Mumford v. State
Mumford v. State
Opinion of the Court
In 2001, the appellant was sentenced to life as a violent career criminal. In 2002, however, the trial court (almost certainly incorrectly
In Pate, the trial court’s written order granted the defendant’s motion to correct an illegal sentence and reduced his sentence. The trial court later issued a second order denying the motion to correct sentence and reinstating the original sentence. The Second District concluded this violated the constitutional protection against double jeopardy. The court agreed that the entry of the first order granting the defendant’s motion to correct an illegal sentence constituted reversible error based on the State’s lack of notice and opportunity to be heard with respect to the entry of that order. Pate, 908 So.2d at 615. However, the court held that the State was required to challenge that sentencing error by direct appeal, and having failed to do so double jeopardy principles barred the trial judge from reinstating the sentence originally imposed. Id.; see also Delemos, 969 So.2d at 550 (“[E]ven if the sentence on count 5 were illegal for failing to include the minimum mandatory term, this court has previously held that double jeopardy bars an increase in a sentence once it is imposed and the defendant begins serving it, at least in the absence of a proper appeal, ‘even if the original sentence was illegal or otherwise erroneous and the correction conforms to applicable law or to the court’s and parties’ intentions at sentencing.’ .... Under those circumstances, the State is compelled to object and appeal the sentence or the sentence stands as originally imposed.”)
For these reasons, the 2010 sentencing order under review is vacated and the cause remanded for proceedings consistent herewith.
. The 2002 court incorrectly determined that the defendant’s prior convictions for burglary did not qualify for designation under the VCC statute. See Curi v. State, 36 So.3d 853 (Fla. 3d DCA 2010); Ubilla v. State, 8 So.3d 1200 (Fla. 3d DCA 2009), and cases cited therein.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.