Bilal v. State

Petitioner sought belated appeal by petition for writ of habeas corpus pursuant to Florida Rule of Appellate Procedure 9.140. Jurisdiction was relinquished to the circuit court with instructions to appoint a special master to conduct an evidentiary hearing and issue a written order setting forth findings of fact and conclusions of law regarding petitioner’s entitlement to belated appeal. Any party adversely affected by the special master’s report was provided the opportunity to file a response. The special master’s report found that petitioner did not instruct his attorney to file an appeal.…