No. 23-6325

James E. Downs v. Ricky D. Dixon, Secretary, Florida Department of Corrections

Lower Court: Florida
Docketed: 2023-12-21
Status: Denied
Type: IFP
IFP
Tags: civil-rights constitutional-rights criminal-procedure due-process equal-protection florida-statute habitual-offender sentencing sentencing-guidelines
Latest Conference: 2024-02-16
Question Presented (from Petition)

UNDER THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTIONS (4) (0), (¢ )e 14 AMENDMENTS) CAN THE CLNEMS BEING PRESENTED HEREIN DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT MANIFEST WSUSTSECCE BE DETERMINED IN THE LOWER AND APPELLATE COURT6), WHEREAS, AN SCIEGALLY IINVALED REASON FOR DEPARTURE FRom THE GUIDELINES! RECOMMENDATION BE UPHELO xN ETS PRovrsxons BASED SOLELY UPon FLORIDA'S HABITUAL OFFENDER STATUTE 175,084(4)(a)(i)(i993), A STATUTE THAT EXPLICITLY CONFLICTS WITH FLORIDA STATUTE 921-Ool (4)(a), PROMULGATED UNDER FLORA RULES OF ERIMINAL PROCEDURE SENTENCING GUIDELINES 3,701(b)(b) (4)(8) (10),(i), 12), WHEREAS THE LANGUAGE oF FLA. STAT. 921.001(4) (6) THEREIN EXPLICZTLY MD UnamOr CUous LY THAT FLOATOA'S PROVESToWAL SWCTXONS oF 175.084(4)(a)Ci) HABITUAL OFFENDER SvaTuTE IS Nor AVALZD REASON y FOR DEPARTURE FRopn THE QUEDELANES' RECOMMENDATION MERIT REVERSAL AND REMAND FoR RESENTENC-ING 2?

WHETHER OR WoT PereczonER's (B7H) ANEXDMENT' UMCYED STATES ConsTxTUTCONAL. RIGHT To A GUARANTEED PRoPoRTONALT-TY oF SENTENCE HAS GEEN VIOLATED Pursuit To 1H **(u.s CONSTITUTEON) AMENDMENTS EQuAL PROTECTION LAW AWD THE PRovrsTonG) of THE AMENDED Laws AND RULES BEING CETED HERE XN. WHEREAS WHEN REASON FOR DEPARTING FROM THE GUIDELINES' RecommENDATION £6 NOT GIVEN ON 3.988 SENTENCING ScCorESHEET PURSUANT To THE PRovxszows HELD AND IMPLEMENTED UNDER FLOREDA RULES oF CRIM. Proce Dukes 3,70 1(6)(le) (d)(3) (10),(\)) (12), MD FLORIDA STATurE 921-001 (4) (a) To WHECH STATES THEREIN Tir! HABTTUAL. OFFENDER SANCTxaNS CANNOT BE USED AS A REASON To DEPART FROM THE GUIDELINES' RECOMMENDRTxon 7

Question Presented (AI Summary)

Whether petitioner's 14th Amendment right to equal protection and proportionality of sentence has been violated

Docket Entries

2024-02-20
Petition DENIED.
2024-02-01
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 2/16/2024.
2023-09-12
Petition for a writ of certiorari and motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis filed. (Response due January 22, 2024)
2023-08-23
Application (23A159) granted by Justice Thomas extending the time to file until September 14, 2023.
2023-08-04
Application (23A159) to extend the time to file a petition for a writ of certiorari from August 15, 2023 to October 14, 2023, submitted to Justice Thomas.

Attorneys

James E. Downs
James Earl Downs — Petitioner