JOHN FORREST COON, APPELLANT,
v.
STATE OF FLORIDA, APPELLEE

Fla. 1st DCA | 1991-09-06
No. 90-1860
ZEHMER and MINER, JJ., concur.
585 So. 2d 1079 Florida District Court of Appeal, First District (1991) Positive Treatment
Cited by 38 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 Forrest Coon appealed the trial court's summary denial of his motion for return of property seized during warrantless searches of his residence, storage shed, and automobiles. The appellate court held that courts have inherent power to order return of seized property no longer needed as evidence, and that the trial court erred in summarily denying Coon's motion without an evidentiary hearing.


Holding

Courts have inherent power to order return of property seized from a criminal defendant without a warrant if that property is no longer needed as evidence, and this power continues after termination of the criminal case. A trial court erred in summarily denying Coon's motion without conducting an evidentiary hearing because no established untimeliness bar applied and Coon had a due process right to a prompt hearing.


Headnotes

[1] A court possesses inherent power to order the return of property seized from a criminal defendant when that property is no longer needed as evidence, even after the under…

[2] A motion for the return of property seized without a warrant is not subject to statutory timeliness limitations governing the return of evidence seized under a warrant or…

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Key Quotes

“It is, however, well established that a court has inherent power to direct the return of property seized from a criminal defendant if that property is no longer needed as evidence against him.”

Establishes the foundational principle that courts possess inherent equitable power to order return of seized property when it is no longer needed as evidence.

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Facts & Procedural History

Police conducted searches of Coon's residence, storage shed, automobile, and his father's automobile on April 23 and 24, 1989, seizing various propert…

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Opinion of the Court
ERVIN, Judge.

ERVIN, Judge.

In this case, appellant, John Forrest Coon, contends that the trial court improperly denied his motion for return of property. Because we find no basis for the summary denial of appellant’s motion, we reverse and remand for further proceedings.

Appellant alleged in his motion that his residence was searched on April 23 and April 24, 1989, and that property was seized as a result of those searches without benefit of warrant. He stated that the items seized from his house, storage shed, and automobile, and his father’s automobile were not used as evidence in his prosecution or presented as such. He therefore requested the court to grant a hearing and order the return of the property to him.

Although the statutes provide procedures for the return of certain evidence taken under a search warrant, see Section 933.14, Florida Statutes (1989), and for return of money or a motor vehicle taken under circumstances constituting larceny, see Section 812.061, Florida Statutes (1989), the statutes do not provide a procedure for return of property seized from a criminal defendant without a warrant. Moore v. State, 533 So. 2d 924, 925 (Fla. 2d DCA 1988).

It is, however, well established that a court has inherent power to direct the return of property seized from a criminal defendant if that property is no longer needed as evidence against him. Id.; Garmire v. Red Lake, 265 So. 2d 2, 5 (Fla.1972); Estevez v. Gordon, 386 So. 2d 43, 45 (Fla. 3d DCA 1980).

This power continues to exist after the underlying criminal case has terminated. Moore, 533 So. 2d at 925; Sawyer v. Gable, 400 So. 2d 992, 996 (Fla. 3d DCA 1981).

It is unnecessary to commence a separate civil suit, and in the event the court refuses to act, the proper remedy is a petition for writ of mandamus. Moore, 533 So. 2d at 925.

Because there is no established procedure for return of such seized property or for the court to exercise its inherent power to compel the return of such property, we do not see how the trial court could have denied appellant’s motion because it was untimely. This is especially so because the court’s power to order the return of the property continues after termination of the case. Moore; Sawyer. We are not unaware that under Section 705.105, Florida Statutes (1989), title to unclaimed evidence in the custody of the court or a law enforcement agency vests permanently in the law enforcement agency sixty days after the conclusion of the proceeding.

Nevertheless, appellant’s motion for return of property was filed fifty-nine days after the judgment and sentence was entered in his case.

Therefore, it cannot be said appellant’s motion was untimely-1

Although appellant’s description of the property allegedly set forth — “tools, radios, speakers, etc.” — is somewhat vague, he alleged the dates of the alleged illegal seizures — April 23 and April 24, 1989. Section 933.12, Florida Statutes (1989), requires the police to attach to the returned search warrant a true inventory of property taken under that warrant. We know of no reason why a comparable procedure should not exist in situations when property is seized without a warrant.

Consequently, production of police records should satisfy any uncertainty regarding a proper description of the proper ty sought. In any event, appellant clearly asserted that the state is unlawfully holding his property; therefore, he would be deprived of due process of law if he were not afforded a prompt hearing on this matter. Sawyer, 400 So. 2d at 997.

REVERSED and REMANDED with directions to conduct an evidentiary hearing on appellant’s motion, at which time appellant shall specify in detail the items allegedly detained.

ZEHMER and MINER, JJ., concur. . In fact, if appellant’s motion is considered as one for postconviction relief, as in Moore, he had two years to file it under Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.850.


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Citator

Cited By (19 total)

  • Deatrick S. Bolden v. State, 875 So. 2d 780 (Fla. 2d DCA 2004)
    …a trial court assumes jurisdiction over criminal charges, it has inherent authority to assist the true owner in the recovery of property that has been seized from the defendant. Brown v. State, 613 So. 2d 569, 570 (Fla. 2d DCA 1993); Coon v. State, 585 So. 2d 1079, 1080 (Fla. 1st DCA 1991). When the defendant seeks the return of seized property as the true owner, the applicable procedure is similar to the procedure for the consideration of a motion for postconvietion relief.3 First, the defendant must file a…
  • Brown v. State, 613 So. 2d 569 (Fla. 2d DCA 1993)
    …n from Brown’s automobile presents a more problematic situation. The effect of this portion of the trial court’s order is similar in principle to the granting of summary judgment while disputed facts remain unresolved. The decision in Coon v. State, 585 So. 2d 1079, 1081 (Fla. 1st DCA 1991), indicates a defendant should receive an eviden-tiary hearing when asserting “that the state is unlawfully holding his property.” While we agree that Brown is entitled to a hearing, again, the published case law is not abu…
    1 / 2
  • Eight Hundred, Inc. v. State, 781 So. 2d 1187 (Fla. 5th DCA 2001)
    …ct return of seized property); Helmy (holding that the trial court is obligated to exercise its authority to resolve the issue whether the defendant was entitled to return of seized property after the criminal charges were dismissed); Coon v. State, 585 So. 2d 1079 (Fla. 1st DCA 1991). The trial court that has jurisdiction over the criminal proceedings has priority jurisdiction over other courts to determine whether property seized for use in the criminal proceedings is to be retained or returned to the owner…

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