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508 So. 2d 449

508 So.2d 449

12 Fla.L.Weekly 1342

State v. Rojas

District Court of Appeal of Florida · decided 1987-05-26

Cited by 4 later decisions — most recently January 1997

4 state decisions

Key passage — most relied on by later courts

“The state cannot be deemed responsible for its inability to produce a witness where the state learned belatedly of her incarceration in another state and her refusal to testify against the defendants. “There is no showing that the state, either through calculated official ignorance or deliberate intentional activity, was at fault for this failure to know the informant’s whereabouts.” Guzman v State, 498 So.2d 639 (Fla. 3d DCA 1986). Absent such a showing of fault or bad faith, the sanction of dismissal is unwarranted. Id.; State v Mena, 505 So.2d 681 (Fla. 3d DCA 1987). Moreover, the state generally does not have an obligation to produce witnesses for deposition. State v Rodriguez, 483 So.2d 751 (Fla. 3d DCA 1986).”

quoted by 1 later decision, including State v. Aronson

Relies on 498 So. 2d 639 - Guzman v. State · 483 So. 2d 751 - State v. Rodriguez · 505 So. 2d 681 - State v. Mena

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1987-05-26

View the full empirical analysis of this case →

PER CURIAM.

¶1This is an appeal by the state from an order of the trial court dismissing with prejudice the charges against Roberto Rojas and Jose M. Ortega for cocaine trafficking and possession. We reverse. The trial court erred in dismissing the charges because of the state’s failure to produce a witness for deposition.

¶2The state cannot be deemed responsible for its inability to produce a witness where the state learned belatedly of her incarceration in another state and her refusal to testify against the defendants. “There is no showing that the state, either through calculated official ignorance or deliberate, intentional activity, was at fault for its failure to know the informant’s whereabouts.” Guzman v. State, 498 So.2d 639, 639 (Fla. 3d DCA 1986). Absent such a showing of fault or bad faith, the sanction of dismissal is unwarranted. Id.; State v. Mena, 505 So.2d 681 (Fla. 3d DCA 1987). Moreover, the state generally does not have an obligation to produce witnesses for deposition. State v. Rodriguez, 483 So.2d 751 (Fla. 3d DCA 1986).

¶3Reversed and remanded for further proceedings.

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