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493 So. 2d 71

493 So.2d 71

11 Fla.L.Weekly 1857

Thompson v. State

District Court of Appeal of Florida

Decided August 22, 1986

District Court of Appeal of Florida · decided 1986-08-22

Cited by 1 later decisions — most recently August 1987

1 state decisions

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1986-08-22

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BARFIELD, Judge.

¶1Terry Ray Thompson appeals the trial court’s upward departure from the sentencing guidelines recommended sentence. We reverse and remand for resentencing.

¶2The appellant pled nolo contendere to one count of vehicular homicide which charged, in part, that he operated a motor vehicle “in a reckless manner likely to cause the death of, or great bodily harm to another, by driving under the influence of alcohol to the point of having impaired faculties, driving at an excessive rate of speed, failing to keep the vehicle under control, and failure to change lanes properly_”

¶3The trial judge stated the following three reasons for departure: 1) defendant was driving with .13 blood alcohol level, 2) defendant was driving while license was suspended; 3) defendant was on probation at the time of the offense for driving with a suspended license.

¶4The first reason was an integral part of the charge and contains no explanation as to why this blood alcohol reading is a circumstance so egregious as to require departure.

¶5The second reason for departure considers an offense for which the offender has not been convicted and is invalid.

¶6The third reason, concerning probationary status of the appellant, has been factored into the scoresheet under legal constraint at the time of the offense and will not support an independent reason for departure.

¶7*72The sentence is REVERSED and REMANDED to the trial court for resentenc-ing.

THOMPSON and WIGGINTON, JJ., concur.
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