JOSE SALDANA, APPELLANT,
v.
THE STATE OF FLORIDA, APPELLEE
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Jose Saldana appeals his convictions for resisting an officer without violence, fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer, and driving with a suspended license. The court affirms all convictions, rejecting his double jeopardy challenge and his arguments regarding suppression of arrest and dismissal of charges.
The court held that the double jeopardy challenge fails because each offense contains a statutory element the other lacks: resisting an officer requires that the officer be engaged in lawful execution of a legal duty, while fleeing requires operation of a motor vehicle on a street or highway. The court also held that an arrest cannot be suppressed under the Fourth Amendment exclusionary rule, and that the trial court properly denied the motion for judgment of acquittal because sufficient evidence established that the officers were lawfully executing their legal duty.
[1] Convictions for resisting an officer without violence and fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer are not barred by double jeopardy if each offense contains at le…
[2] The offense of resisting an officer without violence requires proof that the officer was engaged in the lawful execution of a legal duty.
Previewing 2 of 5 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“both of the offenses contain a statutory element which the other does not — and, accordingly, the judgments of conviction and sentences on both offenses are not barred by double jeopardy under the Blockburger test”
Establishes that the double jeopardy protection does not bar conviction for both offenses because each has distinct statutory elements
Previewing 1 of 3 key quotes on this case — the court’s exact language, pinpointed for members.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceSaldana was convicted by jury verdict of three offenses: resisting an officer without violence, fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer, and d…
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PER CURIAM.
This is an appeal by the defendant Jose Saldana from final judgments of conviction and sentences for (1) resisting an officer without violence [§ 843.02, Fla.Stat. (1991) ], (2) fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer [§ 316.1935, Fla.Stat. (1991) ], and (3) driving with a suspended license [§ 322.34, Fla.Stat. (1991) ], which were entered upon an adverse jury verdict. The defendant raises two points on appeal, neither of which presents reversible error.
First, the defendant contends that his convictions for the first two offenses, as stated above, are barred by double jeopardy, and that the judgment of conviction and sentence for the second offense should be vacated; the trial court denied the defendant’s motion to vacate one or both of the convictions based on the ground of double jeopardy.
We agree with the trial court and reject the defendant’s contention because both of the offenses contain a statutory element which the other does not — and, accordingly, the judgments of conviction and sentences on both offenses are not barred by double jeopardy under the Blockburger test. United States v. Dixon, — U.S. —, 113 S.Ct. 2849, 125 L.Ed.2d 556 (1993)); Blockburger v. United States, 284 U.S. 299, 52 S.Ct. 180, 76 L.Ed. 306 (1932); see § 775.021(4), Fla.Stat. (1991).
The first offense, resisting an officer without violence [§ 843.02, Fla.Stat. (1991) ], contains one statutory element which the second offense, fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer [§ 316.1935, Fla.Stat. (1991)], does not contain; namely, the police officer must have been engaged in the lawful execution of a legal duty. Starks v. State, 627 So. 2d 1194 (Fla. 3d DCA 1993); McBride v. State, 604 So. 2d 1291 (Fla. 3d DCA 1992); see Green v. State, 530 So. 2d 480 (Fla. 5th DCA 1988), rev. denied, 539 So. 2d 475 (Fla.1989).
On the other hand, the second offense contains at least one statutory element which the first offense does not contain; namely, the defendant must have been operating a motor vehicle on a street or highway in Florida. Jackson v. State, 463 So. 2d 372 (Fla. 5th DCA 1985), rev. denied, 482 So. 2d 345 (Fla.1986).
Second, the defendant contends that the trial court erroneously denied his pretrial motion to suppress the defendant’s “arrest” and refused to dismiss count II of the information which charged the defendant with resisting an officer without violence. There is no authority, however, which would authorize, much less require, that the trial court suppress the defendant’s “arrest” and thereby dismiss one of the counts in the information pending against the defendant. Physical evidence or verbal statements which constitute the fruit of an unlawful arrest may be suppressed by the trial court under the Fourth Amendment exclusionary rule; an “arrest,” on the other hand, can never be suppressed nor can charges in an indictment or information be dismissed under the Fourth Amendment exclusionary rule. Fla. R.Crim.P. 3.190(b), (c); see generally 14 Fla. Jur.2d §§ 59, 380 (1993); 1, 2 Wayne R. LaFave, Search & Seizure §§ 1.9(b), 5.1 (1987).
Moreover, we conclude that the trial court did not err, as belatedly urged by the defendant in his reply brief, in denying his motion for judgment of acquittal as to count II of the information (resisting an officer without violence) because the state adduced sufficient evidence at trial to establish that the police officers involved in this case were engaged in the lawful execution of a legal duty when they attempted to stop the defendant while he was driving a motor vehicle. See C.W. v. State, 528 So. 2d 66 (Fla. 3d DCA 1988); Williams v. State, 511 So. 2d 740 (Fla. 5th DCA 1987); see also Barkley v. State, 522 So. 2d 431 (Fla. 1st DCA 1988).
Affirmed.
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Adams v. State, 650 So. 2d 1039 (Fla. 3d DCA 1995)…conviction and sentence on both offenses. United States v. Dixon, — U.S. —, 113 S.Ct. 2849, 125 L.Ed.2d 556 (1993); Blockburger v. United States, 284 U.S. 299, 52 S.Ct. 180, 76 L.Ed. 306 (1932); see § 775.021(4), Fla.Stat. (1991); Saldana v. State, 634 So. 2d 201 (Fla. 3d DCA 1994). The offense charged in Count I, grand theft, requires proof of defendant’s intent to deprive the owner of property, § 812.014(1), Fla.Stat. (1991); Szilagyi v. State, 564 So. 2d 644 (Fla. 4th DCA 1990); G.C. v. State, 560 So. 2d…
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Pittman v. State, 815 So. 2d 757 (Fla. 5th DCA 2002)…PER CURIAM. AFFIRMED. See State v. Wilkins, 534 So. 2d 705 (Fla.1988); Saldana v. State, 634 So. 2d 201 (Fla. 3d DCA 1994). GRIFFIN, SAWAYA and ORFINGER, R. B., JJ., concur.…
Authorities Cited
- Blockburger v. United States, 284 U.S. 299 (U.S. 1932)
- Jackson v. State, 463 So. 2d 372 (Fla. 5th DCA 1985)
- Starks v. State, 627 So. 2d 1194 (Fla. 3d DCA 1993)
- Green v. State, 530 So. 2d 480 (Fla. 5th DCA 1988)
- McBRIDE v. State, 604 So. 2d 1291 (Fla. 3d DCA 1992)
- State v. Jackson, 482 So. 2d 345 (Fla. 1986)
- Barkley v. State, 522 So. 2d 431 (Fla. 1st DCA 1988)
- Pace v. Perry, 511 So. 2d 740 (Fla. 5th DCA 1987)
- Williams v. State, 511 So. 2d 740 (Fla. 5th DCA 1987)
- C.W. v. State, 528 So. 2d 66 (Fla. 3d DCA 1988)