Dale JOHNSON, Appellant,
v.
STATE of Florida, Appellee.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, Fourth District.
*475 Carey Haughwout, Public Defender, and David John McPherrin, Assistant Public Defender, West Palm Beach, for appellant.
Charles J. Crist, Jr., Attorney General, Tallahassee, and Sue-Ellen Kenny, Assistant Attorney General, West Palm Beach, for appellee.
POLEN, J.
Appellant, Dale Lee Johnson ("Johnson"), timely appeals a conviction of felony driving under the influence ("DUI"). Johnson raises two independent challenges on appeal. First, he contends that his right to a jury trial was violated when the trial court determined, without a jury, that he had three prior DUI convictions. Based on stipulation of counsel, we find no error and affirm. Second, Johnson argues that the trial court improperly imposed a public defender fee without advising him of his right to contest its amount. As explained below, we strike the public defender fee without prejudice to it being reimposed on remand after the proper procedures are followed.
*476 The State charged Johnson with, inter alia, felony DUI. The information alleged that Johnson's faculties were impaired and that he had three prior DUI convictions. The trial court conducted a jury trial on the single, present incident of DUI at issue without allowing the jury to learn of the alleged prior misdemeanor DUI offenses. After the jury returned a guilty verdict as to the present incident, it was excused and, based on the parties' previous stipulation, the trial court proceeded without a jury to determine whether Johnson had been convicted of DUI on three or more prior occasions.
The trial court ascertained that Johnson had three previous DUI convictions from his Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicle Division of Driver's Licenses Transcript of Driver Record. Based on Johnson's prior convictions and the verdict of the jury, the court adjudicated Johnson guilty of felony DUI.
During sentencing, the trial court imposed statutory fines, fees and costs, including a public defender fee, as well as SN1, CSTF, AC and CFF fees.[1] Johnson's Rule 3.800(b)(2) motion, which sought to vacate the public defender fee, was denied. See Fla. R.Crim. P. 3.800(b)(2).
First, we hold that the trial court did not err in determining Johnson's prior DUI convictions without a jury, because Johnson waived his right to a second phase jury determination. In State v. Rodriguez,
Nevertheless, the right to a second phase jury determination may be waived by a defendant. Id. We have previously stated that "[a] defendant may orally waive the right to jury trial if the defendant is represented by counsel and receives full explanation of the consequences of the waiver by the trial judge." Kelly v. State,
As to Johnson's second point on appeal, we hold that the trial court erred in failing to advise Johnson of his right to a hearing to contest the amount of the public defender's fee. Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.720(d)(1) provides that the defendant must be advised at sentencing of his right to a hearing to contest the amount of the public defender's fee. If such advice is not given, the public defender fee must be stricken, without prejudice to being reimposed on remand after the proper procedure is followed. Ciccia v. State,
Johnson also argues that the other fees imposed by the trial court must be reversed because the court did not refer to the statutory authority for their imposition. In support, Johnson cites Sutton v. State,
Based on the foregoing, we strike the public defender fee and remand for relevant proceedings in the trial court. However, we affirm and find no error in Johnson's conviction for felony DUI based on the trial court's second phase non-jury determination of Johnson's prior DUI convictions.
Affirmed and remanded with instructions.
KLEIN and MAY, JJ., concur.
NOTES
Notes
[1] SN1 ("Safe Neighborhood 1"); CSTF ("Crime Stoppers Trust Fund"); AC ("Additional Costs"); CFF ("Capital Facilities Fund"). See Fla. Stat. § 939.185 (2006).
[2] Upon remand, Johnson will have thirty (30) days from the date of this court's mandate to file a written objection with the trial court to the amount assessed. Bourque v. State,
