Case Name: James O. O'BRIEN, Sr., Appellant, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee
Court: Florida District Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 1984-07-26
Citations: 454 So. 2d 675
Docket Number: No. 83-1087
Parties: James O. O'BRIEN, Sr., Appellant, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee.
Judges: SHARP, J., concurs.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 454
Pages: 675–680

Head Matter:
James O. O'BRIEN, Sr., Appellant, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee.
No. 83-1087.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, Fifth District.
July 26, 1984.
Rehearing Denied Aug. 23, 1984.
James B. Gibson, Public Defender, and David A. Henson, Asst. Public Defender, Daytona Beach, for appellant.
Jim Smith, Atty. Gen., Tallahassee, and Richard B. Martell, Asst. Atty. Gen., Day-tona Beach, for appellee.

Opinion:
DAUKSCH, Judge.
This is an appeal from convictions for conspiracy to Traffic in Cannabis, Trafficking in Cannabis and Unlawful Possession of a Firearm during the Commission of a Felony.
Appellant has raised four points on appeal. We shall quote and discuss each in order. We have no comment regarding the writings in the special concurrence, except to say that nothing even close to what may be the point in the special concurrence was raised by the parties or briefed. No special concurrence is of precedential value, especially where it is not on the subject matter of the appeal.
POINT I
THE TRIAL COURT ABUSED ITS DISCRETION IN EXCLUDING ALL OF THE DEFENDANT'S WITNESSES FROM TESTIFYING, WITHOUT MAKING AN ADEQUATE INQUIRY INTO WHETHER THE DEFENDANT'S TARDY COMPLIANCE WITH THE RULE GOVERNING AN EXCHANGE OF WITNESS LISTS WAS A SUBSTANTIAL VIOLATION WHICH RESULTED IN HARM OR PREJUDICE TO THE STATE.
Appellant's trial counsel failed to comply with Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.220(b)(3) because he did not timely file a list of defense witnesses within seven days of receipt of the state's list of witnesses. Defense counsel should be discouraged from doing that. Under appropriate circumstances sanctions should also be imposed against defense counsel, or even the defendant in some cases. Here the trial judge excluded all defense witnesses from giving testimony. Although it is within the judge's discretion to exclude witnesses that most extreme sanction should never be imposed except in the most extreme eases, such as when purposeful, prejudicial and with intent to thwart justice. Anderson v. State, 314 So.2d 803 (Fla. 3d DCA 1975); Williams v. State, 264 So.2d 106 (Fla. 4th DCA 1972); Kruglak v. State, 300 So.2d 315 (Fla. 3d DCA 1974); Patterson v. State, 419 So.2d 1120 (Fla. 4th DCA 1982). No sanction should be imposed, least of all the most extreme, without an adequate hearing to determine the cause and effect of the failure to disclose. Richardson v. State, 246 So.2d 771 (Fla.1971); Neimeyer v. State, 378 So.2d 818 (Fla. 2d DCA 1979); Bradford v. State, 278 So.2d 624 (Fla.1973); Briseno v. State, 449 So.2d 312 (Fla. 5th DCA 1984). Because the trial judge failed to conduct an adequate Richardson hearing we reverse the convictions and remand this matter for a new trial. For further guidance, we have examined the record and can see there was not enough prejudice to the state for the judge to have excluded the witnesses in this case. The witnesses were disclosed before trial and there is some indication the state was aware of them in quite sufficient time to prepare for them.
POINT II
THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN IMPOSING JUDGMENT AND SENTENCE FOLLOWING THE JURY'S RETURN OF A GUILTY VERDICT FOR A NON-EXISTENT CRIME.
It was alleged the defendant "conspire^) . with another person or persons." The jury was instructed that should it find that appellant conspired with one Mike Imperial then he was guilty of the conspiracy count. This cannot be so because Mike Imperial was the police officer in the case who was acting in the discharge of his duty. One cannot conspire alone, obviously, and because the policeman was not really a part of a conspiracy (a combination of persons to accomplish an illegal purpose) but was trying to catch drug purchasers, appellant was alone in his illegal pursuit. King v. State, 104 So.2d 730 (Fla.1958). We reverse this conviction.
POINT III
THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN APPLYING THE THREE (3) YEAR MANDATORY MINIMUM PROVISIONS OF SECTION 775.087(2), FLORIDA STATUTES (1981) TO THE DEFENDANT'S SENTENCE FOR UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF A FIREARM DURING A FELONY.
Section 775.087(2), Florida Statutes (1981) provides that any person who is convicted of certain listed felonies should be sentenced to a mandatory three years in prison. Unlawful possession of a firearm is not one of them. Should appellant be convicted again he should be sentenced accordingly.
POINT IV
THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN IMPOSING CUMULATIVE THREE-YEAR MANDATORY MINIMUM SENTENCES. '
Appellant is correct. See Palmer v. State, 438 So.2d 1 (Fla.1983).
REVERSED and REMANDED.
SHARP, J., concurs.
COWART, J., concurs specially with opinion.