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555 So. 2d 452

Docket No. 89-1926.

Smothers v. State

Donald Alton SMOTHERS, Appellant, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee.

District Court of Appeal of Florida

Decided January 18, 1990.

District Court of Appeal of Florida · decided 1990-01-18

Cited by 13 later decisions — most recently June 2007

13 state decisions

Relies on Mikenas v. State · 516 So. 2d 280 - Bateson v. State

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1990-01-18

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¶1Donald Alton Smothers, pro se.

¶2Robert A. Butterworth, Atty. Gen., Tallahassee, and Bonnie Jean Parrish, Asst. Atty. Gen., Daytona Beach, for appellee.

¶3DANIEL, Chief Judge.

¶4The trial court denied defendant's motion for post-conviction relief without an evidentiary hearing or attaching portions of the record. Rule 3.850, Florida Rules of Criminal Procedure, requires that unless a motion is legally insufficient on its face, the trial court must attach portions of the files and records conclusively showing that the defendant is not entitled to relief. Although inartfully drawn, defendant's motion clearly alleges that his plea was not knowingly entered with a full understanding of the consequences. This is a proper ground for post-conviction relief. See, e.g., Mikenas v. State,460 So.2d 359 (Fla. 1984). Since the motion is legally sufficient, the trial court should have attached portions of the record refuting defendant's claim or, alternatively, held an evidentiary hearing regarding such claim.

¶5In its response to the appeal, the state attempted to remedy the trial court's oversight by providing portions of the record below. However, as the court held in Bateson v. State,516 So.2d 280 (Fla. 1st DCA 1987), it is inappropriate for the state to designate which records refute defendant's allegations. Accordingly, the order denying defendant's motion for post-conviction relief is reversed and the case is remanded for further proceedings consistent herewith.

¶6REVERSED and REMANDED.

¶7COBB and SHARP, JJ., concur.

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