McClellan v. State

359 So. 2d 869
CourtDistrict Court of Appeal of Florida
DecidedApril 25, 1978
DocketFF-98
StatusPublished
Cited by18 cases

This text of 359 So. 2d 869 (McClellan 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
McClellan v. State, 359 So. 2d 869 (Fla. Ct. App. 1978).

Opinion

359 So.2d 869 (1978)

Daniel McCLELLAN, Appellee,
v.
STATE of Florida, Appellant.

No. FF-98.

District Court of Appeal of Florida, First District.

April 25, 1978.
Rehearing Denied June 26, 1978.

*870 Michael J. Minerva, Public Defender, for appellant.

Robert L. Shevin, Atty. Gen., Richard W. Prospect, Asst. Atty. Gen., for appellee.

BOYER, Judge.

Defendant (appellant here) convicted of first degree murder and robbery, now appeals the judgment and sentence.

Defendant was charged with the murder of David (Boy) Wood, who was beaten, robbed and died of a heart attack while in route to the hospital. He was arrested more than a month later by Alabama deputies on the basis of a Florida arrest warrant.

After defendant was arrested, he was taken to jail and his car impounded. The Alabama arresting officer signed an affidavit requesting a search warrant to search defendant's car, which affidavit recited:

"Before me, Robert L. Bowers, the undersigned magistrate personally appeared William S. Grover, who after first being duly sworn according to law, does depose and say as follows:
"That he is a deputy sheriff of Chilton County, Alabama and he is presently working with the state investigators and some Florida authorities on the investigation and apprehension of a fleeing, wanted felon who is a fugitive *871 from Washington County, Florida, on a certified copy of a first degree murder warrant and a robbery warrant from said county, which is in the hands of the affiant and calls for the arrest of one Daniel L. McClellan for the murder and robbery of one David `Boy' Wood, that last night the affiant sighted the car of said fugitive at Summers Used Car Lot in Clanton, Alabama that fit the description that the affiant had been given: Affiant followed the said car away and some 5 miles away affiant and another car of officers stopped said car on highways 65; before stopping the car affiant also noticed that it had a new and different license tag on it from the last time affiant had seen the car and he thought that it was probably a switched tag (this has later been checked through the tag records and is verified that it is switched). Upon seeing the driver license of the driver which was in the name of Daniel L. McClellan, affiant recognized said man as fitting the physical description that he had been given as a white male, approximately 5 feet 10 inches tall with long black hair. Affiant arrested him there on probable cause for murder and robbery and brought him to the Chilton County jail and the car. The Florida officials are also appearing with the affiant with their warrant and complete file on the murder and robbery and there is now an immediate need to search said car for weapons and items used in and connected with said murder and robbery, these being a pair of surgical gloves, a stocking type mask (two masks) with tape around the eye holes, a multiple colored long sleeved cloth shirt, a pair of zipper boot type shoes, a 38 pistol, a 357 magnum pistol, a german luger pistol, and any other firearms and weapons that may be in the car, a small zipper `AWOL' flight bag. The said car is now parked at the Chilton County jail and is described as a 1974 Mark IV Lincoln Continental 2-door, tan over copper with vinyl top, bearing license tag Alabama 14-11520 at time of apprehension, with VIN # F4Y89A825681F, and search for any other items that may be evidence of said murder and robbery."

In addition to that affidavit, a Florida law enforcement officer, Doug Wright, appeared before the Alabama judge and gave sworn oral testimony in support of the issuance of the warrant. Wright later testified at the trial that he told the Alabama judge the defendant was wanted for first degree murder, that he had been told by the brother of defendant's girl friend that certain paraphernalia and weapons connected with the crime were in the defendant's possession and that the defendant's girl friend had told him there were guns in the back of the car. Wright further testified that the Alabama official told him there was a man in the back seat of the car when defendant was arrested and the description of that man matched that of an alleged accomplice in the murder, Joe Brown. Because of his suspicion that Brown had been in the car at time of defendant's arrest, Wright told the Alabama magistrate of his belief that weapons and other evidence connected with the murder were still in the car. The search warrant was issued. The evidence seized from the car as a result of the search was a shirt allegedly worn by the defendant at the time of the offense, a bag containing masks and rolls of tape allegedly used during the offense, a pair of gloves, one of which contained defendant's fingerprints, and another bag later identified by Joe Brown. The defendant moved to suppress the evidence obtained as a result of the search which motion was denied. The trial judge ruled that under Alabama law the affidavit could be supplemented by oral testimony to establish probable cause.

At the trial, several witnesses including co-defendant, Joe Brown, testified against defendant. Brown testified that when he and defendant attacked Wood to rob him, Brown hit Wood in the back of the head with the gun he was holding while defendant hit Wood in the front of the head with the gun he was holding. Brown stated Wood put up quite a fight but they were *872 finally able to wrestle him into the woods whereupon a truck drove by and he and defendant discontinued their attack and left. Wood died a few minutes later as a result of a heart attack.

During the trial, the state called William Gibbons to testify. Defense counsel objected on the grounds that he had been given the witness's name the preceding Wednesday before the trial, the witness's address was given as the Montgomery area, and counsel was unable to depose him because he had no idea where to find him. Counsel further objected because the witness was apparently going to testify to some sort of admission against interest or confession by the defendant and the state had responded to discovery that there were no confessions, no admissions, and no testimony or statements given by the defendant. In the discussion that followed, the trial judge noted that the name "Gibbons" had been referred to extensively in the material accompanying the motion to suppress filed prior to trial, and therefore there was no sufficient surprise to keep Gibbons off the stand. The trial judge acknowledged defendant was entitled to know what statements Gibbons was going to make and he ordered a recess for the day to give defense counsel an opportunity to depose the witness. The next day, on the stand, Gibbons testified that when defendant was told there was a murder warrant for him in Florida, he stated "the man was alive when they left him." On cross-examination, the defense counsel asked Gibbons the question, "you didn't testify to that yesterday, did you, sir?" To which Gibbons responded, "I don't remember whether I did or not". Although defense counsel attempted to impeach Gibbons on the basis of his prior inconsistent statement, he did not object to the admissibility of Gibbons statement nor otherwise move the trial court to determine what prejudicial effect, if any, those statements had on defendant's case. At this point, it is necessary to mention that this court does not have the benefit of a transcript of Gibbons' deposition with which to compare Gibbons testimony on the day of the trial.

Later in the trial, the state called Dale Newt.

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Bluebook (online)
359 So. 2d 869, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mcclellan-v-state-fladistctapp-1978.