State Ex Rel. Johnson v. MacMillan

194 So. 2d 627
CourtDistrict Court of Appeal of Florida
DecidedJanuary 30, 1967
Docket7462
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 194 So. 2d 627 (State Ex Rel. Johnson v. MacMillan) 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
State Ex Rel. Johnson v. MacMillan, 194 So. 2d 627 (Fla. Ct. App. 1967).

Opinion

194 So.2d 627 (1967)

STATE of Florida ex rel. James A. JOHNSON, Relator,
v.
Honorable Hugh MacMILLAN, As Duly Appointed Judge of the Criminal Court of Record of Hillsborough County, Respondent.

No. 7462.

District Court of Appeal of Florida. Second District.

January 30, 1967.

*628 Harry M. Hobbs, Tampa, for relator.

Paul Antinori, Jr., State Atty., John S. Burton, Asst. State Atty., Tampa, for respondent.

ALLEN, Chief Judge.

James A. Johnson, the relator, seeks to prohibit Judge Hugh MacMillan from trying him upon an indictment for embezzlement on the ground that Johnson is immune from prosecution by reason of his appearance before the Grand Jury and answering various questions asked him by the State Attorney and the State Attorney's investigator.

Judge MacMillan was assigned to the Criminal Court of Record of Hillsborough County due to disqualification of the two resident judges.

*629 Johnson was subpoenaed before the Hillsborough County Grand Jury and was immunized from prosecution for any of the things or matters about which he would testify concerning violations of the laws against larceny.

Thereafter, the State Attorney questioned Johnson in detail concerning the direction and activities of the employees working directly under Johnson's supervision, including Manuel Nales, Jr., Ray Gonzalez, Billy Hooker, James G. Clements and Jacquelyn Benjamin.

James A. Johnson was questioned concerning his employment and duties while working as supervisor of the book depository.

Johnson is being prosecuted for working in concert with and under the direction of J. Crockett Farnell, Superintendent of the Board of Public Instruction of Hillsborough County, Florida, to embezzle such properties as building supplies, paint, lumber, gasoline, tools and equipment and having the same delivered to premises known as Camp Oconee owned by a corporate entity of which the co-defendant Farnell is a principal stockholder. This charge proceeds under a special statute pertaining to public officials and public employees — Section 812.10, Fla. Stats. F.S.A.

As above mentioned, J. Crockett Farnell and James A. Johnson were jointly indicted. The State Attorney for the Thirteenth Circuit filed an amended information, Case No. 64244-A, which is as follows:

"Paul Antinori, Jr., State Attorney for the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit in and for the County of Hillsborough, State of Florida, does hereby CHARGE that J. CROCKETT FARNELL and JAMES A. JOHNSON, in the County and State aforesaid, did commit embezzlement in the following particulars:
"(1) That at all times herein the defendant, J. CROCKETT FARNELL, being a County Officer, to-wit: Superintendent of the Board of Public Instruction of Hillsborough County, Florida, and JAMES A. JOHNSON, at all times herein being an employee of the Board of Public Instruction of Hillsborough County, Florida, to-wit: Supervisor of warehouse in the County School System known as the `Book Depository':
"(2) That at all times herein the said defendants while acting in their aforesaid capacities and by virtue of their said offices and employment, on and from the 1st day of January, 1958, and on divers and sundry occasions from that date to the date of the filing of this Information, did convert to the use of the said J. CROCKETT FARNELL, property and effects belonging to the Board of Public Instruction of Hillsborough County, Florida, a more further description of which is hereinafter alleged, with the intent of defrauding and permanently depriving the school board of said property and effects, it being the duty of the said J. CROCKETT FARNELL and the said JAMES A. JOHNSON to receive said property and effects and to properly administer said property and effects for the use and benefit of the County School Board, and more particularly, on and between the times aforementioned, the said J. CROCKETT FARNELL being a private stockholder and owner of a private corporation known as James Investment Company, said corporation being the grantee and owner of certain improved property, acreage and premises in the County of Hillsborough, which property and premises is commonly known as `Camp Oconee', did procure, obtain, counsel and direct the said JAMES A. JOHNSON, to transport and deliver, or to have transported and delivered, by employees working subordinate to the said JAMES A. JOHNSON, building materials, lumber, paint and supplies of the type used in the construction and maintenance of buildings, hardware, janitorial supplies and equipment of various *630 sorts and kinds used for the construction, maintenance or beautification of buildings and yards, gasoline and plumbing fixtures, which property and effects were actually transported and delivered to the said `Camp Oconee' and used for the purpose of maintaining, repairing, improving and refurbishing the said `Camp Oconee', contrary to the form of the Statute in such case made and provided, to-wit: Florida Statutes 812.10 of the Laws of Florida, 1965, and against the peace and dignity of the State of Florida."

Attached to the brief of the relator is a copy of a motion for bill of particulars of the defendant J. Crockett Farnell and also a bill of particulars furnished by the State Attorney in response to the motion for bill of particulars.

For clarity, we shall first show what information was requested and in the succeeding paragraph show the answer furnished by the State.

Questions:

"2. Whether the State intends to charge and prove, at the trial of said cause, that defendant, J. Crockett Farnell, personally committed each of the alleged offenses charged in the Amended Information or whether said defendant procured, obtained, counseled and directed James A. Johnson to commit each of the alleged offenses, and if the latter, whether the defendant, J. Crockett Farnell, was present, procuring, obtaining, counseling and directing James A. Johnson to commit each of the alleged offenses, and, in either case, the exact time, date and place thereof.
"3. Whether the State intends to charge and prove, at the trial of said cause, that defendant, J. Crockett Farnell, personally committed some of the alleged offenses charged in the Amended Information, and procured, obtained, counseled and directed James A. Johnson to commit other of the alleged offenses, and, if so, which of the alleged offenses were personally committed by defendant, J. Crockett Farnell, and which of the alleged offenses the defendant, J. Crockett Farnell, procured, obtained, counseled and directed James A. Johnson to commit, and as to the latter, whether defendant, J. Crockett Farnell was present, and, in either case, the exact time, date and place thereof."

Answering 2 and 3, the State said:

"In answer to Paragraphs Two and Three of the Motion for Bill of Particulars, the State intends to prove that J. Crockett Farnell committed the offense of embezzlement as charged in the Amended Information, in that the said J. Crockett Farnell procured, obtained and directed James A. Johnson to do and to have done by others the acts set forth in the Amended Information. The State is unable to say at what precise or exact time, or date, or place the said J. Crockett Farnell directed James A. Johnson to do the things charged, other than to say that the offense was committed during the period from January 1, 1958, to July 12, 1966. The precise or exact time, date, or place of any such conspiracies, agreements, procurement, obtaining, or directing on the part of J. Crockett Farnell and/or James A.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
194 So. 2d 627, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-ex-rel-johnson-v-macmillan-fladistctapp-1967.