Troupe v. State

130 So. 2d 91, 1961 Fla. App. LEXIS 2734
CourtDistrict Court of Appeal of Florida
DecidedMay 3, 1961
DocketNo. 1976
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 130 So. 2d 91 (Troupe v. State) 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
Troupe v. State, 130 So. 2d 91, 1961 Fla. App. LEXIS 2734 (Fla. Ct. App. 1961).

Opinion

ALLEN, Chief Judge.

The appellant-defendant was charged by information in the lower court with having certain fresh water fish in his possession in violation of Sec. 9.0S, Wild Life Code of Florida, and with attempting to bribe a Wild Life Officer. The defendant was arraigned and plead not guilty. The defendant filed a motion to quash the information and to suppress the evidence which was denied.

An amended information was filed charging defendant with the two charges stated', above and the defendant again filed a motion to quash the charge and suppress the evidence. The defendant was tried and found guilty of attempted bribery. The court granted defendant’s motion for a new trial and a second amended information was filed charging defendant with corruptly offering, promising and attempting to give to Wild Life Officer a gift or gratuity, to-wit: money of an unknown amount in currency of the United States of America with the intent to corruptly influence the act, opinion, decision and judgment of the Wild Life Officer in his capacity as such Wild Life Officer. The defendant’s motion to quash was denied and the case was tried before a jury.

The jury found the defendant guilty as charged and, after defendant’s motion for new trial was denied, the court adjudged, defendant guilty and sentenced him to serve one year in the Polk County jail.

The evidence, as such, is not questioned on appeal, but the appellant does raise certain alleged errors pertaining to the information and certain occurrences during trial. The second amended information, provides in part:

“ * * * [D]id then and there corruptly offer, promise and attempt to give to one J. W. Crum, Wild Life Officer of the State of Florida, who was then and there a duly appointed and qualified Wild Life Officer, a certain gift or gratuity, to wit: money of an unknown amount in currency of the United States of America, with intent to corruptly influence the act, opinion, decision, and judgment of the said J. W. Crum in his capacity aforesaid, on a certain matter which might, by law, come or be brought before him, the said J. W. Crum, in his capacity as aforesaid, to wit: the illegal possession of [93]*93fresh water game fish in that the said Arlington Troupe being a retail fish dealer did knowingly have in his possession and on the premises of his retail fish business where said business was carried on or conducted, fresh water game fish then and there well knowing the said J. W. Crum to be such Wild Life Officer of the State of Florida, contrary to the form of Statute in such case made and provided, and against the peace and dignity of the State of Florida.”

J. W. Crum, a Wild Life Officer for the Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission, testified that he went to the defendant’s store in Mullinsville, near Frostproof, on July 16, 1959, between 8:00 and 9:00 P.M.; that the store was open at the time; that the defendant permitted him to look into a freezer at which time he saw several pounds of bream and bass; that a little boy opened another freezer to get some ice cream at which time he saw 60-70 pounds of game fish; that he told defendant he was going to be taken to Bartow; and that defendant then invited Crum into the back room and offered Crum some money stating:

“Mr. Bossman, I want to give you some hush money to forget this thing.”

Raymond Hitch, a Florida Forest Ranger, testified that he was with Crum at the time of the visit to defendant’s store; that he did not hear what went on in the back room; but that the other matters occurred in the manner stated by Officer Crum.

The defendant’s points 1, 2 and 3 were grouped and argued together and questioned the denial by the lower court of defendant’s motion to quash the information on certain grounds which we will discuss separately.

The defendant, in his brief, cites the case of Brunson v. State, 70 Fla. 387, 70 So. 390, as authority for the validity of his motion to quash. The brief quotes from Brunson v. State, supra, as follows:

“ * * * [T]he information fails to allege that Dade County had voted dry, so as to render it unlawful to sell intoxicating liquors therein, or that such officer had any power or authority to permit the defendant to sell intoxicating liquors therein, but only charges that the defendant offered such officer a gift or gratuity in money, without undertaking to specify the value thereoft with intent to influence such officer to permit the defendant to ‘sell liquors unlawfully in Dade county, Florida, without interference from’ such officer. The statute does not make it unlawful to sell ‘liquors’ in any county, but to sell ‘spirituous, vinous or malt liquors in any county or precinct which has voted against the sale of such liquors, under the provisions of article 19 of the Constitution of the State of Florida.’ * * * ” (Emphasis added.)

The defendant here then states in his brief:

“ * * * [A]nd in the instant case, as in the Brunson v. State case, they use the terms ‘money of an unknown amount, currency of the United States of America’ without stating that it was a thing of value and in the Brunson v. State case it was held that it was essential that the word money was not sufficient without stating that it was of value. * * *”

An examination of the information in this case shows that it is predicated on the provisions of Section 838.011, Florida Statutes, F.S.A., which provides as follows:

“Any person who shall corruptly give, offer or promise to any public officer, agent, servant or employee, after the election or appointment or employment of such public officer, agent, servant or employee and either before or after he shall have been qualified or shall take his seat, any commission, gift, gratuity, money, property or other valuable thing, or to do any act beneficial to such public officer, agent, servant or employee or another, with the in[94]*94tent or purpose to influence the act, vote, opinion, decision, judgment or behavior of such public officer, agent, servant or employee on any matter, question, cause or proceeding which may be pending or may by law be brought before him in his public capacity, or with the intent or purpose to influence any act or omission relating to any public duty of such public officer, agent, servant or employee, or with the intent or purpose to cause or induce such public officer, agent, servant or employee to use or exert or to procure the use or exertion of any influence upon or with any other public officer, agent, servant or employee in relation to' any matter, question, cause or proceeding that may be pending or may by law be brought before such other public officer, agent, employee or servant, shall be guilty of the crime of bribery.”

In Brunson v. State, supra [70 Fla. 387, 70 So. 391], the Supreme Court, in its opinion, stated that the information was founded upon Section 3476 of the General Statutes of Florida, which read as follows:

‘Whoever corruptly gives, offers or promises to any executive, legislative or judicial officer, after his election or appointment, either before or after he is qualified, or has taken his seat, any gift or gratuity whatever,

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Related

Donnelly v. State
693 So. 2d 125 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 1997)
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263 A.2d 822 (Court of Appeals of Maryland, 1970)
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183 So. 2d 712 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 1966)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
130 So. 2d 91, 1961 Fla. App. LEXIS 2734, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/troupe-v-state-fladistctapp-1961.