THE STATE OF FLORIDA, APPELLANT,
v.
JOSE A. SERRA AND BIENVENIDO FIDALGO, APPELLEES
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The State of Florida appealed the trial court's sua sponte dismissal of cocaine trafficking and cannabis possession charges against Serra and Fidalgo. The court reversed, holding that a trial judge cannot dismiss criminal charges based on disagreement with the prosecutor's charging decision or disbelief of the State's evidence, even when polygraph evidence and allegations of police misconduct are presented.
A trial judge may not dismiss criminal charges merely because he disagrees with the prosecutor's charging discretion or personally disbelieves the State's witnesses. The decision to file criminal charges rests with the State Attorney as part of the executive branch, and the purpose of trial is to determine the truth of the charges. Unproven allegations that police stole property do not justify summary dismissal of criminal charges, though if credible evidence of actual police theft exists, the officer should be charged with theft separately.
[1] The decision to file or not file criminal charges is an executive function of the State Attorney, not a judicial one.
[2] A trial judge cannot dismiss criminal charges based solely on disagreement with the State Attorney's charging discretion or personal disbelief of state witnesses.
Previewing 2 of 5 headnotes on this case. FLexlaw’s editorially structured points of law — every proposition, pinpointed — are reserved for members.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligence“The decision to file or not file criminal charges is a function of the State Attorney acting in his capacity as a member of the executive branch of the government. The decision is not given to the judiciary to dismiss criminal charges merely because a trial judge may disagree with the State Attorney's charging discretion in a particular case or may personally not believe the State's witnesses.”
Establishes the core holding that judges lack authority to dismiss charges based on disagreement with prosecutorial decisions or disbelief of evidence
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceFidalgo and Serra were charged with cocaine trafficking and cannabis possession. Two polygraph operators opined that Fidalgo was truthful when denying…
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PER CURIAM.
The appellees, Sera and Fidalgo, were charged with trafficking in cocaine and possession of cannabis. The trial judge, on his own motion, dismissed the charges and the State appeals. We reverse.
Apparently the trial judge dismissed the criminal charges against appellees because (1) two polygraph operators were of the opinion that Fidalgo was truthful when he denied that, at a certain time and place, he handed cocaine to Sera; and that Fidalgo was also truthful when he stated he was not lying when he said that, prior to his arrest, he had $4,100 in cash and 4 gold chains in his apartment; (2) the defense asserted, and the trial judge inferred, that Fidalgo’s statements meant (a) that the drug charges against the defendants were fabrications, and (b) that Miami Police Department officers stole Fidalgo’s $4,100 and gold chains during an illegal search of Fidalgo’s residence after he was arrested on the drug charges, and (3) after these matters were brought to the attention of the State, the State did not investigate them to the satisfaction of the trial judge.
The decision to file or not file criminal charges is a function of the State Attorney acting in his capacity as a member of the executive branch of the government. The decision is not given to the judiciary to dismiss criminal charges merely because a trial judge may disagree with the State Attorney’s charging discretion in a particular case or may personally not believe the State’s witnesses. The very purpose of a trial on criminal charges is to determine the truth of those charges.
Fidalgo’s statement that he had $4,100 and gold chains in his apartment before he was arrested, if true, is far insufficient as evidence to establish that the police stole those items, although his statement was intended to infer that conclusion. If the State Attorney has credible, admissible evidence that a police officer has stolen property of anyone (including someone the officer has arrested and accused of crime) that officer should be charged with theft and the officer’s administrative superior should take appropriate action to discharge him. However, judicial opinions and beliefs about an arresting officer’s criminal conduct do not authorize or justify the judiciary in summarily dismissing criminal charges against the person arrested by the officer and charged with crimes by the State Attorney!1 Two wrongs do not make a right and two crimes do not justify an acquittal.
We recognize that there are cases upholding the dismissal of criminal charges because of egregious police misconduct, but that body of law relates to the defense of entrapment where the police misconduct is duly established and inheres in the criminal charges. Those cases do not apply here.
The order of dismissal is reversed and the cause remanded for further proceedings.
REVERSED and REMANDED.
. The jury, passing on the prisoner’s life, May in the sworn twelve have a thief or two Guiltier than him they try.
Shakespeare, Measure for Measure, Act II, Scene i, line 19.
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Clark v. State, 651 So. 2d 1309 (Fla. 3d DCA 1995)…h his usual practice [*1310] by the particular circuit judge in question— was unauthorized and, because the state was not bound to dismiss if Clark passed the polygraph, was then unenforceable for lack of mutuality of obligation. See State v. Serra, 529 So. 2d 1262 (Fla. 3d DCA 1988); State v. Perez, 524 So. 2d 482 (Fla. 3d DCA 1988). Nevertheless, after Clark accepted the offer, the state and the court — although they were not legally bound to do so — in fact fulfilled their part of the bargain by reducing th…