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491 So. 2d 611

491 So.2d 611

11 Fla.L.Weekly 1585

Docket No. BG-190.

Williams v. State

Reuben Lavern WILLIAMS, Appellant, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee.

District Court of Appeal of Florida · decided 1986-07-22

Cited by 5 later decisions — most recently October 1991

5 state decisions

Relies on Michigan v.

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1986-07-22

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¶1Terry P. Lewis, Sp. Asst. Public Defender, Tallahassee, for appellant.

¶2Jim Smith, Atty. Gen., and Wallace E. Albritton, Asst. Atty. Gen., Tallahassee, for appellee.

¶3ZEHMER, Judge.

¶4Appellant appeals his conviction for possession of cocaine and violation of an ordinance of the City of Gainesville that prohibits a person from consuming or having in his possession in certain locations alcoholic beverages in an open container. He complains that the trial court erred in denying his motion to suppress the cocaine seized upon his arrest for violating the open-container ordinance because the ordinance is unconstitutional.

¶5It seems to be well-established that a seizure made by an officer with probable cause and in good faith under an ordinance that is thereafter declared unconstitutional is not thereby rendered illegal. The finding of unconstitutionality of the ordinance does not vitiate the good faith actions of the officer. Michigan v. DiFilippo,443 U.S. 31, 99 S.Ct. 2627, 61 L.Ed.2d 343 (1979). Accordingly, we find no error in denying the motion to suppress. It is unnecessary, therefore, to reach the constitutional arguments presented by appellant.

¶6AFFIRMED.

¶7SMITH and BARFIELD, JJ., concur.

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