F. GORDON, APPELLANT,
v.
STATE OF FLORIDA, APPELLEE
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Michael Gordon appeals his upward departure sentence for resisting arrest with violence and battery on a law enforcement officer. The trial court departed from guidelines based on Gordon's alleged creation of unreasonable risk of harm to others and officers, but the appellate court reversed, finding this ground was not proven by evidence and that risk to officers is inherent in the offense itself.
The court reversed, holding that the trial court's departure reason was not proven beyond a reasonable doubt. Risk of harm to officers is inherent in the offense of resisting arrest with violence and cannot serve as a departure reason. Additionally, the potential for unreasonable risk of harm caused by third-party crowd members cannot be vicariously attributed to defendant.
[1] A trial court may depart from sentencing guidelines if the defendant evinced a flagrant disregard for the safety of others, which must be proved beyond a reasonable doubt…
[2] A defendant's conduct creating an unreasonable risk of harm to others cannot be vicariously attributed to the defendant when the harm is caused by third parties.
Previewing 2 of 3 headnotes on this case. FLexlaw’s editorially structured points of law — every proposition, pinpointed — are reserved for members.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligence“evincing a flagrant disregard for the safety of others' is a clear and convincing reason for departure which must be proved beyond a reasonable doubt”
Establishes the legal standard for departure sentencing based on risk of harm
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceDuring a police sweep of a Fort Pierce neighborhood, Gordon circled the area in his Jeep yelling encouragement to a suspect being chased by the Street…
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[*369] WARNER, Judge.
This is an appeal from an upward departure sentence of appellant after convictions for resisting arrest with violence and battery on a law enforcement officer. The trial court departed from the guidelines sentence on the ground that appellant created an unreasonable risk of harm to others and to the officers. We agree that this ground was not proved by the evidence and reverse.
On April 6, 1989, members of the Fort Pierce Police Department’s Street Crime Task Force were making a “sweep” of a predominantly black area of Fort Pierce. The unit began chasing a suspect whom they had seen throw down a bag of marijuana. Appellant was circling the area in his Jeep, following the Task van. Someone in the Jeep was yelling “don’t let Task beat you.” A hostile crowd began to gather. Appellant stopped his vehicle in the street and continued to yell at the police.
The officers completed the arrest of the suspect and upon leaving stopped appellant’s vehicle with the intent of arresting him for “causing an affray.” Officer Moran, who approached appellant, told him he was under arrest. As he began to pat down appellant, appellant turned and attacked Moran, getting him in a head-lock and causing some injuries. The other police officers jumped on Appellant to get him away from Moran. Appellant was yelling “help” and yelling that the police were just doing this because he was black. From the large crowd that had gathered, several people jumped on the police who were helping Moran. Finally, appellant was handcuffed and placed in the police van where he started a fracas in which the van was damaged, including a broken windshield.
Appellant argues that the trial court’s written departure reason of creating an unreasonable risk of harm to others and to the law enforcement officers, although a valid reason for departure, was not applicable here.
The supreme court has held that “evincing a flagrant disregard for the safety of others” is a clear and convincing reason for departure which must be proved beyond a reasonable doubt. Scurry v. State, 489 So. 2d 25, 29 (Fla.1986). Some of the cases involving this reason have involved the use of a firearm with bystanders at risk. See Wright v. State, 546 So. 2d 96 (Fla. 4th DCA 1989); Burgess v. State, 524 So. 2d 1132 (Fla. 1st DCA 1988); Previlon v. State, 500 So. 2d 716 (Fla. 4th DCA 1987). There are other cases involving arson, Rey v. State, 509 So. 2d 1332 (Fla. 3d DCA 1987), and threatened use of dynamite in a bank robbery, Hall v. State, 503 So. 2d 1370 (Fla. 4th DCA 1987). In these cases, it is the defendant’s conduct itself which creates the unreasonable risk of harm to others. However, here the only thing that defendant did, other than fighting with the arresting officers, was yell and incite the crowd when he was struggling with the officers. Some members of the crowd attempted to respond, but from the evidence presented, there was no danger to the crowd until individuals in the crowd chose to confront the police. Even then, there were no firearms or other weapons displayed. We do not think that the potential for unreasonable risk of harm to members of the crowd caused by third parties can be vicariously attributed to defendant. Certainly it has not been proved in this case beyond a reasonable doubt. Scurry; see also Collins v. State, 535 So. 2d 661 (Fla. 3d DCA 1988).
Furthermore, the risk of harm to the officers in any of defendant’s conduct is a factor inherent in the offense of resisting arrest with violence for which appellant was convicted. Therefore, such risk cannot be a reason for departure. State v. Cote, 487 So. 2d 1039 (Fla.1986).
We therefore reverse the departure sentences imposed on appellant and remand for resentencing within the guidelines. As to the remaining point raised by appellant, we affirm.
GLICKSTEIN and GARRETT, JJ., concur.
Cases With Similar Vibessemantic neighbors from the corpus
Citator
Authorities Cited
- Scurry v. State, 489 So. 2d 25 (Fla. 1986)
- State v. Cote, 487 So. 2d 1039 (Fla. 1986)
- Burgess v. State, 524 So. 2d 1132 (Fla. 1st DCA 1988)
- Roges Previlon v. State, 500 So. 2d 716 (Fla. 4th DCA 1987)
- Hall v. State, 503 So. 2d 1370 (Fla. 4th DCA 1987)
- REY v. State, 509 So. 2d 1332 (Fla. 3d DCA 1987)
- Collins v. State, 535 So. 2d 661 (Fla. 3d DCA 1988)
- Darcus L. Wright v. State, 546 So. 2d 96 (Fla. 4th DCA 1989)