Case Name: Guadalupe GONZALEZ, Appellant, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee
Court: Florida District Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 1990-10-10
Citations: 569 So. 2d 782
Docket Number: No. 88-2542
Parties: Guadalupe GONZALEZ, Appellant, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee.
Judges: POLEN, J., concurs.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 569
Pages: 782–785

Head Matter:
Guadalupe GONZALEZ, Appellant, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee.
No. 88-2542.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, Fourth District.
Oct. 10, 1990.
Rehearing and Certification Denied Dec. 5, 1990.
Richard L. Jorandby, Public Defender, and Ellen Morris, Asst. Public Defender, West Palm Beach, for appellant.
Robert A. Butterworth, Atty. Gen., Tallahassee, and Alfonso M. Saldana, Asst. Atty. Gen., West Palm Beach, for appellee.

Opinion:
STONE, Judge.
We affirm appellant's conviction and sentence, except as to costs. The appellant was charged with one count of second-degree murder, with a firearm, and three counts of attempted second-degree murder, with a firearm. The shootings occurred in a barroom. The appellant was convicted of the lesser included offenses of third-degree murder, with a firearm, and three counts of aggravated battery, with a firearm. The court enhanced the third-degree murder conviction, a second-degree felony if committed without a firearm, to a first-degree felony.
The appellant first argues that the state systematically excluded a black juror by the exercise of a peremptory challenge. He additionally asserts that the court may not enhance the conviction to a first-degree felony.
The appellant objected to the excusing of one juror. That juror stated that one of her children had some kind of conflict with the law and had gone to trial within the past year. The excused juror was Afro-American, the defendant was of Hispanic descent. The appellant notes that another juror, who stated that she had been raised in Mexico and worked for the Immigration and Naturalization Service, had been excused earlier without objection. However, there is nothing in the record to indicate that she was a member of a particular minority group.
The appellant has failed to meet his burden of demonstrating a substantial likelihood that the challenges were motivated solely by race. The trial court, specifically referring to the statements and responses in voir dire, found that there was no racial motivation for the challenges. Additionally, the court recognized that the appellee could offer a racially neutral explanation, supported by the record, for the challenge. The involvement of a juror's close family member with the law is a valid reason for a peremptory challenge. Cf. Sampson v. State, 542 So.2d 434 (Fla. 4th DCA 1989). See also United States v. Vaccaro, 816 F.2d 443 (9th Cir.1987), cert. denied, 484 U.S. 928, 108 S.Ct. 295, 98 L.Ed.2d 255 (1987). The state is not required to provide any additional explanation. See Reed v. State, 560 So.2d 203 (Fla.1990); Smith v. State, 562 So.2d 787 (Fla. 1st DCA 1990); Davis v. State, 560 So.2d 1346 (Fla. 3d DCA 1990); Verdelotti v. State, 560 So.2d 1328 (Fla.2d DCA 1990); Adams v. State, 559 So.2d 1293 (Fla. 3d DCA), dismissed, 564 So.2d 488 (1990); Stephens v. State, 559 So.2d 687 (Fla. 1st DCA 1990); Knight v. State, 559 So.2d 327 (Fla. 1st DCA 1990).
Third-degree murder, a second-degree felony, may be enhanced to a first-degree felony if the defendant uses a firearm. See § 775.087(1)(b), Fla.Stat. Cf. Andrade v. State, 564 So.2d 238 (Fla. 3d DCA 1990); State v. Smith, 470 So.2d 764 (Fla. 5th DCA 1985), approved, 485 So.2d 1284 (1986). However, the appellant argues that his use of the firearm was an essential element of the crime. The court gave the third-degree murder charge, at the defendant's request, to afford him the benefits of a lesser included offense conviction, notwithstanding some question as to whether there was a basis for it in the record. We note that the appellant does not challenge his conviction nor deny that the verdict form included a finding that he committed the offense with a firearm. Appellant simply asserts that his use of the firearm must be considered an essential element.
However, the mere fact that a firearm is used in the commission of a crime does not necessarily make it an essential element of that crime. Cf. Ingraham v. State, 527 So.2d 222 (Fla. 5th DCA), rev. denied, 534 So.2d 400 (1988); Strickland v. State, 415 So.2d 808 (Fla. 1st DCA 1982), aff'd., 437 So.2d 150 (1983); Williams v. State, 407 So.2d 223 (Fla. 2d DCA 1981); Pedrera v. State, 401 So.2d 823 (Fla. 3d DCA 1981). We acknowledge conflict with Franklin v. State, 541 So.2d 1227 (Fla. 2d DCA 1989).
Therefore, the judgment and sentence, except as to costs, is affirmed. As to costs, the sentence is reversed and remanded for resentencing. See Mays v. State, 519 So.2d 618 (Fla.1988); Jenkins v. State, 444 So.2d 947 (Fla.1984).
POLEN, J., concurs.
ANSTEAD, J., concurs in part and dissents in part with opinion.