Green v. State

377 So. 2d 193, 5 Media L. Rep. (BNA) 1430
CourtDistrict Court of Appeal of Florida
DecidedJuly 17, 1979
Docket78-894
StatusPublished
Cited by19 cases

This text of 377 So. 2d 193 (Green 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
Green v. State, 377 So. 2d 193, 5 Media L. Rep. (BNA) 1430 (Fla. Ct. App. 1979).

Opinion

377 So.2d 193 (1979)

Adelita Quejado GREEN, Appellant,
v.
The STATE of Florida, Appellee.

No. 78-894.

District Court of Appeal of Florida, Third District.

July 17, 1979.

*195 Black & Denaro and Roy E. Black, Miami, for appellant.

Jim Smith, Atty. Gen., and James H. Greason, Asst. Atty. Gen., for appellee.

Before PEARSON, BARKDULL and HUBBART, JJ.

HUBBART, Judge.

This is a criminal prosecution for grand larceny against an attorney arising out of certain financial transactions which involve two of the attorney's former clients. The testimony is in conflict as to whether the attorney invested certain of the clients' monies according to the client's instructions or whether, on the contrary, the attorney misappropriated the funds in question. The jury believed the latter and convicted the defendant as charged. After a prison term was imposed, the defendant appeals.

I

The first issue involved in this appeal is whether there are any circumstances under which a trial court is constitutionally required to deny the electronic media[1] access to the courtroom to cover and report judicial proceedings in the courts of this state. We hold that upon a demonstration of prejudice to the defendant in a criminal case, which inter alia includes a showing that such electronic media coverage of court proceedings in the cause would render an otherwise competent defendant incompetent to stand trial, the trial court is constitutionally *196 required to prohibit electronic media coverage of such court proceedings under the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution and Article I, Section 9 of the Florida Constitution. As the trial court herein summarily denied a defense motion to prohibit electronic media coverage of the trial based on the above ground without holding an evidentiary hearing to determine whether such motion was well-founded, we reverse and remand for a new trial.

A

On December 27, 1976, the defendant Adelita Quejado Green was charged in a three count information, one count of which was eventually nolle prossed, with grand larceny by embezzlement or misappropriation in the Circuit Court for the Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida. On February 7, 1977, based on the defendant's recent mental breakdown caused in part by the circumstances giving rise to this prosecution, the trial court pursuant to the state's motion appointed three psychiatrists to conduct an examination of the defendant as to her sanity and thereafter to file a written report with the court setting forth: (a) a general report on the defendant's mental condition, (b) an opinion as to the capacity of the defendant presently to properly answer the charges against her and aid in her own defense and stand trial, (c) an opinion as to whether at the time of the alleged offense the defendant knew right from wrong and the nature and consequences of her acts, and (d) an opinion as to whether the defendant should be given psychiatric treatment, and, if so, recommendations as to the type of such treatment.

The court-appointed psychiatrists subsequently conducted extensive mental examinations of the defendant on more than one occasion reviewed her past mental history and filed extensive written reports with the court. These reports all concluded that the defendant was mentally incompetent to stand trial, that she was suffering from a severe depression of psychotic proportions, and was extremely suicidal.[2] These reports *197 indicated that the defendant had previously attempted suicide in September, 1976, that she was placed in a mental hospital at the Institute for Living in Hartford, Connecticut from November 3, 1976 to December 30, 1976, that she was subsequently placed in Cedars of Lebanon Hospital in Miami Beach, January 3, 1977 — February 4, 1977, under the psychiatric care of Dr. Arthur Stillman, and that she has since been receiving outpatient psychiatric care from Dr. Stillman three times weekly since her discharge from the hospital.

On March 21, 1977, the defendant through counsel filed a written waiver of speedy trial attaching thereto an affidavit of defense counsel detailing the prior and continuing severe mental history of the defendant and the virtual impossibility of communicating with the defendant concerning the case. Also attached is a mental status report of the defendant by her treating psychiatrist, Dr. Stillman, confirming in detail the psychotic state of the defendant. Accordingly, the trial of the cause was postponed while the defendant continued to receive out-patient psychiatric care.

On July 13, 1977, the trial court entered a second order appointing the same above three psychiatrists to re-examine the defendant and file written reports on the same questions as stated in the first such order. This time the psychiatrists all agreed that the defendant's mental condition had improved although she was still mentally disturbed, and that, at present, the defendant was mentally competent to stand trial.[3] These reports, like the prior psychiatric reports previously filed in this case, did not determine whether television coverage of the defendant's trial would adversely affect the defendant's competency to stand trial as such a determination was *198 not called for in either of the orders appointing the psychiatrists in this cause.

The trial court held an evidentiary hearing to determine the defendant's competency to stand trial and reviewed the above psychiatric reports. On September 27, 1977, the trial court entered an order adjudging the defendant competent to stand trial but, so far as the record reveals, made no inquiry into what impact, if any, electronic media coverage would have on the defendant's competency to stand trial.

On October 6, 1977, the defendant filed a motion to prohibit the electronic media from televising or photographing any of the court proceedings in this cause on the ground that her fragile mental condition was such that any electronic media coverage of the court proceedings herein would have an adverse effect on her mental competency to stand trial, to properly assist counsel and to mount an effective defense. The defendant prayed that the motion be set for an evidentiary hearing to determine the truth of this claim. In addition to setting forth the history of the defendant's mental illness as detailed above, the defendant attached an affidavit by defense counsel stating that he had talked to one of the court-appointed psychiatrists in this cause and that this psychiatrist (Dr. Sanford Jacobson) had concluded:

"... that appearance of the electronic media in this case would adversely affect the defendant. Her anxiety and depression will be heightened and actively interfere with her ability to defend herself and to communicate with counsel."

Defense counsel's affidavit further states:

"That based upon his extensive contact with the defendant over a ten month period he has concluded that extensive media coverage of the trial will severely lessen defendant's ability to properly defend herself. Up to a month ago this defendant was unable to actively assist in the preparation of her defense: she was totally apathetic, had no interest in discussing the details of the transactions involved, and continually expressed extreme depression concerning the future. Her condition is still very fragile; articles in newspapers, radio and television affect her greatly.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
377 So. 2d 193, 5 Media L. Rep. (BNA) 1430, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/green-v-state-fladistctapp-1979.