JOHN HARTMAN, APPELLANT,
v.
STATE OF FLORIDA, APPELLEE

Fla. 4th DCA | 1981-08-12
No. 80-89
DOWNEY and MOORE, JJ., concur.
403 So. 2d 1030 Florida District Court of Appeal, Fourth District (1981) Caution
Cited by 12 cases

AI-generated. These summaries, headnotes, and key points are machine-generated and may contain errors or omissions. Always verify against the full opinion text below. Not legal advice.

Synopsis

John Hartman appeals his conviction for robbery with a weapon, challenging whether a can of mace constitutes a 'weapon' under Florida law. The court affirms, holding that mace qualifies as a 'chemical weapon' under the statutory definition applicable to armed robbery charges.


Holding

The court held that a can of mace qualifies as a 'weapon' under Florida Statutes § 790.001(13), which defines 'weapon' to include 'chemical weapon or device.' The statutory exclusion cited by appellant applies only to the definition of 'concealed weapon' and does not exclude mace from the definition of 'weapon' applicable to armed robbery charges.


Headnotes

[1] A chemical mace used in a robbery constitutes a "weapon" for the purposes of armed robbery statutes, even if the quantity of chemical does not exceed one-half ounce.

[2] The definition of "weapon" in Florida Statutes section 790.001(13) applies to the armed robbery statute, Florida Statutes section 812.13(2)(b).

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Key Quotes

“"Weapon" means any dirk, metallic knuckles, slungshot, billie, tear gas gun, chemical weapon or device, or any other deadly weapon except a firearm or a common pocket-knife.”

The controlling statutory definition of 'weapon' that includes chemical weapons, which applies to armed robbery prosecutions.

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Facts & Procedural History

Hartman allegedly entered a Magic Market at midnight armed with a can of mace, which he used to threaten the cashier while emptying the cash register …

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Opinion of the Court
HERSEY, Judge.

HERSEY, Judge.

Appellant, John Hartman, appeals his conviction of robbery with a weapon, ascribing error to three aspects of his trial. We affirm.

Hartman allegedly entered a Magic Market at about midnight and, armed with a can of mace with which he threatened the cashier, emptied the cash register and then fled with the money and sundry objects. He was apprehended and tried, resulting in these proceedings.

We find no error in the evidentiary matter urged as error nor do we discern from the record that appellant preserved for appeal the refusal of the trial judge to instruct on minimum and maximum penalties as required by Tascano v. State, 393 So. 2d 540 (Fla.1980).

The most significant point raised by this appeal involves the application, respectively, of Subsections 790.001(3)(b) and 790.-001(13), Florida Statutes (1979) and their relationship to Subsection 812.13(2)(b), Florida Statutes (1979).

Appellant argues that the state failed to prove an essential element of its case. The pertinent portions of the statute under which the charges were filed provide:

812.13 Robbery.—

(1) “Robbery” means the taking of money or other property which may be the subject of larceny from the person or custody of another by force, violence, assault, or putting in fear. (2)(a) ....

(b) If in the course of committing the robbery the offender carried a weapon, then the robbery is a felony of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.-082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.

The term which is critical here is “weapon” and since the weapon was alleged to be a chemical, appellant takes the position that the definition contained in Subsection 790.-001(3)(b) applies:

(b) “Tear gas gun,” “chemical weapon,” or “device” shall apply to all weapons of such nature except those designed to be carried in a woman’s handbag or a man’s pants or coat pocket or designed as a pocket pencil or pen and containing not more than one-half ounce of chemical. Appellant takes the position that the state failed to prove that the can of mace used in the robbery contained more than one-half ounce of chemical, therefore it is not a “weapon” and the state thus failed to prove an essential element of the crime of armed robbery.

The difficulty (and fallacy) of this position is that the definition contended for by appellant is actually an exclusion from the definition of “tear gas gun,” “chemical weapon,” and “device” for purposes of application of the term “concealed weapon” defined in paragraph 3, subparagraphs (a) and (b) of this section of the statutes which is subsequently to be carried forward into those sections of chapter 790 dealing with concealed weapons.

The state correctly takes the position that the definition of “weapon” pertinent here is contained in Subsection 790.001(13): “(13) “Weapon” means any dirk, metallic knuckles, slungshot, billie, tear gas gun, chemical weapon or device, or any other deadly weapon except a firearm or a common pocket-knife.” Language in the introductory paragraph of Subsection 790.001 indicates that the meanings thereafter established shall apply “for the purposes of this chapter;” however, we do not consider that language to limit use of the definitions exclusively to chapter 790, particularly where common sense dictates that a definition set forth there may have perfectly reasonable application elsewhere. The same considerations would apply to the definition contended for by appellant, in any event.

The state having proved that appellant was armed with a can of mace during the robbery, we find no error by omission in the state’s presentation of its case.

We therefore affirm.

AFFIRMED.

DOWNEY and MOORE, JJ., concur.


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Citator

Cited By

  • Myles Franklin Andrews v. State, 693 So. 2d 1138 (Fla. 1st DCA 1997)
    …ove, we reverse the trial court's order and remand this matter to the trial court with orders to dismiss the violation of probation charges. MINER, ALLEN and PADOVANO, JJ., concur. . See §§ 790.001(3)(b), 790.001(13), Fla. Stat.; Hartman v. State, 403 So. 2d 1030 (Fla. 4th DCA 1981). . This episode occurred in neighboring Escam-bia County, where both were charged; charges were dismissed against appellant, however.…
  • Salvadore Arroyo v. State, 564 So. 2d 1153 (Fla. 4th DCA 1990)
    …ovided in section 790.001(13) to determine whether a particular object constitutes a ‘weapon’ for purposes of section 812.13(2)(b) [the armed robbery statute].” Streetman v. State, 455 So. 2d 1080, 1082 (Fla. 2d DCA 1984). See also Hartman v. State, 403 So. 2d 1030 (Fla. 4th DCA 1981). In Hartman we explained that “we do not consider [the language in the first paragraph of section 790.001] to limit use of the definitions exclusively to chapter 790, particularly where common sense dictates that a definition se…
  • Gust v. State, 558 So. 2d 450 (Fla. 1st DCA 1990)
    …ry definition of “weapon” provided in section 790.001(13) to determine whether a particular object constitutes a “weapon” for purposes of section 812.13(2)(b). See, e.g., Depasquale v. State, 438 So. 2d 159, 160 (Fla. 2d DCA 1983); Hartman v. State, 403 So. 2d 1030, 1031 (Fla. 4th DCA 1981); McCray v. State, 358 So. 2d 615, 617 (Fla. 1st DCA 1978). Under this approach, a device used in the course of a robbery qualifies as a “weapon” only if it is either one of the objects specifically delineated in the statute…

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