Jessie James HENDERSON, Appellant,
v.
STATE of Florida, Appellee.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, Fifth District.
Jessie James Henderson, Okeechobee, pro se.
No Appearance for Appellee.
THOMPSON, J.
In May 1983, the defendant, Jessie James Henderson, tried to murder the victim by shooting him with a shotgun. He was convicted of attempted first-degree murder with a firearm in November 1983. This court affirmed Henderson's convictions and sentences over 20 years ago. See Henderson v. State,
As the trial court puts it: "Now, after 21 years, 5 post-conviction motions and 8 appeals, Henderson contends his sentence is illegal because the Court reclassified his offense from a first-degree felony to a life felony without the jury making a finding that a firearm was used." The trial court pointed out that the information specifically said Henderson tried to kill the victim "by shooting him with a deadly weapon or firearm, to-wit: a shotgun." When the jury found him guilty as charged, it specifically found that he was "guilty of attempted first-degree murder with a firearm as charged in information CR83-2258." Since Henderson was properly convicted of a life felony, he was not entitled to a guidelines sentence.[1]
We conclude this appeal is frivolous and an abuse of process. See Isley v. State,
The Criminal Appeal Reform Act of 1996 establishes the intent of the legislature that the terms and conditions of collateral review and procedural bars to collateral review be strictly enforced. O'Brien v. State,
AFFIRMED.
PETERSON and MONACO, JJ., concur.
NOTES
Notes
[1] Because first-degree murder is a capital felony, an attempt would be classified as a felony of the first-degree. See § 777.04(4)(a), Fla. Stat. (1981). Because of the use of a firearm, the defendant's conviction was enhanced to a life felony. See § 775.087(1)(a), Fla. Stat. (1981). A life felony committed prior to October 1, 1983, was punishable by a term of life imprisonment or for a term of years not less than 30 years. See § 775.082, Fla. Stat. (1983). Because the defendant committed his offense before October 1, 1983, his sentence of 75 years incarceration was "not less than 30." The guidelines did not apply to capital or life felonies committed prior to October 1, 1983. See § 921.001(4)(a), Fla. Stat. (1983). Thus, a defendant who committed a life felony prior to October 1, 1983, has no right to elect to be sentenced under the guidelines.
