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509 So. 2d 971

509 So.2d 971

12 Fla.L.Weekly 1628

Collier v. State

District Court of Appeal of Florida · decided 1987-07-01

Cited by 2 later decisions — most recently February 1990

2 state decisions

Relies on Central & Southern Florida Flood Control District v. Deadwyler · D.K.W. v. State · 467 So. 2d 829 - Hons v. State

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1987-07-01

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LEHAN, Judge.

¶1Defendant, convicted of possession of cocaine, appeals from the denial of his motion for judgment of acquittal and for a new trial. We reverse.

¶2Defendant was seen by police officers sitting on a concrete wall in what was described as a drug trafficking area. Near defendant on the ground was a package. The package was later found to contain cocaine. The officer approached defendant and placed him under arrest. The package was admitted into evidence at defendant’s trial.

¶3There was no evidence that defendant had ever possessed the package or that it was in his constructive possession in any way. See Hons v. State, 467 So.2d 829 (Fla. 2d DCA 1985); D.K.W. v. State, 398 So.2d 885 (Fla. 1st DCA 1981). No effort was made to obtain fingerprints from the package. There was no evidence that defendant fled or attempted to flee.

¶4The only evidence, which was circumstantial, was not inconsistent with a reasonable hypothesis of innocence. Taylor v. State, 319 So.2d 114 (Fla. 2d DCA 1975).

¶5The conviction is reversed. Defendant shall be discharged.

SCHEB, A.C.J., and CAMPBELL, J., concur.
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