Kevin F. Tomlinson v. State of Florida

Supreme Court of Florida ____________ No. SC2021-1204 ____________ KEVIN F. TOMLINSON, Petitioner, vs. STATE OF FLORIDA, Respondent. August 24, 2023 COURIEL, J. Kevin Tomlinson threatened to ruin the reputation of two fellow real estate brokers unless they paid him. Must the State prove that Tomlinson made this threat with hatred for the complainants in seeking a conviction under Florida’s extortion law, section 836.05, Florida Statutes (2015)? In the decision before us, the Third District Court of Appeal said no, holding that section 836.05 requires the State to prove that the defendant made…