T.C. v. State

Appellant, a juvenile, was charged with battery by an inmate in a juvenile facility. Because Appellant was held in a juvenile facility, Appellant argued that the crime of simple battery could not be enhanced from first degree misdemeanor to a third degree felony because section 784.082(3), Florida Statutes (2002), does not apply to a child detained in a juvenile facility. The trial court found that this enhancement statute applied to a juvenile detention center and denied the motion to dismiss.1 We disagree, and remand with directions.

Nothing in section 784.082 indicates that the statute…