(1) A judgment of guilty with respect to any offense governed by the provisions of chapter 796 shall be in:

(a) A written record that is signed by the judge and recorded by the clerk of the circuit court; or

(b) An electronic record that contains the judge’s electronic signature as defined in s. 933.40 and is recorded by the clerk of the circuit court.

(2) At the time a defendant is found guilty, the judge shall cause the following to occur in open court and in the judge’s presence:

(a) For a written judgment of guilty, the fingerprints of the defendant against whom such judgment is rendered shall be manually taken and affixed beneath the judge’s signature on the judgment. Beneath such fingerprints shall be appended a certificate to the following effect:

“I hereby certify that the above and foregoing fingerprints are of the defendant,   (name)  , and that they were placed thereon by said defendant in my presence, in open court, this the   day of  ,   (year)  .”

Such certificate shall be signed by the judge, whose signature thereto shall be followed by the word “Judge.”

(b) For an electronic judgment of guilty, the fingerprints of the defendant must be electronically captured, and a certificate must be issued as provided in s. 921.241(3)(b).

(3) A written or an electronic judgment of guilty, or a certified copy thereof, shall be admissible in evidence in the several courts of this state as provided in s. 921.241(4).

History.—s. 4, ch. 81-281; s. 39, ch. 99-6; s. 7, ch. 2019-98.