REUBEN WATSON
v.
STATE OF FLORIDA

Fla. 5th DCA | 2021-02-16
No. 19-2939
Zambrano, J., Lambert, J., Traver, J., Nardella, J.
Florida District Court of Appeal, Fifth District (2021)

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Holding

A trial court properly denies a jury instruction on the necessity defense for felon in possession of a firearm when the defendant fails to present evidence that he had no reasonable legal alternative to possessing the firearm or that the firearm was made available without preconceived design.


Headnotes

[1] A defendant charged with felon in possession of a firearm is not entitled to a jury instruction on the necessity defense unless he presents evidence that he had no reason…

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Key Quotes

“the appellant failed to present evidence that he did not have any reasonable, legal alternative to possessing the firearm or that the firearm was made available to him without a preconceived design”

Court's explanation for why necessity defense instruction was properly denied

Facts & Procedural History

Reuben Watson was charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Watson requested a jury instruction on the necessity defense.…

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Opinion of the Court
Nardella

IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF FLORIDA

FIFTH DISTRICT

NOT FINAL UNTIL TIME EXPIRES TO

FILE MOTION FOR REHEARING AND

DISPOSITION THEREOF IF FILED

REUBEN WATSON,

Appellant,

v. Case No. 5D19-2939

STATE OF FLORIDA,

Appellee.

________________________________/

Opinion filed February 16, 2021

Appeal from the Circuit Court for Volusia County, Raul A. Zambrano, Judge.

Matthew J. Metz, Public Defender, and Glendon George Gordon, Jr., Assistant Public Defender, Daytona Beach, for Appellant.

Ashley Moody, Attorney General, Tallahassee, and Douglas T. Squire, Assistant Attorney General, Daytona Beach, for Appellee.

PER CURIAM.

AFFIRMED. See Arnold v. State, 37 So. 3d 963, 964 (Fla. 1st DCA 2010) (concluding that the trial court correctly denied the appellant’s request for a jury instruction on the defense of necessity as it related to the charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon where the “appellant failed to present evidence that he did not have any

2 reasonable, legal alternative to possessing the firearm or that the firearm was made available to him without a preconceived design” (citing Marrero v. State, 516 So. 2d 1052, 1054 n.3 (Fla. 3d DCA 1987))).

LAMBERT, TRAVER, and NARDELLA, JJ., concur.


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