Patterson v. State

513 So. 2d 1257, 12 Fla. L. Weekly 528
Supreme Court of Florida·Decided October 15, 1987·No. 67830·Published·Cited by 39 cases

Opinion

513 So.2d 1257 (1987)

Scott PATTERSON, Appellant,
v.
STATE of Florida, Appellee.

No. 67830.

Supreme Court of Florida.

October 15, 1987.

*1258 Harry Gulkin, Ft. Lauderdale, for appellant.

Robert A. Butterworth, Atty. Gen. and Eddie J. Bell, Asst. Atty. Gen., West Palm Beach, for appellee.

PER CURIAM.

The appellant, Scott Patterson, appeals his convictions for first-degree murder, sexual battery, and burglary, and his death sentence imposed by the trial judge in accordance with the jury's sentence recommendation. We have jurisdiction. Art. V, § 3(b)(1), Fla. Const. We affirm appellant's convictions but remand for a new sentencing hearing.

On June 7, 1985, at approximately 3:45 a.m., a Miramar Police Department detective *1259 proceeded to South Broward Hospital. After arriving at the hospital's emergency room, the detective interviewed Scott Patterson, the appellant. Patterson was being treated for a stab wound to the stomach and supposedly had information regarding a homicide. Patterson claimed he was visiting friends that evening and, on returning to his parents' house around 1:00 a.m., he heard unusual noises coming from his neighbor's residence across the street. According to Patterson, he viewed the silhouette of a male prowling near the neighbor's house, and he left his car and attempted to catch the prowler. Patterson stated that he chased the prowler into the neighbor's house, then outside, where he wrestled the prowler and was stabbed in the stomach. The detective relayed this information to the crime scene.

After Patterson moved from the emergency ward to a regular hospital room, the detective interviewed him again around 9:45 a.m. Patterson's mother was present and the detective taped the interview. Patterson related his earlier story about being stabbed by a prowler. Following the interview, however, the detective informed Patterson's mother that discrepancies between the two stories necessitated a third interview. These discrepancies included the fact that no knife hole existed in the T-shirt appellant claimed he was wearing when he was stabbed in the stomach, and police found blood on Patterson's shoes, though he claimed he removed them prior to chasing the prowler.

The detective interviewed Patterson a third time around 1:00 p.m. During this interview, Patterson's story changed substantially. Patterson claimed he heard noises from his neighbor's house, went to investigate, and saw a body through a bedroom window. He entered the house, attempted CPR, but decided he needed additional help. While enroute for assistance, Patterson claimed he was attacked, stabbed, and left lying in the neighbor's front yard. Confronted with the discrepancies between this version and his earlier story, Patterson confessed to the murder. After Patterson's oral admission of guilt, the detective gave Patterson his rights pursuant to Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, 86 S.Ct. 1602, 16 L.Ed.2d 694 (1966), and appellant provided the following taped account of the murder.

Patterson stated he had been drinking at a local bar and visiting with friends. When he returned home, he noticed a light on in the neighbor's residence. Patterson went inside his parents' house and obtained a kitchen knife with a long blade, then walked across the street. After circling the victim's house, Patterson entered through the victim's bedroom window. The victim was lying on her bed asleep. Patterson checked other rooms in the house, then returned to the victim's bedroom and stood over her bed. The victim awoke and Patterson, with the knife in his hand, conveyed the message that he wanted to have sex. The victim started to comply, then grabbed the knife, which Patterson had placed on the bed, and stabbed appellant in the abdomen. A struggle ensued, but Patterson eventually retrieved the knife, placed a pillow over the victim's face, and stabbed her repeatedly in the chest and neck. After the killing, Patterson placed his T-shirt, which he had removed, and the knife in the leg of one of the victim's pants. Patterson returned to his parents' house and hid the bundle under a chair. Patterson then woke his father, told him that he had been stabbed by a burglar, and requested that he be taken to the hospital. While enroute to the hospital, appellant's father waved down a police officer, who escorted them to the emergency room. In the emergency room, Patterson told the officer that he was stabbed attempting to apprehend a burglar crawling through his neighbor's window. While relaying this information to the crime scene, the officer learned that a murder had occurred. Officials advised the officer not to lose contact with appellant, and the detective was summoned to the hospital.

The jury convicted Patterson of first-degree murder, sexual battery, and burglary. During the sentencing phase, the state presented no witnesses and Patterson's mother provided the only testimony for the defense. The jury, by a seven-to-five vote, *1260 recommended the death penalty. Prior to sentencing, the trial judge received a presentence investigation report that recommended a life sentence. In the sentencing proceeding before the judge, testimony was presented by the victim's niece, who was caring for the victim's two children, and by Patterson's mother. The judge imposed the death sentence, stating that the aggravating circumstances outweighed the mitigating circumstances, and commented that Patterson showed "little or no remorse." The judge's statement, made in open court, did not articulate or explain the specific aggravating or mitigating circumstances, but merely summarized the sentencing factors as they were presented to the jury. The trial judge then directed the state attorney to prepare the sentencing order. The sentencing order, as prepared by the state attorney and signed by the trial judge, found three aggravating circumstances: (1) the defendant was previously convicted of a felony involving the use or threat of violence to the person; (2) the capital felony was committed while the defendant was committing a burglary; and (3) the capital felony was especially heinous, atrocious, and cruel. In mitigation, the order found that Patterson had no significant history of prior criminal activity.

Guilt Phase

Patterson raises three issues in the guilt phase of his trial. He contends (1) the trial court erred in admitting his confession; (2) admission of certain photographs inflamed the jury and denied him a fair trial; and (3) that voluntary intoxication prevented him from formulating the specific intent necessary for first-degree murder and sexual battery.

With regard to the first claim, Patterson argues the trial court erred by denying his motion to suppress the confession because the state took advantage of his weakened physical condition and used undue influence to procure a confession. We reject the contention that the statements and confession are involuntary as a matter of law. There were no threats of violence or direct or implied promises. The record reflects that after interviewing Patterson for the second time, the detective felt the discrepancies in appellant's first two stories necessitated a third interview. During this third interview, appellant was unable to explain the differences in his earlier versions of the events and confessed to the murder. We approve the holding in State v. Williams, 386 So.2d 27 (Fla. 2d DCA 1980), that

a confession may not be excluded merely because it was made under exci

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