White v. State

403 So. 2d 331
CourtSupreme Court of Florida
DecidedMarch 20, 1981
Docket54292
StatusPublished
Cited by98 cases

This text of 403 So. 2d 331 (White v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
White v. State, 403 So. 2d 331 (Fla. 1981).

Opinion

403 So.2d 331 (1981)

Beauford WHITE, Appellant,
v.
STATE of Florida, Appellee.

No. 54292.

Supreme Court of Florida.

March 20, 1981.
Rehearing Denied September 29, 1981.

*332 Leonard Frishman, Sp. Asst. Public Defender, Coral Gables, David Goodhart and *333 Thomas G. Murray, Sp. Asst. Public Defenders, Miami, for appellant.

Jim Smith, Atty. Gen., and Margarita Esquiroz and Calvin Fox, Asst. Attys. Gen., Miami, for appellee.

PER CURIAM.

Defendant Beauford White was convicted of six counts of first-degree murder, two counts of attempted first-degree murder, and four counts of robbery. The trial judge imposed the death sentence, thus vesting appellate jurisdiction in this Court pursuant to article V, section 3(b)(1), Florida Constitution.

The essential facts of this case are not in dispute. On July 27, 1977, at approximately 8:15 p.m., an adult black male, posing as an employee of the power company, requested permission from Margaret Wooden to enter her home and check the electrical system. After being allowed in and checking outlets in several rooms, the intruder drew a gun and proceeded to tie Ms. Wooden's hands behind her back and blindfold her. The intruder, who identified himself to her as "Lucky" and was later identified as John Ferguson, asked Ms. Wooden for drugs, money and jewelry and began searching the premises. Ferguson's coconspirators, defendant and Marvin Francois, soon entered the house. Both of these men were also armed and all three donned masks covering their faces from the nose down. The three ransacked the house looking for valuables until about an hour later when the owner of the house, Livingston Stocker, and five of his friends arrived. Upon their arrival, Stocker and his friends were forced to lie facedown on the floor while their hands were tied behind their backs. A short time later, Ms. Wooden's boyfriend arrived at the house and he too was tied up. At gunpoint the victims were asked for money and drugs, and one by one were searched. At some point during the ordeal the mask of one of the intruders fell from his face and a discussion ensued as to the need for killing the victims. Following this discussion, Ms. Wooden and her boyfriend were moved back to the bedroom while the other six victims were held captive in the living room. Ferguson then shot Ms. Wooden and her boyfriend in the back of the head while Francois systematically shot the other six victims in the head. Miraculously, Ms. Wooden and a Johnnie H. Hall survived and testified at the trial of defendant. At trial, Hall was able to identify the defendant as one of the intruders, but both Hall and Ms. Wooden identified the other two intruders as the persons who did the actual shooting.

A fourth participant in these crimes, Adolphus Archie, testified on behalf of the state in return for being allowed to plead guilty to reduced charges. Archie, who served as the "wheelman" and never entered the house, identified the defendant as a participant in the criminal scheme. Archie testified that he and defendant had been requested to participate in the "ripoff of a dope man" but were instead duped into participating in what he said was a planned contract murder of Stocker and perhaps other persons for drug-related reasons. Following the slayings, Archie testified that he met the other three at defendant's motel room where the proceeds of the robberies were divided among them. He testified that the defendant was upset and refused to participate in the disposal of the weapons.

The defendant was arrested on September 2, 1977 and confessed to his participation in the criminal episode. His detailed account of what had occurred was consistent with the trial testimony of the surviving victims. The defendant was also linked to the scene of the crimes by a single partial fingerprint which was lifted from the dust cover of a stereo set in the house. This fingerprint was identified by police as the fingerprint of the defendant.

Prior to trial the defendant moved to suppress his confession alleging that it was involuntarily induced by physical and mental abuse, threats and false promises of immunity. The trial court conducted a hearing into the matter and found that the defendant had made the statement voluntarily and with a full understanding of his *334 constitutional rights. The case proceeded to trial, with the defendant being tried separately upon his motion for severance of trial. The jury returned guilty verdicts on all counts for first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder and robbery. At the penalty phase of trial, the only mitigating evidence presented on behalf of defendant was the testimony of his mother who noted that her son suffered from epilepsy and ulcers. The twelve-member jury unanimously recommended that a sentence of life imprisonment be imposed. The court ordered a presentence investigation and upon receipt of the report sentenced the defendant to the death penalty.

The defendant raises nine points on his appeal. The issues have been well briefed by the parties and carefully considered by this Court. Only four of the points raised, however, warrant discussion in this opinion. The other points have been considered and are rejected as being without merit.

I

In Point V of his brief the defendant asserts that the trial court committed reversible error in failing to suppress witness Hall's surprise identification of defendant at trial and in denying his motion for a mistrial. Counsel for defendant concedes that the state did not know that Hall would identify the defendant at trial but argues that had the state anticipated that an in-court identification would be possible at the last minute, a proffer outside the presence of the jury should have been made to provide defendant an opportunity to object and request a Richardson inquiry.[1]

Through discovery, counsel for defendant had learned that Hall had not been able to make a pretrial identification of defendant. Hall said at a pretrial deposition, however, that "If I see him, it's possible in the flesh I will be able to identify him." When asked at trial whether he recognized anyone in the courtroom who was in the house at the time the shootings took place, Hall pointed to the defendant. Counsel for defendant objected and the jury was dismissed while a hearing was conducted to determine whether the state violated the rules of discovery. At this hearing testimony was received from Hall and Detective Robert Derringer, lead investigator of the case. Hall reiterated the testimony given at his deposition that he might be able to identify defendant if he saw him in person. Detective Derringer testified that he had shown Hall hundreds of photographs but, to the best of his knowledge, had never shown him any photographs of the defendant, who did not become a suspect in the murders until shortly before his arrest. At the conclusion of the hearing the trial court concluded that there had been no discovery violation and postponed further examination of Hall until counsel for defendant had an opportunity to examine his deposition and prepare for cross-examination.

We have reviewed the record and conclude there is no merit to the argument that the state violated the rules of discovery. The state had not informed the defendant prior to trial that Hall would be unable to make an in-court identification of him, only that no pretrial identification had been made. The defendant was as privy to the possibility of an in-court identification as the state.

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Bluebook (online)
403 So. 2d 331, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/white-v-state-fla-1981.