What Is the Purpose of a Presentence Investigation Report ?

In Muhammad v. State, 782 So. 2d 343 (Fla. 2001), the court held that where a defendant waives presentation of mitigation, the trial court must order a presentence investigation report (PSI). The Court stated that in addition to ordering the PSI: The trial court could require the State to place in the record all evidence in its possession of a mitigating nature such as school records, military records, and medical records. Further, if the PSI and the accompanying records alert the trial court to the probability of significant mitigation, the trial court has the discretion to call persons with mitigating evidence as its own witnesses. . . . If the trial court prefers that counsel present mitigation rather than calling its own witnesses, the trial court possesses the discretion to appoint counsel to present the mitigation as was done in Klokoc v. State, 589 So. 2d 219 (Fla. 1991), or to utilize standby counsel for this limited purpose. Id. at 363-64. Muhammad does not set forth a hard and fast rule that a trial court has no discretion to order investigation and presentation of mitigation without first reviewing a PSI and without first making an express determination that the PSI suggests the existence of mitigation.