State v. Mourin

32 Fla. Supp. 2d 101
CourtMiami-Dade County Court
DecidedFebruary 6, 1989
DocketCase No. 26544, 6, 7, 8, 9, 60-IB
StatusPublished

This text of 32 Fla. Supp. 2d 101 (State v. Mourin) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Miami-Dade County Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Mourin, 32 Fla. Supp. 2d 101 (Fla. Super. Ct. 1989).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

JEFFREY ROSINEK, County Judge.

ORDER ON DEFENDANTS MOTION TO DISCHARGE

THIS CAUSE HAVING come on to be heard on Defendant’s Motion to Discharge, and after hearing argument of Counsel and receiving all exhibits,

IT IS ORDERED AND ADJUDGED AS FOLLOWS:

FACTUAL BASIS

1. On June 4, 1987, Corporal Smith of the Metro-Dade Police [102]*102Department issued various citations in the name of Jesus Mourin, the defendant, after an extended chase.

2. After several bench warrants as well as Defense and State continuances, the case was set for trial on September 1, 1988.

3. On September 1, 1988, the Court granted a continuance to allow the defendant time to submit a defense alibi witness list and to take depositions of the State witnesses.

4. On September 1, 1988, when the Court granted the continuance, it ordered to defendant to submit a witness list.

5. The following is an excerpt from the Court’s proceedings on September 1, 1988.

“The Court:
“Now we have - P.D., do you have the people you want to call that are going to submit as additional witnesses?
“Ms. Marrero:
“I have two witnesses, your Honor. I believe there are two other people. I will give that to the Court right now.
“The Court:
“Give it right now?
“Ms. Marrero:
“I am handing it to the State.
“The Court:
“On true legal paper, names, addresses, do you have it all?
“Mr. Saul:
(no response.”

6. The Assistant Public Defender stated that she believed that there would be two other defense witnesses in addition to those supplied in open court.

7. Scott Saul of the State Attorney’s Office received the two names from the public defender on September 1, 1988. The public defender was instructed by the Court to submit an additional list of alibi witnesses to include any and all additional alibi witnesses beyond the two which were supplied on September 1, 1988.

8. The record reflects that on or about September 9, 1988, the Public Defender’s Office filed a pleading with both the Clerk and the State Attorney’s Office listing eight (8) defense witnesses.

[103]*1039. The record also reflects that this pleading had an erroneous case number listed in the style of the cause. See Attachment “A.”

10. On September 22, 1988, the Court continued the case due to difficulties in acquiring a jury panel. The case was reset for October 4, 1988.

11. Between September 1, 1988 and October 4, 1988 the State had only received the names of two alibi witnesses. The State acted on the two names given and subpoenaed both them for trial. See Attachment “B.” (Though not for deposition).. [Editor’s Note: Attachment “B” excluded due to unavailability of publishable copy.]

12. On October 4, 1988, the State discovered that several witnesses for the defendant were present in Court and that they would all be used to support the defendant’s alibi defense.

13. The Assistant State Attorney immediately checked the Court file along with the State Attorney’s file to look for a list of defense alibi witnesses which should have been filed pursuant to Rule 3.220 Florida Rules of Criminal Procedure. At that time, no such alibi witness list was found in either the Court file or the State’s file.

14. At time of trial on October 4, 1988, the State moved to exclude the testimony of the alibi witnesses based on the violation of Rule 3.220 of the Florida Rules of Criminal Procedure, and a hearing took place before the Court, with testimony taken and the State pointing out to the Court that the State had never received an alibi witness list.

15. The Public Defender’s Office then produced an alibi witness list in open court containing eight names. Only two of which had been given to the State on the legal paper back on September 1, 1988.

16. The Public Defender’s copy of the witness list reflected that it had been “clocked in” at both the Clerk’s Office and the State Attorney’s Office on September 9, 1988.

17. After noting that the witness list was not in the Court file and after taking testimony from an employee of the Clerk’s Office, the Court granted the State’s Motion to exclude the alibi witness testimony, except for two witnesses who were known on September 1, 1988.

18. However, due to the severity of excluding the witnesses and the defendant’s right to have a fair trial, Defense counsel was forced to move for a continuance and wave the Defendant’s Demand for Speedy Trial, if the Court ruled that it was the Defendant’s fault that both the Court and the State did not have any Alibi Witness list in its files. (Transcript of proceeding, Tuesday, October 4, 1988, page 23, line 19).

[104]*10419. Granting the continuance, the Court further order the State to take depositions of the defense witnesses present, at the conclusion of the Court.

20. During the taking of the deposition on the evening of October 4, 1988, this Court was shown two State Attorney’s Office issued trial subpoenas for the two defense witnesses whose names were given to the State on legal paper back on September 1, 1988.

21. None of the other six witnesses on the defendant’s alibi witness list had such trial subpoenas, because their names were never received by State.

22. The State Attorney’s Office was given a copy of the alibi witness list by the defense in open Court on October 4, 1988. See Attachment “A.”

23. Upon subsequent inspection of that document, it was discovered that the notice of alibi witnesses was filed under the wrong case number by the Public Defender’s Office. The document indicates in the style of the cause that the case number is: 26544, 6, 7, 8, 9, 60-IG. “IG” at the end of the case number is then scratched out and the letters “IB” are pen written in on the document. It is not known when nor by whom this change was made. Additionally, a note written in the upper left-hand corner indicates that the document was returned to its sender because it had the wrong case number on it.

24. Based on conversations with the Clerk’s Office it was learned that it is the normal practice of the Clerk’s Office to return documents if they are submitted under the wrong case number.

25. Neither the Court nor the State was aware of this situation when the defendant’s Motion to Dismiss was argued on November 2, 1988.

The issued raised for this Court is as follows:

Based on the foregoing factual situation, should this trial Court reverse its prior ruling which required defendant to go to trial on October 4, 1988, without their alibi witnesses, by granting state’s Motion to Exclude them, thus forcing defense to choose between waiving their demand to a Speedy Trial or taking a continuance?

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Bluebook (online)
32 Fla. Supp. 2d 101, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-mourin-flactyct43-1989.