People convicted of domestic violence crimes will often be subject to a no-contact order, barring them from interacting with the protected party. If the court fails to issue such an order, the State may move to amend the sentence. If the party found guilty of the domestic violence crime is in the process of appealing their conviction, however, the State’s request should be denied while the appeal is pending, as discussed in a recent Florida opinion. If you are charged with a crime of domestic violence, you should speak to a Clearwater violent crime defense lawyer regarding what steps you can take to protect your rights.
History of the Case
It is reported that the defendant was convicted and sentenced for several offenses, including armed burglary of a conveyance with a battery. During the incident, the defendant allegedly stalked and battered the mother of his child using a sawed-off shotgun. Despite the nature of the crimes, the trial court did not impose a mandatory no-contact order as required by Florida law at the time of sentencing. After the sentencing, the defendant appealed his conviction.
Allegedly, while the appeal was pending, the State filed a motion to correct what it perceived as a sentencing error, alleging that the defendant had written multiple letters to the victim from prison, which she wanted to stop. The State sought to amend the sentence to include a no-contact order. The defendant objected to this motion, arguing that the trial court lacked jurisdiction to amend his sentence during the appeal. Nonetheless, the trial court granted the State’s motion and added the no-contact order to the defendant’s sentence. The defendant then appealed this decision.