Case ID: so2d_323/html/0691-01.html
Source: Caselaw Access Project
Author: {"author": "BARKDULL, Chief Judge.", "license": "Public Domain", "url": "https://static.case.law/"}
Date Created: 2024-08-24T03:29:51.129683

Ron W. LAUGHLIN, Appellant, v. The STATE of Florida, Appellee. William K. McGUIRE, Appellant, v. The STATE of Florida, Appellee.
    Nos. 75-117, 75-128.
    District Court of Appeal of Florida, Third District.
    Nov. 12, 1975.
    Rehearing Denied Jan. 12, 1976.
    Quinn & Payne, Key West, for appellants.
    Robert L. Shevin, Atty. Gen., and William L. Rogers, Asst. Atty. Gen., and Joseph F. Iracki, Legal Intern, for appel-lee.
    Before BARKDULL, C. J., and HA-VERFIELD and NATHAN, JJ.
   BARKDULL, Chief Judge.

By these appeals, we are called upon to review the convictions and sentences of two defendants found guilty by a jury of possession of more than 5 grams of marijuana.

The appellants urge error, going to the sufficiency of the evidence, which we find not to be well taken. State v. Sebastian, Fla.1965, 171 So.2d 893; Decca v. State, Fla.App.1966, 186 So.2d 92; Stewart v. State, Fla.App.1969, 221 So.2d 155; Zicca v. State, Fla.App.1970, 232 So.2d 414. The appellants also urge error in a posttrial order refusing to require a newspaper reporter to reveal the source of an alleged rumor. Initially, we seriously doubt that a proper procedure was followed in the trial court and, secondly, even if such a procedure was correct [which we do not here pass upon] no error has been demonstrated, because it would have been a violation of the reporter’s First Amendment rights to require him to respond to the question in an open trial proceeding. Morgan v. State, Fla.App.1975, (opinion filed September 26, 1975) ; Branzburg v. Hayes, 408 U.S. 665, 92 S.Ct. 2646, 33 L.Ed.2d 626.

Therefore, for the reasons above stated, the convictions and sentences thereon be and the same are hereby affirmed.

Affirmed. 
      
       Editor’s Note: The opinion in Morgan, as corrected, was refiled on December 3, 1975. See 325 So.2d 40.