STATE OF FLORIDA, APPELLANT,
v.
DARRELL MORRIS, APPELLEE

Fla. 5th DCA | 1989-03-23
No. 88-1254
Dauksch, J., Cowart, J., Goshorn, J.
540 So. 2d 226 Florida District Court of Appeal, Fifth District (1989)

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Synopsis

Florida's appellate court affirmed dismissal of a pimping charge because the information failed to allege that the defendant derived support specifically from prostitution earnings, rather than merely from the prostitute herself.


Holding

An information charging violation of Fla. Stat. § 796.05(1) must allege that the accused derived support from the prostitution earnings, not merely that he received support from a person engaged in prostitution.


Headnotes

[1] A charge under Fla. …

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Key Quotes

“In order to charge a crime under the statute it must be alleged the accused lived from or derived support from the prostitution earnings.”

Court's statement of the legal requirement for charging under section 796.05(1)

Facts & Procedural History

The state charged Morris with living or deriving support from another person's prostitution earnings, but the information alleged only that he receive…

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Opinion of the Court
DAUKSCH, Judge.

DAUKSCH, Judge.

This is an appeal from an order dismissing a criminal information which purports to allege a violation of section 796.05(1), Florida Statutes (1987). The statute provides:

(1) It shall be unlawful for any person knowing another person is engaged in prostitution to live or derive support or maintenance in whole or in part from the earnings or proceeds of such person’s prostitution.

The state charged that appellant

... live or derive support or maintenance, in whole or in part, from the earnings or proceeds of another person, to wit: Michelle Brooks, knowing the said Michelle Brooks was engaged in prostitution.

The information is deficient and fails to state a violation of the statute because it fails to allege that appellant derived support from the prostitution earnings. It merely says he got support from her, knowing she was a prostitute. At the hearing below appellant’s attorney convinced the judge to dismiss the case with the argument that merely knowing she was a prostitute and receiving support do not necessarily combine to make a violation of the statute. We agree.

In order to charge a crime under the statute it must be alleged the accused lived from or derived support from the prostitution earnings.

AFFIRMED.

COWART and GOSHORN, JJ., concur.


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