Opinion ID: 1700407
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: count 3d

Text: On June 8, 1968, Louis Zacchary Cohen was found guilty of possession of marijuana in such quantity as to constitute a felony. Judge Trowbridge, Circuit Judge for the 19th Judicial Circuit, presided during the trial. Upon conviction of Cohen, Judge Trowbridge withheld adjudication of guilt and sentenced Cohen to a term of four years probation. According to one of the lawyers in the case, immediately following imposition of sentence, Wolfie Cohen, the father of Louis, and a well known politician in Miami, urged that an appeal be taken since Judge McCain was a friend and would take good care of us if we filed an appeal. The lawyer persuaded Mr. Cohen not to take an appeal since a new trial could result in a more severe sentence. In the summer of 1969, McCain, while a Judge of the Fourth District Court of Appeal, was contacted by Wolfie Cohen, described by McCain as an acquaintance, who told him that his son, Louis, was greatly handicapped in his efforts to complete his education by his four year period of probation. Cohen asked McCain to intercede in this matter and to help get his son's period of probation terminated. McCain admits calling Judge D.C. Smith by telephone and inquiring of Judge Smith as to the procedure involved in procuring a termination of probation. Judge Smith was unable to recall any details of that conversation. Judge Smith's testimony, however, was that he never abdicated his judicial responsibility in any matter. Soon after the McCain telephone call, Judge Smith entered an order terminating Cohen's probation. Although Judge Smith does not remember the details of the conversation with McCain, the then probation supervisor for the Florida Parole Commission, J. Vernon Wright, testified that he had a conversation with Judge Smith in which Judge Smith stated that McCain wanted Louis Cohen's probation terminated. As to this allegation the Referee found: I find no clear and convincing evidence that McCain asked Judge Smith to secure a termination of Cohen's probation. I find no clear and convincing evidence that McCain acted improperly in this matter. Nor do I find that McCain acted with any corrupt motive in making telephone calls to Judge Smith. The Bar urges us to overturn this finding by the Referee. It asserts that the evidence detailed above is clear and convincing proof of McCain's corrupt motive in making the telephone call to Judge Smith in an effort to terminate Cohen's probation. We agree with the Referee that the evidence does not meet the requisite standard of proof. In addition to his findings on each specific allegation of misconduct, the Referee concluded that the charges against McCain were not barred by the operation of a statute of limitations or by the equitable principles of laches or estoppel. McCain challenges both conclusions.