April 23, 2017 - Court Accepts Negotiated Disposition of State Habeas (3.850 Motion) Reducing Sentence from 10 Years to 5 Years and 7 Months

April 23, 2017, a Florida Circuit Court accepted a negotiated disposition of a state 3.850 post conviction relief (habeas) motion for Mr. Kent's client, G.H., which reduced a 10 year prison sentence to just under 5 years and 7 months.  The original sentence carried a ten year period of probation, which was modified to provide for court ordered drug abuse treatment and the possibility of termination after five years of successful completion of probation.  The agreed upon disposition include an agreement that the State would waive the $100,000 fine that had been previously imposed.  The 3.850 habeas petition had challenged a guilty plea which G.H. had entered pursuant to an agreement for the ten year sentence of imprisonment and ten years probation and $100,000 fine.  Various claims were raised challenging the voluntariness of the plea, which were mooted by the agreed upon reduction and modification of sentence.  Mr. Kent was assisted in the negotiation of the settlement of the claims by Florida Bar Board Certified trial attorney Teresa J. Sopp.