Case Name: William JOHNSON, Appellant, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee
Court: Florida District Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 1990-04-18
Citations: 559 So. 2d 729
Docket Number: No. 89-0324
Parties: William JOHNSON, Appellant, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee.
Judges: HERSEY, C.J., and DELL, J., concur.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 559
Pages: 729–730

Head Matter:
William JOHNSON, Appellant, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee.
No. 89-0324.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, Fourth District.
April 18, 1990.
Richard L. Jorandby, Public Defender, and Allen J. DeWeese, Asst. Public Defender, West Palm Beach, for appellant.
Robert A. Butterworth, Atty. Gen., Tallahassee, and Patricia G. Lampert, Asst. Atty. Gen., West Palm Beach, for appellee.

Opinion:
PER CURIAM.
William Johnson appeals his conviction of tampering with evidence. Specifically, Johnson was alleged to have crumbled a cocaine rock in his fist and to have disposed of the powdery residue in a puddle of water. At trial the two arresting officers testified at length about their experience in narcotics arrests and the reputation of the location where the arrest was made as a high crime area. Illustrative is the following description from the testimony of one of the officers: "it is a predominantly black neighborhood, but very well known for high school narcotics, prostitution to robberies and burglaries."
This type of guilt by association trial tactic has been universally condemned as constituting reversible error. Black v. State, 545 So.2d 498 (Fla. 4th DCA 1989); Beneby v. State, 354 So.2d 98 (Fla. 4th DCA), cert. denied., 359 So.2d 1220 (Fla.1978); Buckann v. State, 356 So.2d 1327 (Fla. 4th DCA 1978). See also Lockett v. State, 527 So.2d 959 (Fla. 4th DCA 1988).
We so hold and reverse for a new trial.
As we did in Gillion v. State, 547 So.2d 719 (Fla. 4th DCA 1989), we certify the following question as one of great public importance:
DOES THE MERE IDENTIFICATION OF A LOCATION AS A HIGH CRIME AREA UNDULY PREJUDICE A DEFENDANT WHO IS ARRESTED THERE?
REVERSED AND REMANDED.
HERSEY, C.J., and DELL, J., concur.
STONE, J., concurs specially with opinion.