STATE OF FLORIDA, PETITIONER/CROSS-RESPONDENT,
v.
JACKIE FORCHIN, RESPONDENT/CROSS-PETITIONER
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The Florida Supreme Court resolved a conflict between two District Court of Appeal decisions regarding whether tampering with physical evidence can serve as a basis for probation revocation. The Court held that tampering charges can support probation revocation and disapproved the lower court's rationale while approving its result.
Tampering with physical evidence can serve as a basis for probation revocation. The trial court's implicit finding that Forchin knew an investigation was imminent was sufficient to establish the tampering offense, and no remand was necessary.
[1] A probation revocation order may be sustained if supported by at least one valid ground, even if other grounds are found insufficient.
[2] A defendant's act of swallowing evidence upon being approached by law enforcement may constitute tampering with physical evidence.
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligence“the trial court had already determined that Forchin had committed the offense of tampering, thereby implicitly finding that Forchin knew an investigation was imminent”
Establishes that the trial court's factual findings were sufficient to support the tampering conviction without remand
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceJackie Forchin was charged with violation of probation based on two grounds: committing the criminal offense of tampering with physical evidence and f…
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GRIMES, Justice.
We have for review Forchin v. State, 660 So. 2d 763 (Fla. 3d DCA 1995), which expressly and directly conflicts with our opinion in State v. Jennings, 666 So. 2d 131 (Fla.1995). We have jurisdiction. Art. V, § 3(b)(3), Fla. Const. Jackie Forchin was charged with violation of probation based on allegations that he had committed the criminal offense of tampering with physical evidence1 and that he had failed to report to his probation officer. The trial court revoked Forchin’s probation on both grounds. However, the district court of appeal found that the facts supporting the tampering charge2 were virtually indistinguishable from those in State v. Jennings, 647 So. 2d 294 (Fla. 3d DCA 1994), wherein that court had affirmed the dismissal of a tampering charge. Based on its decision in Jennings, the court concluded that the tampering charge could not legally serve as a basis for Forchin’s probation revocation. The court nevertheless affirmed the trial court’s revocation order, finding that there was ample evidence in the record to support the trial court’s finding that Forchin’s failure to report was willful and substantial in nature. Forchin, 660 So. 2d at 765.
This Court subsequently quashed the dis- triet court of appeal’s decision in Jennings.3 Jennings, 666 So. 2d 131. Accordingly, we disapprove that portion of the decision below insofar as it holds that the tampering charge could not serve as a basis for revoking For-chin’s probation. In Jennings, we remanded for further proceedings because the trial court had held as a matter of law that tampering could not be proven. There is no need for a remand in this case because the trial court had already determined that For-ehin had committed the offense of tampering, thereby implicitly finding that Forchin knew an investigation was imminent.
In view of the fact that we have sustained the revocation of Forchin’s probation upon proof of the tampering charge, we need not address Forchin’s cross-appeal, which asserts that the less serious ground of failure to report to his probation officer was not proven.
We approve the result of the decision below but disapprove its rationale.
It is so ordered.
OVERTON, SHAW, HARDING, WELLS and ANSTEAD, JJ., concur. . § 918.13, Fla. Stat. (1993).
. In its opinion, the court below stated:
The State's evidence in support of the tampering charge was essentially that several police officers observed Forchin exchange money for a small plastic bag containing a white substance while Forchin stood in an enclosed bus bench. As Forchin walked away from the bus bench toward a grassy median in the street, two officers got out of unmarked cars and identified themselves as police to Forchin. Forchin then swallowed the plastic bag containing the white substance.
Forchin v. State, 660 So. 2d 763, 764 (Fla. 3d DCA 1995).
. We held that for purposes of section 918.13, a trier of fact would not be precluded from finding that Jennings knew an investigation was about to be instituted when he swallowed what appeared to be rock cocaine as he was apprehended by an officer shouting "police.” State v. Jennings, 666 So. 2d 131 (Fla. 1995).
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Cited By
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Gomez v. State, 755 So. 2d 196 (Fla. 3d DCA 2000)…PER CURIAM. Affirmed. See Forchin v. State, 660 So. 2d 763 (Fla. 3d DCA 1995), approved, 684 So. 2d 820 (Fla.1996); McLaurin v. State, 585 So. 2d 473 (Fla. 3d DCA 1991); Guardado v. State, 562 So. 2d 696 (Fla. 3d [*197] DCA 1990), review denied, 576 So. 2d 287 (Fla.1990); § 948.06(5), Fla. Stat. (1999).…
Authorities Cited
- State v. Darrel Jennings, 666 So. 2d 131 (Fla. 1995)
- Simmons v. State, 666 So. 2d 131 (Fla. 1995)
- State v. Darrel Jennings, 647 So. 2d 294 (Fla. 3d DCA 1994)
- Forchin v. State, 660 So. 2d 763 (Fla. 3d DCA 1995)