Opinion ID: 1882379
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Denial of Judgment of Acquittal

Text: Stephens first argues the trial court erred in failing to grant his motion for judgment of acquittal on the charge of first-degree murder. This claim is both unpreserved for appeal and without merit. This claim was not preserved for appeal because Stephens' counsel made a bare bones motion for judgment of acquittal, without any specific argument. In Woods v. State, 733 So.2d 980 (Fla.1999), this Court held the claim of improper denial of a motion for judgment of acquittal had not been preserved for appeal by a boilerplate motion without specific grounds. We said: To preserve an argument for appeal, it must be asserted as the legal ground for the objection, exception, or motion below. See Archer v. State, 613 So.2d 446, 448 (Fla.1993); Steinhorst v. State, 412 So.2d 332, 338 (Fla.1982). Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.380 requires that a motion for judgment of acquittal  fully set forth the grounds on which it is based. See Fla.R.Crim.Pro. 3.380(b) (emphasis added). Here, Woods submitted a boilerplate motion for acquittal without fully setting forth the specific grounds upon which the motion was based. He did not bring to the attention of the trial court any of the specific grounds he now urges this Court to consider. Id. at 984. See also Geralds v. State, 674 So.2d 96 (Fla.1996) (holding two claims of unconstitutionality of jury instructions pertaining to death penalty proceedings procedurally barred because counsel failed to object with specificity); Marquard v. State, 641 So.2d 54 (Fla.1994) (finding a particular argument not preserved as to the trial court's denial of motion for judgment of acquittal on murder charge); Patterson v. State, 391 So.2d 344 (Fla. 5th DCA 1980) (holding a bare bones motion for directed verdict will not permit a defendant to raise every possible claimed insufficiency in the evidence); De La Cova v. State, 355 So.2d 1227 (Fla. 3d DCA 1978) (finding a bare bones motion for directed verdict does not raise every possible claimed insufficiency in the evidence). Furthermore, there is sufficient evidence to support Stephens' conviction for first-degree felony murder. In Woods, we reaffirmed the general rule established in Lynch v. State, 293 So.2d 44, 45 (Fla.1974), that courts should not grant a motion for judgment of acquittal unless the evidence is such that no view which the jury may lawfully take of it favorable to the opposite party can be sustained under the law. See also Gudinas v. State, 693 So.2d 953 (Fla.1997); Barwick v. State, 660 So.2d 685 (Fla.1995); DeAngelo v. State, 616 So.2d 440 (Fla.1993); Taylor v. State, 583 So.2d 323 (Fla.1991). Moreover, the evidence in this case supports a finding that the murder was committed during the course of a felony. Stephens entered a plea of guilty to the charge of armed kidnapping. The only question, therefore, is whether the kidnapping had ended prior to the death of the victim. The victim of the kidnapping was Sparrow III, a three-year old child. Stephens took the child from the house where the robberies occurred after the other occupants were herded to the bathroom. He put the child in the dark green Kia and drove to a location that was not communicated to anyone. Prior to leaving the house, Stephens indicated he would leave the child at the corner if he was not followed. The Kia was left parked on the sunny side of a street with the doors closed and the windows up. The car was not located for approximately seven hours after it was driven from the scene of the other crimes. This was a three-year old child who was left in an automobile with the windows and doors closed. Earlier, the child had observed his kidnapper as he brandished a gun and threatened the other members of the household. Under these circumstances it cannot be said that the kidnapping had ceased prior to the child's death since the child, based on his age and the totality of the circumstances, was never at a place of safety before he died. Cf. State v. Stouffer, 352 Md. 97, 721 A.2d 207 (1998) (finding a continuing kidnapping where the victim's liberty was never restored prior to his death). Because the death occurred during the commission of the kidnapping, there is competent substantial evidence to support a conviction for first-degree felony murder.