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629 So. 2d 129

Docket No. 80953.

Seabrook v. State

Marblee SEABROOK, Petitioner, v. STATE of Florida, Respondent.

Supreme Court of Florida

Decided December 16, 1993.

Supreme Court of Florida · decided 1993-12-16

Cited by 133 later decisions (1 by the Supreme Court) — most recently May 2007 · most notably 696 So. 2d 697 - Rosen v. Rosen (1997), State v. Cotton (2000)

1 federal appellate · 1 district · 129 state decisions

Key passage — most relied on by later courts

“petitioner's contention that the statute violated the doctrine of separation of powers”

quoted by 1 later decision, including State v. Cotton

“deprived trial judges of such discretion,”

quoted by 1 later decision, including State v. Cotton

Relies on 602 So. 2d 914 - Florida Bar re: Advisory Opinion · 597 So. 2d 309 - King v. State · 616 So. 2d 31 - The Florida Bar v. Neckman

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1993-12-16

View the full empirical analysis of this case →

¶1*130 Nancy A. Daniels, Public Defender, and Carl S. McGinnes, Asst. Public Defender, Second Judicial Circuit, Tallahassee, for petitioner.

¶2Robert A. Butterworth, Atty. Gen., and James W. Rogers, Sr. Asst. Atty. Gen., Tallahassee, for respondent.

¶3PER CURIAM.

¶4We have for review Seabrook v. State,608 So.2d 560 (Fla. 1st DCA 1992), in which the district court affirmed Seabrook's sentencing as a habitual felony offender pursuant to section 775.084, Florida Statutes (1989). The district court of appeal certified the following question as being of great public importance:

DOES SECTION 775.084, FLORIDA STATUTES (1989), DENY EITHER DUE PROCESS OR EQUAL PROTECTION OF LAW UNDER EITHER THE FLORIDA OR THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION; OR VIOLATE THE DOCTRINE OF SEPARATION OF POWERS, AS SET FORTH IN THE FLORIDA CONSTITUTION?

¶5Seabrook,608 So.2d at 560. We have jurisdiction. Art. V, § 3(b)(4), Fla. Const.

¶6This Court has previously held that section 775.084 does not violate due process or equal protection. Reeves v. State,612 So.2d 560 (Fla. 1992); Ross v. State,601 So.2d 1190 (Fla. 1992). In our opinion in McKnight v. State,616 So.2d 31 (Fla. 1993), we adopted the rationale of King v. State,597 So.2d 309 (Fla.2d DCA), review denied,602 So.2d 942 (Fla. 1992), and held that a trial judge has the discretion not to sentence a defendant as a habitual felony offender. Therefore, petitioner's contention that the statute violated the doctrine of separation of powers because it deprived trial judges of such discretion necessarily fails.

¶7For the reasons stated above, we answer the certified question in the negative, and approve the decision below.

¶8It is so ordered.

¶9BARKETT, C.J., and OVERTON, McDONALD, SHAW, GRIMES, KOGAN and HARDING, JJ., concur.

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