Sachs v. State

46 Fla. Supp. 2d 13
CourtCircuit Court for the Judicial Circuits of Florida
DecidedOctober 23, 1990
DocketCase No. 87-0019AC
StatusPublished

This text of 46 Fla. Supp. 2d 13 (Sachs v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Circuit Court for the Judicial Circuits of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Sachs v. State, 46 Fla. Supp. 2d 13 (Fla. Super. Ct. 1990).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

LEROY H. MOE, Circuit Judge.

[14]*14THIS CAUSE was considered by the Court sitting in its appellate capacity.

The court having considered the transcript of the trial, the briefs of the parties, oral argument of counsel and the applicable law, finds as follows and enters this opinion.

DISCUSSION OF THE FACTS

The Appellant, Richard Allen Sachs, was arrested on October 9, 1984 after several eyewitnesses saw him expose his genitals while jogging in public.

The Appellant was brought to trial on March 3, 1987. He was accused of having violated Florida Statute 877.03, entitled: “Breach of the Peace, Disorderly Conduct.”

On the day of trial, the State moved to amend the Information. The original charge alleged “an act which . . . corrupted the public morals or outraged the sense of public decency.” The amendment alleged “an act which constituted a breach of the peace or affected the peace and quiet of those who witnessed it.” The motion to amend was granted.

A county court jury found the Appellant guilty as charged. Evidence included testimony not only of his behavior on the day of the arrest, but also of similar acts on two previous occasions.

The Appellant was sentenced to six months on probation, a fine and costs. Special conditions of probation included counselling and twenty days in the Broward County Jail.

Notice of Appeal was timely filed. The Appellant raised eight issues on appeal, all of which are discussed in this opinion.

ISSUE ONE

CONSTITUTIONALITY OF THE STATUTE

The statute the Appellant was charged with violating was found Constitutional by the Florida Supreme Court in State v Mages, 259 So.2d 139 (Fla. 1972) and Bradshaw v State, 286 So.2d 4 (Fla. 1973).

Federal Courts considering the constitutionality of this statute have not found the statute as a whole to be unconstitutional. South Florida Free Beaches v City of Miami, 548 F.S. 53 (S.D. Fla., 1982) Federal Courts have instead found the statute capable of severance in order to save those sections which are valid. South Florida Free Beaches, supra, p. 60.

The part of the statute the Appellant was charged with violating in this case has not been found unconstitutional. Until a court of compe[15]*15tent jurisdiction finds that section of the statute this Appellant was charged with violating unconstitutional, this court is obligated to follow the Supreme Court of Florida and find this statute constitutionally valid.

ISSUE TWO

SPEEDY TRIAL

This court finds that the Appellant waived his speedy trial rights when he Petitioned for both a Writ of Prohibition and an Order to Show Cause, and was thereafter found to be “unavailable for trial,” by Circuit Court Judge Arthur Franza.

The Fourth District Court of Appeals, speaking to this issue, stated:

It would be unreasonable and uneconomic to require the state to proceed to try a case it could well be prohibited from trying . . . [and thus] . . . the [90 day period] stopped running when the Defendant sought a Writ of Prohibition . . . Erie v Kaney, 393 So.2d 649, 650-651 (Fla. 4th DCA 1984)

ISSUE THREE

WILLIAMS RULE EVIDENCE

An issue at the trial of this case was whether or not the Appellant’s exposure while jogging was intentional or a mistake. Evidence was admitted which the State contends was offered to rebut the defense of mistake. The substance of the testimony was that the Appellant exposed his penis while jogging on two other occasions before the incident for which he was charged in this case, (record p. 135)

The testimony was pursuant to and in accordance with Florida Statute 90.404, and was therefore admissible in evidence.

ISSUES FOUR AND FIVE

The next issues raised both deal with the legal sufficiency of the evidence. This court finds and determines that the evidence presented in this case was legally sufficient both to conform to the charge and to deny a Directed Verdict of Acquittal.

EVIDENCE DOES NOT CONFORM TO THE CHARGE

The defense contends that the evidence introduced in this case does not conform to the charge. The elements of this charge are:

1. identity

2. proof that the behavior in question did in fact constitute some [16]*16“breach of the peace,” or a disturbance to the “quiet of those who witnessed it.”

3. intent to commit such act

(Florida Statute, section 877.03)

Identity was not raised as an issue at trial. The Appellant’s main argument relates to the “breach of the peace” element of the charge. He contends that before one can be convicted of violating the statute, the prohibited behavior must have more of an effect than that of a “mere annoyance.” Gonzales v City of Belle Glade, 287 So.2d 669 (Fla. 1973).

This court finds there was testimony at the trial on all elements of the charge, particularly when one considers the “totality of the circumstances.” (See Gonzales, supra)

In this case, most of the persons who witnessed the Defendant’s exposure were minor children. They were bothered enough to relate what they had seen to the nearest adult, (record p. 53, line 9, record, p. 80, line 17) One child testified that she felt “embarrassed,” (record p. 64, line 19) and another that she felt “weird” (record p. 80, line 22) after witnessing the Appellant’s act. A mother of two who lived in the neighborhood testified that her peace and quiet was affected by the thought of these children seeing the Appellant’s acts. The evidence was legally sufficient to prove this element.

The remaining element is the intent of the Appellant. The intent with which an act is done is an operation of the mind and is not always susceptible to proof by extrinsic evidence. All persons are held responsible under the law for the natural and foreseeable consequences of their intentional acts. Again considering the totality of the circumstances, this court finds the evidence was legally sufficient to prove this element.

DIRECTED VERDICT'

After reading and carefully considering the transcript of the trial, this court finds that the state introduced testimony and evidence as to each of the elements of the crime before it rested its case. Therefore, the trial judge correctly denied the Appellant’s Motion for Directed Verdict of Acquittal.

ISSUE SIX

AMENDMENT THE DAY OF TRIAL

On the day of trial, the State moved to amend the Information from alleging an act that “corrupted the public morals or outraged a sense [17]*17of public decency . . to acts which “constituted a breach of the peace or affected the peace and quiet of persons who witnessed it . .

The Appellant objected to the court’s allowance of the amendment as it was really a change of substance and as such the State had to meet certain procedural criteria before proceeding to trial on the “new” charge.

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Related

United States v. John William Clements
634 F.2d 183 (Fifth Circuit, 1981)
State v. Magee
259 So. 2d 139 (Supreme Court of Florida, 1972)
Gonzales v. City of Belle Glade
287 So. 2d 669 (Supreme Court of Florida, 1973)
Bradshaw v. State
286 So. 2d 4 (Supreme Court of Florida, 1973)
Alvarez v. State
25 So. 2d 661 (Supreme Court of Florida, 1946)
Gibbs v. Wainwright
303 So. 2d 7 (Supreme Court of Florida, 1974)
Eire v. Kaney
393 So. 2d 649 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 1981)
Anderson v. State
526 So. 2d 106 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 1988)

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Bluebook (online)
46 Fla. Supp. 2d 13, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sachs-v-state-flacirct-1990.