State v. Law

2 Fla. Supp. 2d 20
CourtCircuit Court for the Judicial Circuits of Florida
DecidedMay 12, 1983
DocketCase No. 82-13712 A&B
StatusPublished

This text of 2 Fla. Supp. 2d 20 (State v. Law) 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
State v. Law, 2 Fla. Supp. 2d 20 (Fla. Super. Ct. 1983).

Opinion

J. LEONARD FLEET, Circuit Judge.

CHARGE

In a single Information, Joseph Lewis Law (hereinafter referred to a Law) and Evelyn Louise Cornelius (hereinafter referred to as Cornelius) have each been charged with the commission of several felonies, all alleged to have occurred on December 30, 1982. Defendant Law is accused of (1) possession of more than 20 grams of cannabis with the intent to sell and carrying a firearm during the commission of such crime, (2) carrying a concealed firearm, and (3) possession of more than 20 grams of cannabis. Defendant Cornelius is charged with two counts of possessing more than 20 grams of cannabis.

FACTS

On December 30, 1982, upon returning from his vacation, Ft. Lauderdale Police Sergeant George Hurt was informed by fellow Officer Ronald Range that undercover Officer Shaw was to receive delivery from Defendant Law of approximately twenty pounds of cannabis on that [21]*21date at a specified time and at a specified location. Upon receipt of this information, Sgt. Hurt took charge of the covert operation and surveillance. Officer Desiree Shirley was detailed to observe the residence of Defendant Law and to transmit, via radio, his activities in order that her fellow officers could constantly monitor Defendant Law’s activities as he loaded the suspected contraband into his vehicle and transported it to the planned destination.

As received by Sgt. Hurt, Officer Shirley broadcast that a black male (later identified as Defendant Law) was seen, at about 6:30 A.M., to exit the residence (located at 1008 N.W. 11th Court, Ft. Lauderdale, and previously determined to be that of Defendant Law) carrying a large grey plastic bag. Defendant Law was seen to place the plastic bag inside a white Chevrolet van parked in front of the aforesaid residence and to then return to, and enter, the residence. A few minutes later, Defendant Law and a black female (later identified as Defendant Cornelius) exited the residence jointly carrying a box which was placed inside the abovedescribed Chevrolet van. Both Defendants entered the subject van, with Defendant Law driving, and departed the area.

All of the foregoing information, as well as physical descriptions of the subjects, their clothing, and their vehicle was broadcast by Officer Shirley as she made her observations and, simultaneously, were received and noted by Sgt. Hurt, the latter being in uniform and occupying a marked police unit some distance away from the residence of the Defendants.

When Defendant Law drove away from his residence in the white Chevrolet van, Officer Shirley was ordered by Sgt. Hurt to discontinue her surveillance. Surveillance of the van was, however, continued by another officer in an airplane and Sgt. Hurt received a steady stream of information detailing the route being followed by the suspects. Based upon the information then at his disposal, Sgt. Hurt stopped the van on Sunrise Boulevard before it reached its planned destination, giving as his reason a desire to not then reveal the true identity of undercover Officer Shaw.

Once the van was stopped, Defendant Law exited the van and walked back to Sgt. Hurt, leaving the driver’s door of the van open. At this point in time, Officer Marion Sims (who was part of the surveillance team) arrived on the scene, spread Defendant Law against the side of the van and patted him down; it was during his “pat down” search that a handgun was found in a shoulder holster, concealed by the jacket worn by the Defendant.

[22]*22During the occurrence of the events commencing with the arrival of Officer Sims, Defendant Cornelius was observed to exit the van from the passenger’s side. According to Sgt. Hurt, Defendant Cornelius became agitated and noisy, refusing to obey Sgt. Hurt’s orders to remain quiet which refusal ultimately resulted in her being arrested at the scene for disorderly conduct.

Breaking away from the confrontation concerning both Defendants, Sgt. Hurt approached the front of the van. From the open driver’s door, Sgt. Hurt detected the odor of what he recognized to be unburned, bulk cannabis, said odor emanating from the interior of the van. When he looked through the front windshield, Sgt. Hurt observed a large grey plastic bag on the floor inside the van; the observed plastic bag appeared to match the description, earlier broadcast by Officer Range, of the plastic bag placed in the van by Defendant Law.

Defendants Law and Cornelius were formally arrested and removed from the scene. Sgt. Hurt remained at the arrest location in order to secure the van pending return of a search warrant. Officers Shirley and Range returned to their office where applications for search warrants were prepared. At approximately 10:00 A.M., December 30, 1982, the applications for search warrants for the van and the residence located at 1008 N.W. 11th Court, Ft. Lauderdale, were simultaneously presented to Hon. John Ferris who then issued the search warrants.

Although it is not completely clear from the testimony, it seems — and this Court so finds — that the van was searched first, said search being conducted on Sunrise Boulevard where the vehicle was stopped. After the grey plastic bag was opened and, for the first time, the presence of suspect cannabis therein was confirmed, the search warrant for the house was executed.

By stipulation of counsel for the State and the Defendants, Officer Range was excused from giving sworn testimony in open court pursuant to the timely filed Motions to Suppress. It was agreed, however, that had he been called, Officer Range would have testified that when he and Officer Shirley appeared before Judge Ferris, they gave no testimony other than to swear to the contents of their respective affidavits. By contrast, Officer Shirley testified upon oral examination that in addition to affirming the truth of their affidavits, they told Judge Ferris that the events therein had all occurred within the week prior to December 30, 1982, and, more specifically, that very day. To resolve this apparent conflict, counsel for the State and both accused parties agreed to have this court obtain, ex parte and unsworn, testimony from Judge Ferris addressing the issue of what inquiry, if any, was made of Officers Range and Shirley before he issued the two arrest warrants.

[23]*23Judge Ferris informed this court that his calendar for December 30, 1982, reflects that he was taking testimony in a probation revocation proceeding [which could have been perceived as a trial by Officer Shirley] but he has absolutely no recollection of either executing the subject search warrants or of taking any testimony.

Defendant Cornelius, testifying in her own behalf, informed the court that both defendants contributed money toward the purchase of the van, even though it was titled solely in the name of Defendant Law. Each defendant had separate, duplicate keys to the van. The defendants were married to each other on January 12, 1983, but had lived as, and had held themselves out as, husband and wife since 1973. While maintaining separate savings accounts, the defendants did maintain a joint checking account, as well as joint charge accounts with Visa and Mastercard.

I

SUFFICIENCY OF LEGAL RIGHT TO CHALLENGE INITIAL STOP AND SUBSEQUENT SEARCH OF VAN

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Bluebook (online)
2 Fla. Supp. 2d 20, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-law-flacirct-1983.