EX PARTE BARNARD KILGORE
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The Florida Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the Arsenic Spray Act while interpreting Section 1 to exempt arsenic spraying in quarantined areas prior to December 6, 1931. The Court remanded petitioner Kilgore for trial because the informations did not establish whether his alleged spraying occurred in the formerly quarantined area.
Construing the Arsenic Spray Act as a whole and in light of its purpose, Section 1 does not prohibit arsenic spraying on citrus trees in formerly quarantined areas prior to December 6, 1931. However, because the informations do not establish that Kilgore's alleged spraying occurred in the formerly quarantined area, the case must be remanded to trial where such facts can be developed.
“In the construction of a penal statute if there is doubt it is the duty of the Court to resolve such doubt in favor of the citizen against the State.”
Establishes the cardinal rule of statutory construction in criminal cases that ambiguities are resolved in favor of the defendant.
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceBarnard Kilgore was charged with unlawfully spraying his citrus grove with arsenic on June 20, 1931. The charge was based on alleged violation of Sect…
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Informations were filed charging one Barnard Kilgore with having unlawfully sprayed his citrus grove with arsenic during the year 1931 and prior to December 6, 1931. The charge was predicated upon an alleged infraction of Section 1 of Chapter 14485, Acts of 1929, known as the “Arsenic Spray” Act.
That Section reads as follows:
“Section 1. It shall be unlawful for any person, partnership, association or corporation oivning, managing or tending and cultivating citrus groves or trees to use arsenic or any of its derivaties or any combination, compound or preparation containing arsenic as a fertilizer or spray o'n bearing citrus trees except when so ordered by the Federal Government or State Plant Board for the purpose of destroying the Mediterranean fruit fly.”
We have heretofore upheld the validity of the Act. See Maxcy, Inc. v. Mayo, Commissioner, 103 Fla. 552, 139 Sou. Rep. 121. And if Section 1 is to be construed alone and not in connection with the whole Act, a criminal offense is unquestionably charged in the information, and petitioner should be remanded.
Under the decision heretofore rendered, fruit taken from citrus groves located in the area quarantined because of the Mediterranean fruit fly, within twelve months after the lifting of the quarantine on December 6, 1930, though the trees had been sprayed with arsenic, was not subject to seizure and destruction under the Act and such seizure and destruction was enjoined by this Court.
In Ex parte Amos, 93 Fla. 5, 112 Sou. Rep. 289, it was said by us: “In the construction of a penal statute if there is doubt it is the duty of the Court to' resolve such doubt *725in favor of the citizen against the State.” See also Texas Co. v. Amos, 77 Fla. 327, 81 Sou. Rep. 471.
Section 1 of Chapter 14485, supra, may be construed as standing alone and by itself declaring an offense, irrespective of the exemptions or exceptions stated or implied in the other sections of that Chapter. With equal force it may be, and is, contended by petitioner that construing the Act as a whole, and reading it in the light of what is judicially known to the Court as the motivating cause for its enactment, the Act makes no prohibition as to the use of arsenic on citrus trees located in the quarantined area, prior to December 6, 1931, which date is o'ne year from the time the Mediterranean fruit fly quarantine was lifted.
The date of the offense charged in the information is stated to be June 20, 1931. The informations were filed August 8, 1931. No offense could be proved under either of them except an alleged unlawful spraying with arsenic prior to the date the informations were filed which would be prior to December 6, 1931.
The informations, however, do not show that the alleged spraying was done in an area which had been quarantined for the Mediterranean fruit fly though done prior to December 6, 1931. While our construction of Chapter 14485, supra, is that under Section 1 of that Act no criminal prosecution can be maintained for alleged unlawful spraying of citrus trees with arsenic prior to December 6, 1931, where the spraying was done in a quarantined area referred to in other Sections of the law, we must remand the petitioner to custody because it does not appear in the informations or otherwise that the alleged unlawful spraying on June 20, 1931, was on citrus trees in a grove located in the area which had been under quarantine for the Mediterranean fruit fly.
We give the doubt we entertain in the construction of the Act to the citizen against the State, by holding that no *726offense under Section 1 can be made out by an allegation of unlawful spraying with arsenic in the quarantined area prior to December 6, 1931, but remand the petitioner to custody inasmuch as we are not judicially advised by the informations that the alleged spraying therein referred to was within the former quarantined area. If it should so appear at the trial, appropriate proceedings to take advantage of such matter of defense can be taken by the accused.
We adhere to our declaration previously made as to the constitutionality and enforceability of Section 1 of Chapter 14485, Acts of 1929, as a criminal statute, when invoked in applicable cases falling within the purview of that Section as here construed.
Petitioner remanded.
Buford, C.J. and Whitfield, Terrell and Davis, J.J., concur.
Ellis and Brown, J. J., dissent.
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State v. Coleman, 131 Fla. 892 (Fla. 1938)…is any doubt as to their meaning, the courts should resolve such doubt in favor of the citizen. See Ex Parte Amos, 93 Fla. 5, 112 So. 289; Whitehurst v. State, 105 Fla. 574, 141 So. 878; Texas Co. v. Amos, 77 Fla. 471, 81 So. 471; Ex Parte Kilgore, 106 Fla. 723, 143 So. 610; Maxcy v. Mayo, 103 Fla. 552, 139 So. 121. See also State v. Davidson, 103 Fla. 954, 139 So. 177. It is essential that the indictment here should charge a crime against the laws of Florida. It is true that a conspiracy to commit a crim…
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Mayo v. Florida Grapefruit Growers Protective Assn., 112 Fla. 117 (Fla. 1933)…for the accomplishment of the purpose, and not unduly oppressive upon. [*153] individuals.” Lawton v. Steele, 152 U. S. 133, 38 L. Ed. 385, 14 Sup. Ct. Rep. 499; Schlesinger v. Wisconsin, 270 U. S. 230, 70 L. Ed. 557. The case of Ex Parte Kilgore, 106 Fla. 723, 143 South. Rep. 610, merely decided that the spraying of citrus trees with arsenic prior to December 6, 1931, will not support criminal prosecution if done in a quarantine area. The opinion in the case of Kilgore v. Mayo, 54 Fed. Rep. (2nd) 143, i…1 / 3
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State v. Coleman, 133 Fla. 400 (Fla. 1938)…if there is any doubt as to their meaning the courts. should resolve it in favor of the citizen. See Ex parte Amos, 93 Fla. 5, 112 So. 289; Whitehurst v. State, 105 Fla. 574, 141 So. 878; Texas Co. v. Amos, 77 Fla. 327, 81 So. 471; Ex parte Kilgore, 106 Fla. 723, 143 So. 610; Maxcy, Inc., v. Mayo, 103 Fla. 552, 139 So. 121; State, ex rel. Cherry, v. Davidson, 103 Fla. 954, 139 So. 177. The common law of England of a general nature in force in England on July 4, 1776, became the law of the State of Florida.…
Authorities Cited
- Ex Parte: Ernest Amos, 93 Fla. 5 (Fla. 1927)
- L. Maxcy, Inc. v. Mayo, 103 Fla. 552 (Fla. 1931)
- The Tex. Co. v. Amos, 77 Fla. 327 (Fla. 1919)