Updates to Florida Criminal Justice Laws From 2019 Legislative Session
By: Adam L. Bantner, II
Board Certified Criminal Trial Attorney
The 2019 Florida legislative session saw some significant changes to the criminal statutes. Some of these changes are significant (removing the requirement for a Youthful Offender sentence that a defendant be sentenced prior to their 21st birthday) while some make you wonder if it was really necessary (removing 1-year minimum mandatory for sale and distribution of horse meat).
Regardless, the reforms are mostly positive for those who practice in the world of criminal defense. I attempt to lay out most of the changes below.
Harm to Police Animals
SB 96: Increases the penalty from a third-degree felony to a second-degree felony for any person who intentionally and knowingly, without lawful cause or justification, causes great bodily harm, permanent disability, or death to, or uses a deadly weapon upon, a police canine dog, fire canine dog, SAR canine dog, or police horse.
Child-like Sex Dolls
SB 160: Makes it a third-degree felony to sell, distribute or possess with intent to sell or distribute a child-like sex doll. Makes possession of such a doll a first-degree misdemeanor.
Expansion of Eligibility for Veterans’ Court
SB 910: Adds individuals who are current or former United States Department of Defense contractors; and individuals who are current or former military members of a foreign allied country to those eligible Veterans’ Court Treatment Program
Texting and Driving
HB 107: Make texting and driving a primary offense, i.e., you can be pulled over for it. It also makes it offense to use a phone in any hand-held manner in a school or construction zone.
Many Changes in One Bill
HB 7125: An omnibus criminal justice bill that makes many changes. Some of the highlights are:
- Reduces the driver’s license suspension for drug offense convictions from 1 year to 6 months. Suspension can be shortened upon drug abuse evaluation and completion of any recommended treatment. Additional, court “upon a finding of compelling circumstances,” may direct DHSMV to issue a business purpose only license.
- A third conviction of Driving on a Suspended/Revoked License now will require at least 10 days in jail.
- Removed minimum mandatory sentence of 1 year for offenses related to the sale and distribution of horse meat.
- Raises the felony threshold for theft of food and lodging services from $300 to $1,000.
- Removes driver’s license suspension penalty for offenses related to selling to and possession of alcohol by persons under 21 years of age.
- Reduces possession of distilling materials from a felony to a misdemeanor.
- Reduces penalties for possession of moonshine.
- Increases the threshold for felony grand theft from $300 to $750.
- Reduces from a felony to a misdemeanor the keeping of a gambling house.
- Increases minimum mandatory weight thresholds for trafficking in hydrocodone
- Allowing for expunction of charges dismissed due to lawful self-defense.
- Allowing for automatic early termination of probation or conversion to administrative probation upon completion of at least half of term and all the special conditions of probation.
- Creation of an alternative sanction program for first-time technical violators of probation provided certain eligibility requirements are met.
- Creation of a community-based court program for certain misdemeanor offenses.
- Allows persons to be sentenced as a youthful offender, so long as they otherwise qualify, so long as the crime was committed before they turned 21 years of age (prior requirement was to be sentenced before turning 21 years of age).
- Deletes mandatory direct-file of certain juvenile offenders.