FREDERICK ALDINE BAIRD, JR., APPELLANT,
v.
STATE OF FLORIDA, APPELLEE
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Frederick Baird was convicted of three counts of racketeering following a criminal investigation into gambling operations in Pensacola. The First District Court of Appeal reversed his conviction due to the trial court's erroneous admission of hearsay testimony regarding an officer's receipt of information about Baird's gambling operation, while affirming other issues on appeal and certifying constitutional questions to the Florida Supreme Court.
The court reversed Baird's conviction due to the erroneous admission of hearsay testimony, finding the state failed to show harmless error. The court affirmed that application of the Florida RICO statute does not constitute cruel and unusual punishment. The court held that while a pen register implicates the right to privacy under Florida Constitution Article I, Section 23, no violation was shown on the record, but certified questions to the Florida Supreme Court regarding whether such implication exists and what test applies.
[1] Hearsay testimony consisting of an officer's statement that he received information about a defendant being a major gambler and operating a major gambling operation is im…
[2] An error in admitting hearsay testimony is not harmless when the state fails to carry its burden of showing the error did not contribute to the verdict.
Previewing 2 of 6 headnotes on this case. FLexlaw’s editorially structured points of law — every proposition, pinpointed — are reserved for members.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligence“The testimony was obviously hearsay and improperly admitted. See Bauer v. State, 528 So. 2d 6 (Fla. 2d DCA, 1988). The officer could testify to what he did as a result of information received from others, but should not have been permitted to relate the information so received unless it otherwise met some recognized exception to the hearsay rule.”
Establishes the core hearsay error: officers may testify about their actions based on received information but cannot relate the information itself without a hearsay exception.
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceBaird was charged with racketeering and bookmaking as a result of a criminal investigation into football betting in the Pensacola area. He was tried b…
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[*188] PER CURIAM.
As the result of a criminal investigation into football betting in the Pensacola area, Frederick Aldine Baird,- Jr., was charged in numerous counts with racketeering and bookmaking. He was tried by jury and adjudged guilty on three counts of racketeering in violation of section 895.03(4), Florida Statutes.1 Appealing his conviction, he raises eight issues. We find error in the admission of certain hearsay testimony and reverse for a new trial. We affirm the remaining issues.
Baird contends that the trial court erred in admitting, over his timely objection and motion for mistrial, testimony by Officer Griffith that, “I had received information that he [Baird] was a major gambler and operating a major gambling operation in the Pensacola area....” Griffith had testified about the investigation of gambling and his involvement in obtaining wiretaps for telephones, including Baird’s, and he made the above statement in response to the state’s question inquiring whether Griffith had targeted Baird for prosecution. The testimony was obviously hearsay and improperly admitted. See Bauer v. State, 528 So. 2d 6 (Fla. 2d DCA, 1988). The officer could testify to what he did as a result of information received from others, but should not have been permitted to relate the information so received unless it otherwise met some recognized exception to the hearsay rule. See Collins v. State, 65 So. 2d 61 (Fla.1953). We find no basis for its admission in this case. Applying the rule in State v. DiGuilio, 491 So. 2d 1129 (Fla.1986) to the circumstances, we conclude that the state has failed to carry its burden of showing that this error was harmless. It is necessary, therefore, that Baird’s conviction be reversed and the cause remanded for a new trial.
Only two of Baird’s remaining points warrant further discussion. First, Baird’s argument that the application of the Florida RICO statute to the numerous booking offenses in this case amounts to cruel and unusual punishment in violation of the Eighth Amendment of the federal Constitution. This issue is governed by this court’s decision to the contrary in Vickery v. State, 539 So. 2d 499 (Fla. 1st DCA 1989).
Finally, Baird argues that the court erred in failing to suppress certain evidence obtained through electronic surveillance by use of a pen register. Conceding that use of a pen register does not constitute a search or require a warrant under Article I, section 12 of the Florida Constitution, Yarbrough v. State, 473 So. 2d 766 (Fla. 1st DCA 1985), Baird argues that his right of privacy under Article I, section 23 of the Florida Constitution protects him from the type of intrusion presented by use of a pen register. Although the use of a pen register does implicate appellant’s constitutional right to privacy, we hold that no violation of that right has been shown on this record. Shaktman v. State, 529 So. 2d 711 (Fla. 3d DCA 1988). As did the court in Shaktman, we certify the following questions of great public importance to the supreme court: '
(1) WHETHER ARTICLE I, SECTION 23, OF THE FLORIDA CONSTITUTION IS IMPLICATED WHEN A LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY INSTALLS A PEN REGISTER DEVICE ON THE TELEPHONE OF AN INDIVIDUAL?
(2) IF THE ANSWER TO (1) IS YES, THEN IS THE COMPELLING STATE INTEREST TEST SATISFIED IF THE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY INVOLVED IN THE INSTALLATION HAS FOUNDED SUSPICION AND MEETS THE CRITERIA ESTABLISHED BY SECTIONS 119.011(3)(a), (b), (c) AND 119.011(4)?
We find no merit in appellant’s remaining points on appeal.
AFFIRMED IN PART, REVERSED IN PART, AND REMANDED.
SMITH, WENTWORTH and ZEHMER, JJ., concur. . The written judgment shows an adjudication of guilt on three counts of racketeering in violation of section 895.03, while the jury verdict and oral pronouncement by the trial judge indicate that the second count was an adjudication of guilt for conspiracy to commit racketeering in violation of section 895.03(4).
ON MOTION FOR REHEARING
ZEHMER, Judge.
The state’s motion for rehearing directs our attention to the supreme court’s recent decision in Shaktman v. State, 553 So. 2d 148 (Fla.1989), wherein the court answered the certified questions presented in our opinion herein, and suggests that this decision negates any need for certification of the same question here. We agree, and delete the certified question from the opinion.
In all other respects the state’s motion for rehearing is DENIED.
WENTWORTH and SMITH, JJ., concur.
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State v. Baird, 572 So. 2d 904 (Fla. 1990)…EHRLICH, Justice. We have for review Baird v. State, 553 So. 2d 187 (Fla. 1st DCA 1989), because of apparent conflict with other district courts of appeal on the issue of when a police officer’s testimony relating information received from an informant is considered inadmissible hearsay. We have jurisdiction, articl…1 / 2
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Cooper v. State, 573 So. 2d 74 (Fla. 4th DCA 1990)…r because the information was not ambiguous and curative instruction would not have rendered it harmless. Id. at 325. See also Ralston v. State, 555 So. 2d 443 (Fla. 4th DCA 1990); Florio v. State, 554 So. 2d 633 (Fla. 4th DCA 1989); Baird v. State, 553 So. 2d 187 (Fla. 1st DCA 1989). Cf. Smith v. State, 554 So. 2d 552 (Fla. 4th DCA 1989); Allen v. State, 474 So. 2d 261 (Fla. 4th DCA 1985), rev. denied, 484 So. 2d 7 (Fla.1986). In this case, after examination of the nature of the suspect comment, we find the…
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Adams v. State, 559 So. 2d 436 (Fla. 1st DCA 1990)…nt statements utilized for the obvious purpose of proving [*438] the truth of the matter asserted by corroborating the respective witness’ testimony where there has been no charge of improper influence, motive, or recent fabrication. Baird v. State, 553 So. 2d 187 (Fla. 1st DCA 1989); Jenkins v. State, 547 So. 2d 1017 (Fla. 1st DCA 1989). As observed in Baird, “[t]he officer could testify to what he did as a result of information received from others, but should not have been permitted to relate the informati…
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
- State v. DiGUILIO, 491 So. 2d 1129 (Fla. 1986)
- Collins v. State, 65 So. 2d 61 (Fla. 1953)
- Shaktman v. State, 553 So. 2d 148 (Fla. 1989)
- Clarkson v. U.S. Home Corp. & Epic Assocs. 81-Liii, 529 So. 2d 711 (Fla. 2d DCA 1988)
- State v. Emil Gatto, 528 So. 2d 6 (Fla. 4th DCA 1988)
- Yarbrough v. State, 473 So. 2d 766 (Fla. 1st DCA 1985)
- Vickery v. State, 539 So. 2d 499 (Fla. 1st DCA 1989)