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895 So. 2d 1225

Docket No. 2D04-1939.

Sharpston v. State

Robert SHARPSTON, Appellant, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee.

District Court of Appeal of Florida · decided 2005-03-02

Cited by 6 later decisions — most recently June 2019

6 state decisions

Key passage — most relied on by later courts

“`the Florida Statutes do not authorize, nor would our constitution permit, a permanent revocation of probation based solely upon proof of an arrest during the probationary period.'”

quoted by 1 later decision, including 907 So. 2d 1284 - Robinson v. State

“Not once was Sharpston asked whether he actually committed the crime.”

quoted by 1 later decision, including Contreras v. State

Relies on 358 So. 2d 183 - Hines v. State · Manies v. State · Ontiveros v. State

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 2005-03-02

View the full empirical analysis of this case →

¶1James Marion Moorman, Public Defender, and Susan Martin, Special Assistant Public Defender, Bartow, for Appellant.

¶2Charles J. Crist, Jr., Attorney General, Tallahassee, and Tiffany Gatesh Fearing, Assistant Attorney General, Tampa, for Appellee.

¶3NORTHCUTT, Judge.

¶4A revocation of probation based solely upon proof of an arrest is improper. For this reason, we reverse the revocation of Robert Sharpston's probation.

¶5*1226 As the supreme court has explained, "[t]he Florida Statutes do not authorize, nor would our constitution permit, a permanent revocation of probation based solely upon proof of an arrest during the probationary period." Hines v. State,358 So.2d 183, 185 (Fla.1978). At the revocation hearing, defense counsel stated that Sharpston wanted to admit being arrested; the judge informed Sharpston that he allegedly violated probation by being arrested for petit theft; and Sharpston agreed. Not once was Sharpston asked whether he actually committed the crime. Therefore, we are compelled to reverse. See, e.g., Stevenson v. State,843 So.2d 1044 (Fla. 2d DCA 2003); Ontiveros v. State,746 So.2d 1174 (Fla. 2d DCA 1999); Manies v. State,621 So.2d 679 (Fla. 2d DCA 1993). We note that on remand, the State is not precluded from attempting to prove a violation based on the same circumstances as long as the period of supervision has not expired. See Wilson v. State,842 So.2d 237 (Fla. 2d DCA 2003). Our disposition renders Sharpston's other issue on appeal moot.

¶6Reversed and remanded.

¶7CASANUEVA and KELLY, JJ., concur.

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