SAMUEL LOPEZ VS STATE OF FLORIDA

2024-0599Fla Dist Ct App 6th

Testo completo

S IXTH D ISTRICT C OURT OF APPEAL
S TATE OF FLORIDA
_____________________________
Case No. 6D2024-0599
Lower Tribunal No. 23-MM-006220-AOR
_____________________________
S AMUEL L OPEZ ,
Appellant,
v.
S TATE OF F LORIDA ,
Appellee.
_____________________________
Appeal from the Circuit Court for Orange County.
Faye L. Allen, Judge.
February 6, 2026
MIZE, J.
Appellant, Samuel Lopez, appeals his conviction and sentence for battery, a
misdemeanor. 	We find no error as to Appellant’s conviction and affirm the
conviction without further discussion. As to his sentence, Appellant argues that the
trial court erred by, among other things: (1) imposing court costs as a lump sum of
$223 without providing any notice as to what the costs represent; (2) imposing a
“DERP fee” of $50 without notice as to the authority for the fee; and (3) imposing a
2
$50 per month probation supervision fee without orally pronouncing the amount of
the fee at his sentencing. Appellant is correct as to these issues.1
As we have said previously, while a trial court is not required to explain the
basis for an imposed cost, “due process requires that it at least be evident from the
record.” Culbertson v. State, No. 6D2023-3024, 2025 WL 3493140, at *1 (Fla. 6th
DCA Dec. 5, 2025). 	Because the basis for the $223 in courts costs and the $50
“DERP fee” imposed by the trial court is not evident from the record, we reverse the
imposition of the court costs and the DERP fee and remand for the trial court to
properly impose costs in Appellant’s sentence.
As we have also said, “[w]hen a trial court fails to orally pronounce the
amount of a probation supervision cost for misdemeanor probation at a defendant’s
sentencing, the court is only authorized to impose the minimum cost of $40.00 per
month required by statute.” Summerson v. State, 374 So. 3d 898, 899 (Fla. 6th DCA
2023). 	Therefore, we reverse the portion of Appellant’s sentence imposing the
probation cost of $50.00 per month and remand this case to the trial court to impose
a probation cost of $40.00 per month.
1 After Appellant filed his notice of appeal, he filed in the trial court a Motion
to Correct Sentencing Error under Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.800(b)(2)
raising the same issues as to his sentence that he raises on appeal. The trial court did
not rule on the motion within sixty days of the date that it was filed, and so the
motion 	was 	deemed 	denied 	under 	Florida 	Rule 	of 	Criminal 	Procedure
3.800(b)(2)(B).
3
Appellant raises other arguments as to his sentence, but we find no merit in
the remaining arguments and affirm the sentence in all other respects.
AFFIRMED 	in 	part; 	REVERSED 	in 	part; 	and 	REMANDED 	with
instructions.
TRAVER, C.J., and WHITE, J., concur.
Blair Allen, Public Defender, and William L. Sharwell, Assistant Public Defender,
Bartow, for Appellant.
James Uthmeier, Attorney General, Tallahassee, and Alyssa M. Williams, Assistant
Attorney General, Daytona Beach, for Appellee.
NOT FINAL UNTIL TIME EXPIRES TO FILE MOTION FOR REHEARING
AND DISPOSITION THEREOF IF TIMELY FILED

OCR transcription; preserved printed pages are authoritative

SIXTH DISTRICT COURT OF APPEAL
STATE OF FLORIDA

Case No. 6D2024-0599
Lower Tribunal No. 23-MM-006220-AOR

SAMUEL LOPEZ,
Appellant,
Vv.
STATE OF FLORIDA,

Appellee.

Appeal from the Circuit Court for Orange County.
Faye L. Allen, Judge.

February 6, 2026
MIZE, J.

Appellant, Samuel Lopez, appeals his conviction and sentence for battery, a
misdemeanor. We find no error as to Appellant’s conviction and affirm the
conviction without further discussion. As to his sentence, Appellant argues that the
trial court erred by, among other things: (1) imposing court costs as a lump sum of
$223 without providing any notice as to what the costs represent; (2) imposing a

“DERP fee” of $50 without notice as to the authority for the fee; and (3) imposing a

$50 per month probation supervision fee without orally pronouncing the amount of
the fee at his sentencing. Appellant is correct as to these issues. !

As we have said previously, while a trial court is not required to explain the
basis for an imposed cost, “due process requires that it at least be evident from the
record.” Culbertson v. State, No. 6D2023-3024, 2025 WL 3493140, at *1 (Fla. 6th
DCA Dec. 5, 2025). Because the basis for the $223 in courts costs and the $50
“DERP fee” imposed by the trial court is not evident from the record, we reverse the
imposition of the court costs and the DERP fee and remand for the trial court to
properly impose costs in Appellant’s sentence.

As we have also said, “[w]hen a trial court fails to orally pronounce the
amount of a probation supervision cost for misdemeanor probation at a defendant’s
sentencing, the court is only authorized to impose the minimum cost of $40.00 per
month required by statute.” Summerson v. State, 374 So. 3d 898, 899 (Fla. 6th DCA
2023). Therefore, we reverse the portion of Appellant’s sentence imposing the
probation cost of $50.00 per month and remand this case to the trial court to impose

a probation cost of $40.00 per month.

' After Appellant filed his notice of appeal, he filed in the trial court a Motion
to Correct Sentencing Error under Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.800(b)(2)
raising the same issues as to his sentence that he raises on appeal. The trial court did
not rule on the motion within sixty days of the date that it was filed, and so the
motion was deemed denied under Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure
3.800(b)(2)(B).

2

Appellant raises other arguments as to his sentence, but we find no merit in
the remaining arguments and affirm the sentence in all other respects.

AFFIRMED in part; REVERSED in part; and REMANDED with
instructions.
TRAVER, C.J., and WHITE, J., concur.
Blair Allen, Public Defender, and William L. Sharwell, Assistant Public Defender,
Bartow, for Appellant.
James Uthmeier, Attorney General, Tallahassee, and Alyssa M. Williams, Assistant

Attorney General, Daytona Beach, for Appellee.

NOT FINAL UNTIL TIME EXPIRES TO FILE MOTION FOR REHEARING
AND DISPOSITION THEREOF IF TIMELY FILED

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