Case Name: Harry James MATTIER, Appellant, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee
Court: Florida District Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 1974-10-04
Citations: 301 So. 2d 105
Docket Number: No. 73-1019
Parties: Harry James MATTIER, Appellant, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee.
Judges: OWEN, C. J., concurs.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 301
Pages: 105–106

Head Matter:
Harry James MATTIER, Appellant, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee.
No. 73-1019.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, Fourth District.
Oct. 4, 1974.
Richard L. Jorandby, Public Defender, Kenneth J. Scherer, Asst. Public Defender, and Elliot R. Brooks, Legal Intern, West Palm Beach, for appellant.
Robert L. Shevin, Atty. Gen., Tallahassee, and Basil S. Diamond, Asst. Atty. Gen., West Palm Beach, for appellee.

Opinion:
DOWNEY, Judge.
Appellant was a passenger in an automobile driven by James Edward Thomas. Said automobile was stopped by police. As a result of this stopping the police observed (a) a gun on the front seat and (b) a suspicious cigarette which fell to the ground as appellant exited the car at an officer's request. Appellant was then arrested for possession of marijuana and later charged with possession of cocaine. Thomas was also arrested and charged with possession of cocaine and heroin. Appellant was convicted as charged and so was Thomas. On appeal Thomas's conviction was reversed on several grounds, one of which was that since the police did not have sufficient reason to stop the car in the first instance, the trial court's refusal to suppress the contraband found was erroneous. Thomas v. State, Fla.App.1974, 297 So.2d 850.
This court having already ruled in Thomas v. State, supra, that the police did not have sufficient reason to stop the car in which appellant was a passenger, it follows here also that the fruits of that improper exercise of the police power should have been suppressed.
Accordingly, the judgment and sentence appealed herein are reversed and the cause is remanded with directions that the lower court order the appellant discharged from custody.
Reversed.
OWEN, C. J., concurs.
MAGER, J., concurs specially with opinion.