State v. A.R.S.

684 So. 2d 1383, 1996 Fla. App. LEXIS 13159
District Court of Appeal of Florida·Decided December 19, 1996·No. No. 96-333·Published·Cited by 8 cases

Opinions

PER CURIAM.

The State appeals the trial court order dismissing two counts of the delinquency petition charging A.R.S. with violation of sections 827.071(2) and (3), Florida Statutes (1995), on the grounds of equal protection and the right to privacy. We reverse on both grounds.

A delinquency petition was filed on October 9, 1995, charging appellee with the following: Count I — knowingly employing, authorizing, or inducing a child of less than 18 years of age to engage in a sexual performance, contrary to section 827.071(2); Count II — knowingly producing, directing, or promoting a performance including sexual conduct by a child of less than 18 years of age, contrary to section 827.071(3); and Count III — possessing a videotape of a sexual performance by a child with the intent to promote presentation of the videotape, contrary to section 827.071(4). The charges stem from an incident of September 5, 1994, in which fifteen-year-old A.R.S. videotaped himself and a younger minor (M.B., a female) engaged in nude, sexual foreplay. A.R.S. also is alleged to have retained possession of the videotape and to have played the videotape for a third .person when M.B. was not present.

Appellee filed a motion to dismiss the delinquency petition, which argued (1) that the statutes were applied to A.R.S. in a gender-discriminatory fashion that violated his constitutional right to equal protection and (2) that the statutes are unconstitutional as applied to A.R.S. because they violate his right to privacy under the Florida Constitution. At the hearing on the motion held January 4, 1996, appellee primarily relied on B.B. v. State, 659 So.2d 256 (Fla.1995). The State argued that the compelling interest in the statutes was to protect children from exploitation and distinguished B.B. v. State. The court issued an order on January 5, 1995, that dismissed Counts I and II of the delinquency petition “under the facts of this case, considering the ages of the children and based on equal protection” and cited B.B. v. State. Count III remains pending below.

The trial court’s order dismissed Counts I and II of the petition expressly on the ground of equal protection in response to appellee’s argument that the State’s decision to charge appellee and not the female minor involved in the incident constituted gender-based discrimination. The Supreme Court has stated that the government has broad discretion in determining whom to prosecute, and this discretion “rests largely on the recognition that the decision to prosecute is particularly ill-suited to judicial review”; therefore, the “courts are properly hesitant to examine the decision whether to prosecute.” Wayte v. United States, 470 U.S. 598, 607, 608, 105 S.Ct. 1524, 1530, 1531, 84 L.Ed.2d 547 (1985). See generally United States v. Armstrong, — U.S. —, 116 S.Ct. 1480, 134 L.Ed.2d 687 (1996) (reviewing requirements for selective prosecution claims). “The mere failure to prosecute all offenders is no ground for a claim of denial of equal protection.” Bell v. State, 369 So.2d 932, 934 (Fla.1979). Prosecutorial discretion is not unfettered, however, and “ ‘[selectivity ⅛ the enforcement of criminal laws is ... subject to constitutional constraints.’ ” Wayte, 470 U.S. at 608, 105 S.Ct. at 1531 (citing United States v. Batchelder, 442 U.S. 114, 125, 99 S.Ct. 2198, 2205, 60 L.Ed.2d 755 (1979)). Deliberately basing the decision to prosecute upon race, religion, or other “unjustifiable” classification is prohibited. Id. Accord Bell, 369 So.2d at 934 (To constitute a denial of equal protection, selective or discriminatory [1385] prosecution “must be deliberately based on an unjustifiable standard such as race, religion, or other arbitrary classification.”); Barber v. State, 564 So.2d 1169, 1170 (Fla. 1st DCA), review denied, 576 So.2d 284 (Fla. 1990).

In making a claim of selective prosecution, a defendant bears a heavy burden.

To support a defense of selective or discriminatory prosecution, a defendant bears the heavy burden of establishing at least ‘prima facie, (1) that, while others similarly situated have not generally been proceeded against because of conduct of the type forming the basis of the charge against him, he has been singled out for prosecution, and (2) that the government’s discriminatory selection of him for prosecution has been invidious or in bad faith, i.e., based upon such impermissible considerations as race, religion, or the desire to prevent his exercise of constitutional rights.

State v. Parrish, 567 So.2d 461, 465 (Fla. 1st DCA 1990) (quoting United States v. Berrios, 501 F.2d 1207, 1211 (2d Cir.1974)), review denied, 581 So.2d 167 (Fla.1991). See also Wayte, 470 U.S. at 608, 105 S.Ct. at 1531 (“[PJetitioner is require[d] to show both that the passive enforcement system had a discriminatory effect and that it was motivated by a discriminatory purpose.”). The second prong of the test requires the defendant to “demonstrate discriminatory purpose” by establishing that “(1) he was singled out for prosecution although the government was aware that others had violated the law, and (2) the government had followed unusual discretionary procedures in deciding to prosecute.” Parrish, 567 So.2d at 467. See U.S. v. Redondo-Lemos, 955 F.2d 1296, 1301 (9th Cir.1992) (“It is not enough for the court to be convinced that the prosecutor’s enforcement decisions have a discriminatory effect; it must also find that the prosecutor was motivated by a discriminatory purpose in the very case before it.”). A defendant must establish the selective prosecution claim by clear and convincing evidence. Parrish, 567 So.2d at 464. In review, an appellate court is required to “ ‘undertake a sensitive inquiry into such circumstantial and direct evidence of intent as may be available.’ ” Id. at 467.

In reviewing a ruling on a motion to dismiss, this court must view the evidence in a light most favorable to the state. State v. Parrish, 567 So.2d 461, 465 (Fla. 1st DCA 1990) (“[A]ll inferences attendant upon the evidence offered in support of a motion to dismiss will be resolved against the defendant.”), review denied, 581 So.2d 167 (Fla. 1991). In the instant case, appellee argued that both he and M.B. were similarly situated because she also participated in operating the video camera and the State’s decision to prosecute A.R.S. was based on appellee’s gender. Appellee failed to meet the first prong of the selective prosecution test as to Count II of the delinquency petition. The second count alleged that appellee violated section 827.071(3), Florida Statutes, which provides as follows in pertinent part:

A person is guilty of promoting a sexual performance by a child when, knowing the character and content thereof, he produces, directs, or promotes any performance which includes sexual conduct by a child less than 18 years of age.

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State v. A.R.S., 684 So. 2d 1383, 1996 Fla. App. LEXIS 13159 (Fla. Ct. App. 1996).

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