Case Name: Carlton Bernard TAPE, Appellant, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee
Court: Florida District Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 1995-11-01
Citations: 661 So. 2d 1287
Docket Number: No. 94-2122
Parties: Carlton Bernard TAPE, Appellant, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee.
Judges: GUNTHER, C.J., and POLEN, J., concur.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 661
Pages: 1287–1291

Head Matter:
Carlton Bernard TAPE, Appellant, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee.
No. 94-2122.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, Fourth District.
Nov. 1, 1995.
Richard L. Jorandby, Public Defender, and Joseph R. Chloupek, Assistant Public Defender, West Palm Beach, for appellant.
Robert A. Butterworth, Attorney General, Tallahassee, and Melynda L. Melear, Assistant Attorney General, West Palm Beach, for appellee.

Opinion:
PER CURIAM.
This is an appeal from a final judgment of conviction and sentence for three murders and one attempted murder. The appellant raises seven points for reversal, all of which we find were either not error or harmless error. While we agree with the dissent that a criminal defendant generally has a right to have a subpoena enforced and attendance of a witness compelled, in this case we hold the right was waived. Even constitutional rights may be waived by a defendant. Butterworth v. Fluellen, 389 So.2d 968 (Fla.1980) (waiver of right to 180-day speedy trial period by defendant who is granted motion for continuance of trial).
Here, the court asked appellant's counsel at two separate points in the trial, on appellant's request to have the court issue a writ of bodily attachment for Ms. Reagan, whether appellant would actually call the witness to testify. Each time, counsel gave an equivocal response, to the effect that it would depend on what testimony was given by the victim (and co-perpetrator) Richmond Johnson. While Ms. Reagan had no right to disregard a subpoena served upon her, the issuance of a writ of bodily attachment may be denied, in the court's discretion, if such issuance would be an act of futility. The trial court need not impose the extreme measure of having a deputy take a witness into custody, bring her forcibly before the court, or hold her in custody until she might be called, only to have counsel say "you can let her go now; we will not call her as a witness." While appellant had a right to have the subpoena enforced, he waived that right by failing to respond affirmatively that he would call Ms. Reagan as a witness. Thus, under the facts of this case, he cannot now claim reversible error for the trial court's failure to enforce the witness subpoena.
We sua sponte vacate the conviction for attempted first degree murder based on State v. Gray, 654 So.2d 552 (Fla.1995), which applies to all cases pending on direct review or not yet final. While this issue was not raised, no one may be convicted of a nonexistent crime. See Achin v. State, 436 So.2d 30, 31 (Fla.1982). In Gray, the supreme court held that there is no crime of attempted felony murder. In this case the defendant was convicted of attempted first degree murder, but the state argued both felony murder and premeditated murder to the jury. In Mills v. Maryland, 486 U.S. 367, 376, 108 S.Ct. 1860, 1866, 100 L.Ed.2d 384, 395 (1988), the United States Supreme Court articulated the well settled rule that a criminal jury verdict must be set aside if it could be supported on one ground but not on another and the reviewing court is uncertain which of the two grounds was relied upon by the jury in reaching its verdict. It is not possible with the evidence and argument in this case to determine which theory the jury used as its basis for the conviction. Therefore, we are compelled to reverse the conviction.
AFFIRMED IN PART; REVERSED IN PART.
GUNTHER, C.J., and POLEN, J., concur.
WARNER, J., dissents with opinion.