STATE OF FLORIDA, APPELLANT,
v.
ED MCMANUS AND LUDWELL E. O'QUINN, SR., APPELLEES
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The court held that an electronic surveillance order is not rendered invalid by the issuing judge's failure to sign the application or affix a jurat and seal, provided the application otherwise complies with statutory requirements and the oversight is satisfactorily explained.
[1] A state attorney is empowered to authorize a municipal police officer to apply for an order of interception.
[2] An administrative oversight by a judge in failing to sign an application and affidavit for an order of interception, where the oversight is satisfactorily explained and n…
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceAppellees were charged with conspiracy to deliver cannabis. The trial court suppressed evidence obtained via a wiretap, finding the application for th…
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GREEN, OLIVER L., Jr., Associate Judge.
The appellees were charged by information with criminal conspiracy to deliver cannabis in excess of 100 pounds. The trial judge granted the appellees’ motion to suppress the evidence. The State appeals this order. We reverse.
On July 25, 1978, the State Attorney for the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit authorized an application for an order of interception to be made by Detective James P. Harn, of the Hollywood, Florida Police Department. Pursuant to the authorization, Detective James P. Harn and Detective William Mat-terly made a timely appearance before a circuit court judge, who read the application and then proceeded to administer an oath to the said Detective James P. Harn. Detective Harn signed his name to the application and affidavit in the presence of the circuit judge. The circuit judge, having thus reviewed the application and having administered the oath, neglected to sign his name thereon, to affix a jurat, the date, or his seal of office. The circuit judge signed an accompanying order of custody and order authorizing interception. Evidence in the form of cannabis was seized as a result of information obtained from the oral interception. This evidence was suppressed by order of the trial judge, who was not the judge that signed the intercept order. There are two points on appeal. The first point is directed to a holding by the trial judge that the state attorney was without authority to authorize a municipal police officer to apply for an order of interception. This order was entered prior to our ruling in the case of State v. Birs, 394 so.2d 1054 (Fla. 4th DCA 1981), wherein it was held that the state attorney was empowered to authorize a police officer to make application for interception. (Also see State v. McGillicuddy, 342 So. 2d 567 (Fla. 2nd DCA .1977)). A distinguishing factor is that in the Birs case, the officer was on special assignment to the state attorney’s office, whereas, in this case, there is no reference to any such appointment.
While this opinion should not be read as an encouragement for state attorneys to designate their authority in this fashion, neither do we find that this arrangement is proscribed by 18 U.S.C. Section 2516(2) or Section 934.07, Florida Statutes (1975).
The second point on appeal is that the trial judge erred in suppressing the evidence even though the application and affidavit did not bear a jurat, the date, the issuing judge’s signature, or his seal of office. Detective James P. Harn and Detective William Matterly testified in great detail about the circumstances under which they appeared before the circuit judge for the purpose of obtaining the order of intercept. The circuit judge before whom Detectives Harn and Matterly appeared also testified as to the occurrence of the transaction; however, he was less clear on the details of what occurred.
The conclusion is inescapable that the failure of the circuit judge to sign the application and affidavit was an oversight. We are not impressed with whatever question might linger concerning the wording of the oath that was administered by the circuit judge to Detective Harn. It is reasonable to assume that a circuit judge, in the usual course of his duties, would administer a lawful oath pursuant to F.S. 92.50. Neither do we conclude that the explained absence of a jurat or court seal is fatal.
We are left with uncontroverted evidence that the affidavit and application in this case was in all other regards in compliance with Title 18, U.S.C., Section 2516(2), Section 2518, and Chapter 934 Florida Statutes. The mere administrative oversight of the circuit judge failing to affix his signature, a jurat, and seal, will not destroy the otherwise lawful force and effect of the order of custody and order of interception which was properly sighed by him.
This decision is not to be read to condone significant acts of nonfeasance on the part of those applying for and issuing such orders. This decision should be read as holding that official oversights, if satisfactorily explained, will not constitute fatal defects, where the same are not proscribed by law, and the defendant is not prejudiced. Hoffman v. State, 397 So. 2d 288 (Fla.1981); State v. Buffa, 347 So. 2d 688 (Fla. 4th DCA 1977); Johnson v. State, 339 So. 2d 667 (Fla. 2nd DCA 1976); Cain v. State, 287 So. 2d 69 (Fla.1973); Arnold v. State, 83 So. 2d 105 (Fla.1955).
We reverse the order granting the motion to suppress and remand for further proceedings.
REVERSED and REMANDED.
BERANEK, J., and OWEN, WILLIAM C., Jr., Associate Judge, concur.
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State v. Tolmie, 421 So. 2d 1087 (Fla. 4th DCA 1982)…efor. In the present case, the person seeking the warrant did not subscribe to the application — he was sworn but did not subscribe. Thus, the affiant omitted one of the two most important aspects of the procedure, the signing. In State v. McManus, 404 So. 2d 757 (Fla. 4th DCA 1981), this court excused the magistrate’s failure to complete and seal the jurat on a wiretap application as “mere administrative oversight.” The magistrate later testified that the application had been signed and sworn to before him…1 / 2
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Mercideiu Pepilus v. State, 554 So. 2d 667 (Fla. 2d DCA 1990)…igned by the officer and sworn to by him before a judge who signed the affidavit, did not contain an attesting seal. We disagree with that contention. The absence of the seal did not render the search warrant fatally defective. See State v. McManus, 404 So. 2d 757, 758 (Fla. 4th DCA 1981), review denied, 412 So. 2d 468 (Fla.1982). The officer, by swearing to the affidavit, subjected himself to a charge of perjury if the affidavit proved untrue. See Collins v. State, 465 So. 2d 1266, 1268 (Fla. 2d DCA 1985).…
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Moreno-Gonzalez v. State, 67 So. 3d 1020 (Fla. 2011)…69, 70 (Fla.1978) (approving decision of district court reversing a trial court order of suppression on the basis that the failure of the judge to fill in the date on a search warrant was “a mere technicality and not prejudicial”); State v. McManus, 404 So. 2d 757, 758 (Fla. 4th DCA 1981) (upholding a circuit court order of interception, i.e., a wiretap, even though the application and affidavit in support of the order did not bear a jurat, a date, the signature of the issuing judge, or the seal of office), r…
Previewing 3 of 4 citing cases — full citator treatment, depth of discussion, and citing context are member features.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceAuthorities Cited
- Hoffman v. State, 397 So. 2d 288 (Fla. 1981)
- Arnold v. State, 83 So. 2d 105 (Fla. 1955)
- State v. McGILLICUDDY, 342 So. 2d 567 (Fla. 2d DCA 1977)
- Gustafson v. State, 287 So. 2d 69 (Fla. 1973)
- State v. Sebastian (Benny) Buffa, 347 So. 2d 688 (Fla. 4th DCA 1977)
- Johnson v. State, 339 So. 2d 667 (Fla. 2d DCA 1976)