PAUL C. HAMILTON, APPELLANT,
v.
THE STATE OF FLORIDA, APPELLEE
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Paul Hamilton, a Black defendant tried by an all-white jury, challenged the prosecutor's use of peremptory challenges to remove Black jurors as racially discriminatory. The court affirmed the trial court's finding of no discrimination under State v. Neil, but reversed Hamilton's grand theft conviction as merging with the robbery conviction for double jeopardy purposes.
The trial court properly found no racial discrimination in the state's exercise of peremptory challenges under State v. Neil, and no Neil inquiry was necessary. The grand theft conviction must be reversed as it merges with the robbery conviction for double jeopardy purposes since both crimes arose from a single transaction.
[1] A trial court's finding that peremptory jury challenges were not used in a racially discriminatory manner will not be disturbed on appeal when supported by the record.
[2] A Neil inquiry into the state's reasons for exercising peremptory challenges is unnecessary when there is no indication of racially discriminatory use of those challenges…
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligence“The record demonstrates that the defendant Paul Hamilton is black, that he was tried by an all-white jury, and that three black jurors were excused peremptorily — one by the defense and two by the state.”
Establishes the factual predicate for the discrimination claim, including the defendant's race, jury composition, and removal of Black jurors.
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligencePaul Hamilton, a Black man, was convicted of robbery and grand theft in a single transaction where he held up a victim at gunpoint and stole cash and …
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PER CURIAM.
We find no error in the trial court’s finding below that the prosecuting attorney did not use his peremptory jury challenges in a racially discriminatory manner, based on the legal principles established in State v. Neil, 457 So. 2d 481, 486, 487 n. 10 (Fla.1984).
The record demonstrates that the defendant Paul Hamilton is black, that he was tried by an all-white jury, and that three black jurors were excused peremptorily — one by the defense and two by the state. A black juror, in fact, served as an alternate juror in the case. We see no basis to upset the trial court’s finding that, on this record, there was no indication that the state was using its peremptory challenges in a racially discriminatory manner. This being so, a Neil inquiry by the trial court into the state’s reasons for exercising its peremptory challenges against the two black jurors herein was entirely unnecessary. The final judgment of conviction and sentence for robbery is therefore affirmed. See Neil v. State, supra; Jorgenson, Back to the Laboratory with Peremptory Challenges: A Florida Response, 12 Fla.St.U.L.Rev. 559, 568-70 (1984).
The grand theft conviction, however, must be reversed because it merges, for double jeopardy purposes, with the robbery conviction. The record affirmatively demonstrates that the defendant held up the victim at gunpoint and stole the victim’s cash and automobile — all in a single transaction. One robbery was therefore committed — not a grand larceny of the automobile and a robbery of the cash as adjudicated below. See Castleberry v. State, 402 So. 2d 1231, 1232 (Fla. 5th DCA 1981), pet. for review denied, 412 So. 2d 470 (Fla.1982); McClendon v. State, 372 So. 2d 1161, 1162 (Fla. 1st DCA 1979); see generally Brown v. State, 430 So. 2d 446, 447 (Fla.1983).
The remaining point on appeal has no merit. The final judgment of conviction and sentence for robbery is affirmed. The final judgment of conviction and sentence for grand larceny is reversed and the cause is remanded to the trial court with directions to discharge the defendant as to this conviction only.
Affirmed in part; reversed in part.
Cases With Similar Vibessemantic neighbors from the corpus
Citator
Authorities Cited
- State v. Neil, 457 So. 2d 481 (Fla. 1984)
- Brown v. State, 430 So. 2d 446 (Fla. 1983)
- Castelberry v. State, 402 So. 2d 1231 (Fla. 5th DCA 1981)
- McCLENDON v. State, 372 So. 2d 1161 (Fla. 1st DCA 1979)