Tyrone Williams v. State of Florida

Summary

The court held that the Dangerous Sexual Felony Offender Act authorizes a trial court to impose a mandatory minimum sentence anywhere from twenty-five years to life, even when that term exceeds the ordinary statutory maximum for the offense. It approved the decision upholding Williams's mandatory minimum life sentence and disapproved the conflicting interpretation that limited the sentence to twenty-five years. The court also clarified that once a trial court selects a twenty-five-year mandatory minimum, additional statutory authority is required to impose an added term of years.