Gitman v. State

482 So. 2d 367
CourtDistrict Court of Appeal of Florida
DecidedFebruary 26, 1986
Docket83-2324, 83-2350
StatusPublished

This text of 482 So. 2d 367 (Gitman 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
Gitman v. State, 482 So. 2d 367 (Fla. Ct. App. 1986).

Opinion

482 So.2d 367 (1985)

Max GITMAN, Appellant,
v.
STATE of Florida, Appellee.
H. Doug BENTLEY, Appellant,
v.
STATE OF Florida, Appellee.

Nos. 83-2324, 83-2350.

District Court of Appeal of Florida, Fourth District.

July 24, 1985.
On Petition for Rehearing February 26, 1986.

*368 Joel Hirschorn, P.A., Miami, for appellant-Gitman.

Hilliard Moldof, Fort Lauderdale, for appellant-Bentley.

Jim Smith, Atty. Gen., Tallahassee, and Sarah B. Mayer, Asst. Atty. Gen., West Palm Beach, for appellee.

*369 DOWNEY, Judge.

In separate appeals Gitman and Bentley seek reversal of judgments of guilty of five counts of grand theft and one count of a scheme to defraud entered pursuant to jury verdicts.

Appellants owned a corporation, Central Credit Clearing House, which operated a commercial collection agency under the name of Ames, Manning & Brown (AM & B). The company solicited businesses with delinquent accounts to turn those accounts over to AM & B for collection, for which AM & B would charge a percentage of the collection depending upon various factors. The agency began small but eventually grew to the point where it was collecting $50,000 per week from debtors of its clients. Apparently based upon complaints from certain AM & B clients, the Broward County State Attorney's Office commenced an investigation into AM & B's practices, which eventually resulted in the filing of an amended information charging AM & B, Gitman, Bentley, and a third individual, Frisco, with twenty-six counts of grand theft and one count of scheme to defraud. Frisco negotiated a plea just prior to trial. In addition, some of the grand theft counts were nolle prossed just before trial and motions for judgment of acquittal were granted as to others at the conclusion of the state's case. The jury found all remaining defendants guilty of five counts of grand theft involving one AM & B client and guilty of a scheme to defraud regarding ten or more other clients. Gitman alone was found guilty of grand theft as to a second AM & B client.

Gitman poses seven points on appeal, and Bentley poses eight. AM & B has not appealed. For purposes of this opinion the points are virtually identical, except as they pertain to the respective sentences and the departure from the sentencing guidelines.

We would dispose of Gitman's and Bentley's respective points II and VII by simply saying we have considered the attack upon the affidavit and search warrant and found no error demonstrated. Regarding the prosecutor's question to a prospective juror whether the codefendant, Frisco's, having pleaded guilty and becoming a witness for the state would disturb that prospective juror, once again no reversible error is found. The question had no impact on the remaining defendants' theories of defense; and the court's cautionary instruction explaining that a codefendant's guilt was not to be considered in determining the defendant's guilt was adequate to remove any problem created by the question. Bocanegra v. State, 303 So.2d 429 (Fla. 2d DCA 1974), cert. dismissed, 308 So.2d 111 (Fla. 1975).

Next, we consider the alleged error in denying appellants' motions for judgment of acquittal on the counts on which they were convicted. We must concede that counsel for appellants, in their arguments to the jury, in their briefs, and at oral argument before this court, were most persuasive in the picture of innocence they portrayed on behalf of their clients. Had the jury been persuaded to find appellants not guilty, it would have been no surprise. However, the realities of the case are that the jury was not fully convinced that all of the charges lacked sufficient evidence to sustain them. Our task then is simply to examine the record to see if there is substantial competent evidence to support the verdicts of guilty in the counts of grand theft and count of scheme to defraud. Such examination reflects that during the three week trial the state adduced evidence of a collection agency controlled by appellants that engaged in a scheme constituting a systematic ongoing course of conduct to defraud some of their clients by false or fraudulent pretenses and as a result they were convicted of obtaining money from one such client (two clients insofar as Gitman is concerned) contrary to law. Furthermore, the evidence supports a finding that appellants knowingly obtained or used (or endeavored to use) the property of their clients with intent to deprive such clients of their property or the benefits thereof.

A number of ex-employees testified to being schooled and instructed in procedures that either delayed a client's receipt *370 of its money after collection from the debtor until the client had dunned the agency at least three times, or sent proof that the debtor had paid in the form of cancelled checks, or precluded the client from ever receiving all or portions of the collection. On this evidence the jury properly found that the agency, under appellants' direction and control, intentionally collected overages which it did not remit to the client. One form of overage came about by the agency's advising the debtor he owed more than, in fact, he did; then upon payment from the debtor, AM & B retained the overage unbeknown to the creditor-client. Another ruse used was to persuade the client, for example, to settle a debt for half the amount due and upon collection of the full debt retain the difference between the full amount paid and the amount the client agreed to settle for, again without the client's knowledge.

The grand theft evidence related to two clients. In one case, the client learned by accident that the debtor had made full payment of $1,200 in installments over a period of approximately six months. Several months after the final payment, when the debtor attempted to reestablish credit with the client, they both learned the agency had never acknowledged payment by the debtor nor paid any money to the client. Furthermore, the agency never did pay the $1,200 over to the client. The defense: one of the agency employees took some records when he left and this client was one of them. Another client for whom the agency collected an account testified he never was able to obtain payment even though the agency record showed it had been collected. Once again, theft of the record was appellants' excuse.

Finally, there was evidence that, after their arrest, statements were obtained from appellants that could constitute admissions if the jury so viewed them. Bentley was reported by a witness to have said that the charges against him were true. Another witness stated that Gitman acknowledged he was not fully remitting collections to clients.

Appellants had some explanation for all of the incriminating statements. In addition, counsel suggests many of the witnesses were impeached. To which we say, both the explanations and the effect of the perceived impeachment were for the jury to consider. Thus, we find no error in the denial of the motions of judgment of acquittal.

After the jury had retired to consider their verdict, they returned with a request that they be given a copy of the jury instructions or that the court "read the specific laws to verify the collective recollection of the jury." The court engaged in a colloquy with the jury foreman to clarify the request. The court asked exactly what portion of the laws the jury was referring to. The foreman answered, "The specific statutes that were included in the instructions and the wording of the statutes." To which the judge said, "You mean the laws giving ...

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Bluebook (online)
482 So. 2d 367, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/gitman-v-state-fladistctapp-1986.