MATTHEW WAYNE GODWIN, AND TERRY WAYNE GODWIN, PETITIONERS,
v.
RALPH JOHNSON, AS SHERIFF OF WALTON COUNTY; AND DANNY GLIDEWELL, AS THE ADMINISTRATOR OF WALTON COUNTY JAIL, RESPONDENTS
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.
Terry Wayne and Matthew Wayne Godwin petitioned for habeas corpus relief challenging the circuit court's denial of pretrial release in a second-degree murder case. The court rejected their Crawford v. Washington arguments contending that the confrontation clause applies to pretrial detention hearings and affirmed that the state presented sufficient evidence of guilt at the detention hearing.
Crawford v. Washington did not change the types of proceedings where the confrontation clause applies; it only provides guidance on implementation when applicable. The confrontation clause does not apply to pretrial detention proceedings and State v. Arthur's holding that the state may present its case through transcripts or affidavits remains valid Florida law. The state presented sufficient evidence at the hearing to establish that the proof of guilt was evident or the presumption great.
[1] The Confrontation Clause of the Sixth Amendment applies in "criminal prosecutions" and does not extend to pretrial release proceedings.
[2] The rule announced in Crawford v. …
Previewing 2 of 4 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“Crawford did not change the types of proceedings where the confrontation clause does or does not apply. Instead, it provides guidance on how the clause is to be implemented when it is applicable.”
Establishes the court's interpretation that Crawford's holding was narrow and did not expand the scope of when the confrontation clause applies.
Previewing 1 of 3 key quotes on this case — the court’s exact language, pinpointed for members.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceThe petitioners were charged with second-degree murder, punishable by life imprisonment. At a pretrial release hearing, the state presented evidence e…
The full statement of facts, procedural history, and disposition for this case are member content.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligence© FLexlaw, Inc. — AI-generated enrichments are proprietary. All rights reserved.
Explore caselaw by topic → Browse Proof Of Guilt Evident Or Presumption Great cases and more on FLexlaw
PER CURIAM.
Terry Wayne Godwin and Matthew Wayne Godwin petition this court for a writ of habeas corpus, challenging the circuit court’s decision to deny them pretrial release. We sua sponte consolidate the cases for purposes of this opinion and, for the reasons set forth below, deny the petitions.
The petitioners are charged with second-degree murder, an offense punishable by life in prison pursuant to section 782.04(2), Florida Statutes (2006).
The state sought to preclude pretrial release on grounds that the proof of the defendants’ guilt was evident or the presumption was great. See Art. I, § 14, Fla. Const.; Fla. R.Crim. P. 3.131(a).
At a hearing on the issue, the state’s evidence was presented exclusively through the testimony of an investigator who described the physical evidence he observed at the crime scene, statements made to him by various participants in the altercation that led to the death of the victim, and the information he obtained while observing the autopsy of the victim. The Godwins made objections based on Crawford v. Washington, 641 U.S. 36, 124 S.Ct. 1354, 158 L.Ed.2d 177 (2004), contending that the state’s evidence was violative of the confrontation clause contained in the Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution and they reassert these arguments in the instant habeas corpus petitions. Petitioners argue that Crawford effectively overruled State v. Arthur, 390 So. 2d 717 (Fla.1980) and revived cases such as Stansel v. State, 297 So. 2d 63 (Fla. 2d DCA 1974), which held that the right to full confrontation applied in hearings on pretrial release. We cannot agree. Instead, as the respondents argue, Crawford did not change the types of proceedings where the confrontation clause does or does not apply. Instead, it provides guidance on how the clause is to be implemented when it is applicable. The court in Arthur found that the state could present its ease in a pretrial detention proceeding “in the form of transcripts or affidavits.” 390 So. 2d at 720.
Thus, an unstated, but necessary premise of the Arthur decision is that the confrontation clause does not apply in this type of proceeding and we conclude that principle continues to be the law in Florida after Crawford. The confrontation clause of the Sixth Amendment expressly applies in “criminal prosecutions.” We agree with the reasoning and conclusion of State v. Engel, 99 N.J. 453, 493 A. 2d 1217 (1985) that this does not include proceedings on the issue of pretrial release.
We also find no merit to petitioners’ claim that the proof of their guilt was not shown at the hearing to be evident or the presumption great. Accordingly, the petitions for writ of habeas corpus are hereby denied.
PETITIONS DENIED.
WOLF, VAN NORTWICK, and LEWIS, JJ., concur.
Cases With Similar Vibessemantic neighbors from the corpus
Citator
Cited By
-
Bleiweiss v. State, 24 So. 3d 1215 (Fla. 4th DCA 2009)…present closing argument. Arthur hearings are not formal trials. Evidence can be submitted in the form of affidavits or transcripts. Indeed, the constitutional right of confrontation does not apply to pretrial release proceedings. Godwin v. Johnson, 957 So. 2d 39, 40 (Fla. 1st DCA 2007). Although it is certainly the better practice to allow argument and courts should never routinely dispense with it, Herring explains that it is not constitutionally required. By its opinion, the majority creates a mandatory r…
Authorities Cited
- Crawford v. Washington, 541 U.S. 36 (U.S. 2004)
- State v. Arthur, 390 So. 2d 717 (Fla. 1980)
- Stansel v. State, 297 So. 2d 63 (Fla. 2d DCA 1974)