Palm Beach County

Mr. Eustache was sentenced under Florida’s youthful offender law to four years in prison followed by two years of probation for armed robbery. At age 24, he was accused of violating his probation. It was revoked and he was sentenced to 15 years in prison with a 10-year minimum mandatory provision included, a provision that had not applied to him when he was sentenced as a youthful offender. The Fourth District Court of Appeal upheld the sentence but also certified a conflict with a decision by the Fifth District Court of Appeal in a similar case and asked this Court to review the issue of applying minimum mandatory provisions in such cases as one of great public importance.