Crisel v. State

561 So. 2d 453, 1990 WL 66198
CourtDistrict Court of Appeal of Florida
DecidedMay 18, 1990
Docket89-00016
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 561 So. 2d 453 (Crisel v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court of Appeal of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Crisel v. State, 561 So. 2d 453, 1990 WL 66198 (Fla. Ct. App. 1990).

Opinion

561 So.2d 453 (1990)

Michael CRISEL, Appellant,
v.
STATE of Florida, Appellee.

No. 89-00016.

District Court of Appeal of Florida, Second District.

May 18, 1990.

James Marion Moorman, Public Defender, Bartow, and Allyn Giambalvo, Asst. Public Defender, Clearwater, for appellant.

Robert A. Butterworth, Atty. Gen., Tallahassee, and Peggy A. Quince, Asst. Atty. Gen., Tampa, for appellee.

PER CURIAM.

Following our recent decision in V.A.A. v. State, 561 So.2d 314 (Fla. 2d DCA 1990), we reverse the trial court's denial of appellant's motion to dismiss the charges of possession of cocaine and marijuana, and direct that these charges be dismissed. Because this reversal does not affect the disposition of appellant's convictions for sale of cocaine and marijuana, resentencing is unnecessary.

We certify as of great public importance the question which the specially concurring opinion suggests for certification.

Affirmed in part, reversed in part, and remanded.

SCHEB, A.C.J., and LEHAN, J., concur.

PARKER, J., concurs specially.

PARKER, Judge, specially concurring.

I agree that this case must be affirmed because of this court's decision in V.A.A. However, I take this opportunity to disagree with V.A.A.

V.A.A., I believe, relying upon Gordon v. State, 528 So.2d 910 (Fla. 2d DCA 1988), approved sub nom. State v. Smith, 547 So.2d 613 (Fla. 1989), held that because of double jeopardy, a defendant cannot be convicted of possession and sale of the same illegal drug. I perceive the court's rationale in V.A.A. to be that a possession charge is always subsumed into a charge of sale based upon section 775.021(4)(b)(3), Florida Statutes (Supp. 1988). I disagree. As our supreme court unanimously recognized in State v. Burton, 555 So.2d 1210 (Fla. 1989):

We held, in State v. Smith, 547 So.2d 613 (Fla. 1989), which applied chapter 88-131, section 7, Laws of Florida, that the legislature intended the following to be separate offenses subject to separate convictions and separate punishments: the sale or delivery of a controlled substance; and possession of that substance with intent to sell. We also held that although chapter 88-131 overrode Carawan v. State, 515 So.2d 161 (Fla. 1987), nevertheless, it is not to be applied retroactively.

Burton, 555 So.2d at 1211 (footnote omitted.) Therefore, I think the supreme court has recognized that the amended statute has overturned the Carawan court's analysis of double jeopardy and that pursuant to the amended statute, there now can be convictions for both the sale and possession of the same illegal drug.

The Florida Standard Jury Instructions strengthens my position. The elements of a sale are listed as:

1. The Defendant sold a certain substance.
2. The substance was a controlled substance.
*454 3. The Defendant had knowledge of the presence of the substance.
"Sell" means to transfer or deliver something to another person in exchange for money or something of value or a promise of money or something of value.

Fla.Std.Jury Instr. (Crim.) at 219. Nowhere is the element of possession listed as an element in the crime of sale. The elements of possession, as stated in the jury instructions, are:

1. The Defendant possessed a certain substance.
2. The substance was a controlled substance.
3. The Defendant had knowledge of the presence of the substance.
To "possess" means to have personal charge of or exercise the right of ownership, management or control over the thing possessed.
Possession may be actual or constructive. If a thing is in the hand of or on the person, or in a bag or container in the hand of or on the person, or is so close as to be within ready reach and is under the control of the person, it is in the actual possession of that person.
If a thing is in a place over which the person has control or in which the person has hidden or concealed it, it is in the constructive possession of that person.
Possession may be joint, that is, two or more persons may jointly have possession of an article, exercising control over it. In that case, each of those persons is considered to be in possession of that article.
If a person has exclusive possession of a thing, knowledge of its presence may be inferred or assumed.
If a person does not have exclusive possession of a thing, knowledge of its presence may not be inferred or assumed.

Fla.Std.Jury Instr. (Crim.) at 227. Likewise, nowhere is the element of sale listed as an element of the crime of possession.

The line of cases involving this double jeopardy issue began with Carawan v. State, 515 So.2d 161 (Fla. 1987). Subsection 775.021(4), Florida Statutes (1983), was applicable to Carawan; our case involves the same subsection, which the legislature amended in chapter 88-131, section 7, Laws of Florida. Those two versions of the law, in relevant part, provide:

               1983 Act                                 1988 Act
  775.021 Rules of construction. —          775.021 Rules of construction. —
    ... .                                   ... .
    (4) Whoever, in the course of one         (4)(a) Whoever, in the course
  criminal transaction or episode,          of one criminal transaction or
  commits separate criminal offenses,       episode, commits an act or acts
  upon conviction and adjudication of       which constitute one or more
  guilt, shall be sentenced separately      separate criminal offenses, upon
  for each criminal offense; and the        conviction and adjudication of
  sentencing judge may order the            guilt, shall be sentenced
  sentences to be served concurrently       separately for each criminal
  or consecutively. For the purposes        offense; and the sentencing
  of this subsection, offenses are          judge may order the sentences to
  separate if each offense requires         be served concurrently or
  proof of an element that the other        consecutively. For the purposes
  does not, without regard to the           of this subsection, offenses are
  accusatory pleading or the proof          separate if each offense
  adduced at trial.                         requires proof of an element
                                            that the other does not, without
                                            regard to the accusatory
                                            pleading or the proof adduced at
                                            trial.
                                              (b) The intent of the
                                            Legislature is to convict and
                                            sentence for each criminal
                                            offense committed in the course
                                            of one criminal episode or
                                            transaction and not to allow the
                                            principle of lenity as set forth
                                            in subsection (1) to determine
                                            legislative intent. Exceptions
                                            to this rule of construction
                                            are:

*455

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Related

State v. Crisel
586 So. 2d 58 (Supreme Court of Florida, 1991)
Holmes v. State
575 So. 2d 332 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 1991)
Singleton v. State
561 So. 2d 1296 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 1990)

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Bluebook (online)
561 So. 2d 453, 1990 WL 66198, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/crisel-v-state-fladistctapp-1990.