Florida Statutes 916.145 – Dismissal of charges
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(1) The charges against a defendant adjudicated incompetent to proceed due to mental illness shall be dismissed without prejudice to the state if the defendant remains incompetent to proceed for 5 continuous, uninterrupted years after such determination, unless the court in its order specifies its reasons for believing that the defendant will become competent to proceed within the foreseeable future and specifies the time within which the defendant is expected to become competent to proceed. The court may dismiss such charges at least 3 years after such determination, unless the charge is:
(a) Arson;
Terms Used In Florida Statutes 916.145
- Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
- Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
- Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
- Dismissal: The dropping of a case by the judge without further consideration or hearing. Source:
- person: includes individuals, children, firms, associations, joint adventures, partnerships, estates, trusts, business trusts, syndicates, fiduciaries, corporations, and all other groups or combinations. See Florida Statutes 1.01
(b) Sexual battery;
(c) Robbery;
(d) Kidnapping;
(e) Aggravated child abuse;
(f) Aggravated abuse of an elderly person or disabled adult;
(g) Aggravated assault with a deadly weapon;
(h) Murder;
(i) Manslaughter;
(j) Aggravated manslaughter of an elderly person or disabled adult;
(k) Aggravated manslaughter of a child;
(l) Unlawful throwing, projecting, placing, or discharging of a destructive device or bomb;
(m) Armed burglary;
(n) Aggravated battery;
(o) Aggravated stalking;
(p) A forcible felony as defined in s. 776.08 and not listed elsewhere in this subsection;
(q) An offense where an element of the offense requires the possession, use, or discharge of a firearm;
(r) An attempt to commit an offense listed in this subsection;
(s) An offense allegedly committed by a defendant who has had a forcible or violent felony conviction within the 5 years immediately preceding the date of arrest for the nonviolent felony sought to be dismissed;
(t) An offense allegedly committed by a defendant who, after having been found incompetent and placed under court supervision in a community-based program, is formally charged by a state attorney or the Office of the Statewide Prosecutor with a new felony offense; or
(u) An offense for which there is an identifiable victim and such victim has not consented to the dismissal.
(2) This section does not prohibit the state from refiling dismissed charges if the defendant is declared to be competent to proceed in the future.