Case Name: Eddie BELL, Appellant, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee
Court: Florida District Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 2007-11-07
Citations: 969 So. 2d 1115
Docket Number: No. 4D06-3555
Parties: Eddie BELL, Appellant, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee.
Judges: KLEIN, GROSS, JJ., and EMAS, KEVIN, Associate Judge, concur.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 969
Pages: 1115–1115

Head Matter:
Eddie BELL, Appellant, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee.
No. 4D06-3555.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, Fourth District.
Nov. 7, 2007.
Rehearing Denied Jan. 2, 2008.
Carey Haughwout, Public Defender, and Patrick B. Burke, Assistant Public Defender, West Palm Beach, for appellant.
Bill McCollum, Attorney General, Tallahassee, and Katherine Y. Melntire, Assistant Attorney General, West Palm Beach, for appellee.

Opinion:
PER CURIAM.
In this appeal from a violation of probation proceeding, appellant timely raised the issue of a Richardson v. State, 246 So.2d 771 (Fla.1971), violation with respect to the state's most important witness. A Richardson hearing is required in a probation revocation proceeding. See Cuciak v. State, 410 So.2d 916 (Fla.1982). The circuit court did not conduct a Richardson inquiry. The state has failed to demonstrate that the failure to conduct such a hearing was harmless. The state's witness had been drinking and using cocaine on the night in question, but said that she was not "obliviated." Although defense counsel had 30 minutes to interview the witness prior to the hearing, proper notice of the witness would have given the defense time to more fully develop an effective impeachment strategy.
Reversed and remanded.
KLEIN, GROSS, JJ., and EMAS, KEVIN, Associate Judge, concur.