WILLIAM E. WOODSMALL, APPELLANT (DEFENDANT),
v.
STATE OF FLORIDA, APPELLEE (STATE)
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Woodsmall appealed his robbery conviction claiming he was immunized from prosecution under Florida's statutory immunity provision because he was subpoenaed to appear at his accomplice's trial for identification purposes. The court rejected this claim, holding that compulsory appearance for identification purposes does not constitute testimony or evidence production protected by the immunity statute.
The court held that Woodsmall was not entitled to transactional immunity because he was neither compelled to testify nor produce evidence. Compulsory attendance is distinct from compulsory testimony, and immunity attaches only to compulsory testimony. Moreover, even if appearance constituted evidence production, it did not incriminate Woodsmall himself but only Kinsey.
[1] A person is not entitled to transactional immunity under Section 914.04, Florida Statutes, for merely being subpoenaed to appear at another's trial and being identified i…
[2] Compulsory attendance in court for identification purposes does not constitute compelled testimony or the production of evidence tending to incriminate the individual for…
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“Compulsory attendance is one thing and compulsory testimony is quite another. The compulsion required to bring into play the immunity provisions of the foregoing statute relates solely to compulsory testimony.”
Establishes the fundamental distinction that immunity applies only to compulsory testimony, not mere compulsory attendance.
Previewing 1 of 3 key quotes on this case — the court’s exact language, pinpointed for members.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceWoodsmall and Kinsey were charged with robbery. At Kinsey's trial, the State subpoenaed Woodsmall and brought him into the courtroom where a witness i…
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MILLS, Judge.
Woodsmall appeals from a judgment of conviction and sentence based on a jury verdict finding him guilty of robbery. He contends that because he was subpoenaed to appear at the trial of an accomplice in a robbery, and was brought into the courtroom for identification during the trial he was immunized under Section 914.04, Florida Statutes. We do not agree.
Woodsmall and Kinsey, his accomplice, were charged with robbery. Kinsey was brought to trial first. The State subpoenaed Woodsmall to appear at the trial. During the trial, the State had him brought into the courtroom where a State’s witness identified him as a man she saw with Kinsey at a local lounge the evening before the robbery.
Woodsmall timely moved the court to-dismiss the charge against him because of transactional immunity under Section 914.-04, Florida Statutes. The motion was renewed immediately before the trial. Both motions were denied.
Woodsmall bases his contention on that part of Section 914.04, Florida Statutes, which provides that a person who, pursuant to a subpoena, produces evidence, documentary or otherwise, which may tend to convict him of a crime shall not be prosecuted for that transaction.
Woodsmall was neither compelled to testify nor to produce any document. Nor has he cited authority to support his position that compulsory attendance for the purpose of being identified at another’s trial is evidence tending to incriminate the individual.
“The mere fact that the defendant was under subpoena to appear is immaterial. Compulsory attendance is one thing and compulsory testimony is quite another. The compulsion required to bring into play the immunity provisions of the foregoing statute relates solely to compulsory testimony. . . .” State ex rel. Foster v. Hall, 230 So. 2d 722 (Fla. App.2d, 1970). The purpose of the Fifth Amendment is to prevent the compelled production of testimonial communications that are incriminating. As stated in Schmerber v. California, 384 U.S. 757, 86 S.Ct. 1826, 16 L.Ed.2d 908 (1966):
“. . . Since the blood test evidence, although an incriminating product of compulsion, was neither petitioner’s testimony nor evidence relating to some communicative act or writing by the petitioner,- it was not inadmissible on privilege grounds.”
In fact, Rule 3.220(b) (1) (i), Florida Rules of Criminal Procedure, authorizes the court to order a defendant to appear in a lineup.
Even if we assume that the compulsory appearance of Woodsmall at Kinsey’s trial resulted in the production of evidence contemplated by Section 914.04, Florida Statutes, it did not incriminate Woodsmall. It merely incriminated Kinsey. Section 914.04, Florida Statutes, clearly states that the evidence must incriminate the person who is compelled to give the testimony or produce the evidence. Privilege was not intended to permit a person to plead that a third person might be incriminated by his testimony. Fisher v. United States, — U.S. —, 96 S.Ct. 1569, 48 L.Ed.2d 39 (1976).
Although Woodsmall’s appearance and identification at Kinsey’s trial may have incriminated Kinsey, there is no showing that it incriminated him at the trial of this case.
The judgment and sentence are affirmed.
BOYER, C. J., and McCORD, J., concur.
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State v. Kitchen, 353 So. 2d 897 (Fla. 3d DCA 1977)…s not incriminating and in no way constituted a link in the chain of evidence needed to prosecute appellee for the offense for which he was subsequently charged. State ex rel. Mitchell v. Kelly, 71 So. 2d 887 (Fla.1954); see also Woodsmall v. State, 334 So. 2d 320 (Fla. 1st DCA 1976). Accordingly, the order appealed from is reversed and remanded for further proceedings. Reversed and remanded. PEARSON, J., dissents.…
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Cikora v. Wainwright, 661 F. Supp. 813 (S.D. Fla. 1987)…68 (S.D.N.Y.1980) (merely showing the jury an individual with strikingly similar looks to the defendant would not have constituted testimony and could not have been barred by individual’s invocation of the Fifth Amendment); Woodsmall v. State, 334 So.2d 320 (Fla. 1st DCA 1976) (compulsory appearance for purpose of being identified at another’s trial does not incriminate the individual who appears). Even though we determine that there has been no Fifth Amendment bar to the proffered jury view here,…
Authorities Cited
- Schmerber v. California, 384 U.S. 757 (U.S. 1966)
- Fisher v. United States, 425 U.S. 391 (U.S. 1976)
- State of Fla. ex rel. R. D. Foster v. Honorable W. Troy Hall, Jr., 230 So. 2d 722 (Fla. 2d DCA 1970)