Court Opinion

ID: 9777413
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 20:10:16.264638+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:32:53.734002
License: Public Domain

DOWD, Chief Judge
(concurring).
I concur in the result, but respectfully dissent from that portion of the opinion which holds that the gun found in Mrs. Teague’s back yard is not admissible as evidence in the criminal proceeding.
I do so for two reasons. First, the gun was located as a result of the conversation between Mr. Scalise and the defendant Ross. He was asked about the gun under circumstances whereby Mr. Scalise said that if Ross told where the gun was, they might find that Mr. McMillian’s fingerprints were on the gun so as to exculpate Ross. Under such circumstances, the information was given with the intent and knowledge that the information would be given to the police for their further investigation. Hence, the statement was not intended to be confidential or privileged. Confidential and privileged statements are protected under the law because they are made in circumstances where the speaker believes they will be kept confidential. No such belief can be attributed to this statement. To deny the admission into evidence of the gun would give Ross the “best of two worlds.” If McMillian’s fingerprints were found on the gun, Ross might be exonerated. If the fingerprints of McMillian were not on the gun, then the gun could not be used against Ross in the criminal proceeding. I find nothing viola-tive of the confidential relationship under these circumstances. Accordingly, I believe that on any retrial the gun should be admissible in evidence.
Secondly, I do not believe the statute 211.271(3) to be violated. The statute expressly confines exclusions to statements and admissions and does not deal with physical evidence.