Amendment to Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.380(b)

On our own motion, we amend rule 3.380(b) of the Florida Rules of Criminal Procedure with regard to its provision requiring that a motion for judgment of acquittal be renewed at the close of all the evidence. We have jurisdiction pursuant to article V, section 2(a) of the Florida Constitution.

In this Court’s opinion in Morris v. State, 721 So.2d 725 (Fla. 1998), we determined that it was unnecessary to require a defendant to renew a motion for judgment of acquittal after the defendant has presented evidence. We reasoned that once the initial motion has been made at the close of the State’s…