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378 So. 2d 793

Cooper v. State

District Court of Appeal of Florida

Decided November 28, 1979

District Court of Appeal of Florida · decided 1979-11-28

Cited by 4 later decisions — most recently October 1997

4 state decisions

Key passage — most relied on by later courts

“the ... [ English ] statement is too broad and that English states not that entrapment could never be a defense to possession of a controlled substance, but only that it was not a defense under the facts of that case.”

quoted by 1 later decision, including 493 So. 2d 463 - Marrero v. State

Relies on 172 So. 2d 628 - Koptyra v. State · 301 So. 2d 813 - English v. State · 354 So. 2d 934 - Beasley v. State

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1979-11-28

View the full empirical analysis of this case →

STARNES, HUGH E., Associate Judge.

¶1Defendant was charged with sale and possession of marijuana, and found guilty by a jury of possession of marijuana with intent to sell. The trial court refused to give an entrapment instruction. Defendant appeals this refusal, after judgment of guilt and a sentence was rendered by the trial court.

¶2After reviewing the testimony we are satisfied that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in refusing the entrapment instruction. No evidence was produced to show that the defendant was enticed to possess what he would not have possessed otherwise. Rather, the evidence shows that the police merely enticed him into possessing it in their presence, so that they would have direct evidence of possession of a controlled substance. This brings the case within the rule of Koptyra v. State, 172 So.2d 628 (Fla. 2nd DCA 1965).

¶3The state relies on Beasley v. State, 354 So.2d 934 (Fla. 2nd DCA 1978), which states:

“At the outset, we need not consider the issue as it relates to the two convictions for possession because entrapment is not a defense to possession. English v. State, 301 So.2d 813 (Fla. 2d DCA 1974).”

¶4After reviewing English v. State, we believe that the foregoing statement is too broad and that Englishstates not that entrapment could never be a defense to possession of a controlled substance, but only that it was not a defense under the facts of that case. Thus, Koptyrais still the controlling case law on this subject.

¶5Affirmed.

HOBSON, Acting C. J., and OTT, J., concur.
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