ANTHONY S. DESTEFANO
v.
STATE

Fla. 5th DCA | 2018-08-13
No. 5D18-1521
Florida District Court of Appeal, Fifth District (2018)

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Holding

A defendant is entitled to an evidentiary hearing on a postconviction relief motion when the record does not conclusively refute a claim of ineffective assistance of counsel.


Headnotes

[1] A trial court may not summarily deny a claim of ineffective assistance of counsel on a Rule 3.850 postconviction relief motion when the record does not conclusively refut…

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Key Quotes

“A defendant is entitled to an evidentiary hearing on a postconviction relief motion unless (1) the motion, files, and records in the case conclusively show that the prisoner is entitled to no relief, or (2) the motion or a particular claim is legally insufficient.”

Standard for when evidentiary hearing must be granted on Rule 3.850 motion

Facts & Procedural History

Anthony S. DeStefano filed a Rule 3.850 postconviction relief motion raising five grounds, including a claim that his counsel was ineffective for fail…

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Opinion of the Court

PER CURIAM.

Anthony S. DeStefano appeals the summary denial of his motion for postconviction relief filed pursuant to Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.850. We affirm as to Grounds

Two through Five. However, because the record does not conclusively refute

DeStefano’s claim that counsel was ineffective for failing to object to the prosecutor’s comments on the law applicable to his sentencing, we reverse the summary denial of

Ground One and remand for attachment of portions of the record conclusively refuting that claim or for an evidentiary hearing. See Freeman v. State, 761 So. 2d 1055, 1061 (Fla. 2000) ("[A] defendant is entitled to an evidentiary hearing on a postconviction relief motion unless (1) the motion, files, and records in the case conclusively show that the prisoner is entitled to no relief, or (2) the motion or a particular claim is legally insufficient." (citing Maharaj v. State, 684 So. 2d 726 (Fla. 1996))).

AFFIRMED in part, REVERSED in part, and REMANDED.

ORFINGER, BERGER, and EISNAUGLE, JJ., concur.


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