Grimes v. State

244 So. 2d 130
CourtSupreme Court of Florida
DecidedJanuary 28, 1971
Docket39075
StatusPublished
Cited by15 cases

This text of 244 So. 2d 130 (Grimes v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Grimes v. State, 244 So. 2d 130 (Fla. 1971).

Opinion

244 So.2d 130 (1971)

Nathaniel GRIMES, Jr., Appellant,
v.
STATE of Florida, Appellee.

No. 39075.

Supreme Court of Florida.

January 28, 1971.
Rehearing Denied March 4, 1971.

*131 Stewart E. Parsons, of Joanos & Parsons, Tallahassee, for appellant.

Robert L. Shevin, Atty. Gen., J. Christian Meffert, Asst. Atty. Gen., for appellee.

ADKINS, Justice.

This is a direct appeal from a judgment adjudging Defendant guilty of murder in the first degree and a sentence of death.

The indictment in this case charged that, from a premeditated design to effect the death of Walter A. Minski, Bill Brown, Jr. and Nathaniel Grimes, Jr. killed him by shooting him with a pistol on January 13, 1969 in Leon County, Florida. A severance was granted and Defendant Grimes was found guilty of murder in the first degree without a recommendation of mercy.

Mr. Minski, the operator of the Prince Murat Hotel in Tallahassee, Leon County, Florida, was mortally wounded shortly before midnight in the office of the motel. Prior to his death Mr. Minski informed a police officer that two young colored men tried to rob him, one of which was tall and slender, over six feet, and the other was about five feet seven inches. The taller one had a pistol and, when Mr. Minski grabbed the man with the gun, the man shot him. At this point both men fled. Mr. Minski also informed a guest at the motel that two young colored men in stocking masks had tried to rob him. An employee of a Gulf service station testified that on the night of the homicide he sold a dollar's worth of high test gasoline to two males in a Dodge Dart, sports model, automobile. This automobile had a "red-lined tire on it" and the wheel cover was off the right rear tire. The driver appeared to be of slight build, but taller than the one in the passenger seat.

An automobile dealer from Cocoa testified that a green Dodge Dart had been reported stolen from Hooper Motors in Cocoa, Florida, on December 7, 1968, and he had recovered the car from the Tallahassee Police Department.

On January 14, 1969, Captain Lane of the Thomasville, Georgia Police Department received a police bulletin advising his office to be on the lookout for a green two-door hardtop 1967 or 1968 Dodge Dart, very dirty, with a red-sidewall tire and possibly a hub cap missing. The bulletin stated that the automobile was believed occupied by two colored males, armed with one or more pistols.

*132 Captain Lane observed an automobile which fitted this description parked in front of the residence of Defendant Grimes in Thomasville, Georgia. He radioed the tag number to the dispatcher and requested a check to ascertain if the automobile was stolen. He was advised that the vehicle had been reported stolen in Titusville, Florida. Captain Lane and a companion, Sergeant Barkley, then placed the automobile under surveillance.

Later they observed the Defendant as he came out of his house wearing a blue bathrobe. Defendant went back into the house for a few minutes, reappeared without the bathrobe, approached the automobile, opened the door and removed a green jacket. At that time the officers approached Defendant in his front yard, identified themselves as police officers and took Defendant into custody. Captain Lane asked Defendant who was in the house and, upon being informed that Defendant's wife and baby were inside, the officer requested and received Defendant's permission to check the residence.

Captain Lane left Defendant in the front yard in the custody of his companion officer and went to the house. The front door was locked, but Mrs. Grimes admitted the officer after being informed that Defendant had given him permission to check the house for other persons. Upon examination Captain Lane found that no other persons were occupying the house. He then asked his companion officer to bring Defendant into the house.

Captain Lane asked Defendant who owned the automobile and Defendant stated that he did. The Defendant was immediately advised of his constitutional rights.

The officers testified that they requested permission to look around the house and this permission was given by Grimes. On appeal the Defendant says that the search without a search warrant of Defendant's residence was not incident to a lawful arrest and was therefore unreasonable and unconstitutional; that the fruits of the search were inadmissible in evidence and the trial court erred in denying his motion to suppress.

The room where the evidence introduced at the trial was found was approximately six or eight feet from the point where Defendant was placed under arrest in the house. The blue bathrobe which Defendant had worn earlier was the first thing Captain Lane noticed. As he picked it up one of the pockets bulged out, and he could see a pistol in the pocket. Captain Lane inquired if Defendant wished to carry some clothes to the police station with him. The Defendant replied affirmatively. As Captain Lane picked up Defendant's jacket he noticed two women's stockings, one of which was torn. Captain Lane removed a man's green windbreaker jacket, a green turtleneck sweater, two stockings, a blue bathrobe, and a .22 revolver.

The Defendant says the search and seizure violated his constitutional rights and seeks comfort in the decision of Chimel v. California, 395 U.S. 752, 89 S.Ct. 2034, 23 L.Ed.2d 685 (1969), relating to a search incident to an arrest. In Chimel the Court held that the constitution prohibited warrantless search at the time of arrest which extended beyond the accused person and the area he might reach to obtain a weapon or to destroy evidence, i.e., the area under his immediate control. Absent a warrant, the search incident to an arrest may extend no further.

On the other hand the State contends that Chimel is not applicable as it should only apply to searches occurring after June 23, 1969, the date of the Chimel decision. The search in the case sub judice occurred in January, 1969.

The United States Supreme Court expressly declined to determine the question of the retroactivity of Chimel in Shipley v. California, 395 U.S. 818, 89 S.Ct. 2053, 23 L.Ed.2d 732 (1969) and Von Cleef v. New Jersey, 395 U.S. 814, 89 S.Ct. 2051, 23 L.Ed.2d 728 (1969). However, the United States Circuit Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit, *133 in Lyon v. United States, 416 F.2d 91 (1969), cert. den. 396 U.S. 1023, 90 S.Ct. 597, 24 L.Ed.2d 516 (1970), concluded that Chimel is not retroactive even as to cases still in the process of direct review. See also Jordan v. United States, 416 F.2d 338 (C.C.A. 9th, 1969); United States v. Bennett, 415 F.2d 1113 (C.C.A.2nd, 1969), cert. den. Haywood v. United States, 396 U.S. 852, 90 S.Ct. 113, 117, 24 L.Ed.2d 101 (1969); People v. Castillo, 80 Cal. Rptr. 211 (Cal. App. 1969); Scott v. State, 7 Md. App. 505, 256 A.2d 384 (1969); State v. Tuck, 462 P.2d 175 (Or. App., 1969). Contra, Fresneda v.

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Bluebook (online)
244 So. 2d 130, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/grimes-v-state-fla-1971.