Public-domain · open source
OpenJurist

682 So. 2d 1096

Docket No. 87768.

State v. Pratt

STATE of Florida, Petitioner, v. Arnold Leon PRATT, Jr., Respondent.

Supreme Court of Florida

Decided November 14, 1996.

Supreme Court of Florida · decided 1996-11-14

Cited by 6 later decisions — most recently June 2008

6 state decisions

Key passage — most relied on by later courts

“other offenses instructed on below which were equal to or lesser than attempted third-degree felony murder....”

quoted by 1 later decision, including 695 So. 2d 819 - Young v. State

Relies on 654 So. 2d 552 - State v. Gray · State v. Wilson · 668 So. 2d 1007 - Pratt v. State

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1996-11-14

View the full empirical analysis of this case →

¶1Robert A. Butterworth, Attorney General; James W. Rogers, Tallahassee Bureau Chief, Criminal Appeals, and Carolyn J. Mosley, Assistant Attorney General, Tallahassee, for Petitioner.

¶2Nancy A. Daniels, Public Defender and Jamie Spivey, Assistant Public Defender, Second Judicial Circuit, Tallahassee, for Respondent.

¶3PER CURIAM.

¶4We have for review a decision passing upon the following question certified to be of great public importance:

WHEN A DEFENDANT IS CHARGED WITH ATTEMPTED SECOND-DEGREE (DEPRAVED MIND) MURDER AND IS CONVICTED BY A JURY OF THE CATEGORY 2 LESSER-INCLUDED OFFENSE OF ATTEMPTED THIRD-DEGREE (FELONY) MURDER, DO STATE v. GRAY,654 So.2d 552 (Fla.1995), AND SECTION 924.34, FLORIDA STATUTES (1991), REQUIRE OR PERMIT THE TRIAL COURT, UPON REVERSAL OF THE CONVICTION, TO ENTER JUDGMENT FOR ATTEMPTED VOLUNTARY MANSLAUGHTER, A CATEGORY 1 NECESSARILY INCLUDED LESSER OFFENSE OF THE CRIME CHARGED?
IF THE ANSWER IS NO, THEN DO LESSER-INCLUDED OFFENSES OF THE CHARGED OFFENSE REMAIN VIABLE FOR A NEW TRIAL?

¶5Pratt v. State,668 So.2d 1007, 1009-10 (Fla. 1st DCA 1996). We have jurisdiction. Art. V, § 3(b)(4), Fla. Const.

¶6We answered this question in State v. Wilson,680 So.2d 411 (Fla.1996), by holding that where a conviction for attempted felony murder has been vacated on the basis of our opinion in Gray, the proper remedy is retrial on any lesser offense which was instructed on at trial. Here, Pratt's conviction for attempted third-degree felony murder means he was effectually acquitted of the charge of attempted second-degree murder. He may therefore be tried on any other offense instructed on below which was equal to or lesser than attempted third-degree felony murder: here the jury was also instructed on attempted manslaughter.

¶7We approve the decision of the district court, answer the certified question as explained above, and remand for proceedings consistent with this opinion.

¶8It is so ordered.

¶9KOGAN, C.J., and OVERTON, SHAW, GRIMES, HARDING, WELLS and ANSTEAD, JJ., concur.

/682/so2d/1096 · .json · Public domain