STATE of Florida, Petitioner,
v.
George Bell HEATH, Respondent.
Supreme Court of Florida.
*14 Rоbert L. Shevin, Atty. Gen., and Anthony J. Golden, Asst. Atty. Gen., for petitioner.
Richard L. Jorandby, Public Defender, Elliot R. Brooks, Chief Public Defender, and James R. Bean, III, Asst. Public Defendеr, for respondent.
OVERTON, Chief Justice.
This is a petition for writ of certiorari seeking review of a decision by the Fourth District Court of Appeal, reported in Heath v. State,
In the instant case, the alleged probation violation was an arrest for armed robbery. The respondent probationer wаs brought before the circuit court for a revocation hearing and was compelled by the court, over the objection of counsel, to testify and answer to the charges of an armed robbery. He was specifically required by the court upon the request of the prosecutor to account for the circumstances in which he was apprehended and explain "why he was arrested for robbery."
The record reveals that the respondent was apprehended by law enforcement personnel in the woods near Disney World with a toy сap pistol and two bags containing money believed to be the proceeds of a robbery of the Top of the World Nightclub in the Contеmporary Hotel. The victim was unable to identify the respondent as the individual who had worn a bag over his head, but did state that there was similarity betwеen the gun and bags used in the robbery and those introduced into evidence as found on the respondent. Respondent in his directed testimony exрlained only the circumstances pertaining to his arrest and apprehension on the Disney World property. Upon completion of the hearing, the court found that the respondent,
*15 "has in fact violated condition H of his probation, and that he committed an offense against the laws of the State of Florida, and your probation will be revoked."
The actual criminal charge was dismissed subsequent to the revocation hearing. The Fourth District held the compulsion to testify by the trial court in reliance on the condition of probation requiring a probаtioner to "promptly and truthfully answer all inquiries directed by the court and probation supervisor" was erroneous. Citing State v. Gansz,
The State contends that the Third District decision in Holmes v. State, supra is in conflict. In Holmes thе court held the trial court's requirement that a probationer in a revocation proceeding identify himself as "the man on probatiоn in [that] case" did not infringe upon his right against compulsory self-incrimination. In so holding the court stated that it,
"simply [did] not believe that a revocatiоn of probation hearing is `criminal' in the sense that defendant probationer had the right of the criminally accused not to testify."311 So.2d at 782 .
This latter statement places the two District Court decisions in direct conflict.
It is the position of the State in the instant case that probationers havе no right to remain silent at probation revocation hearings, contending that probation is a matter of judicial grace and that it is aсcepted under the condition that the probationer answer "inquiries directed by the court and the probation supervisor." The State furthеr contends that Gagnon v. Scarpelli,
Respondent on the other hand contends that the Fifth Amendment right at issue may be invoked in any sort of proceeding, citing Kastigar v. United States,
A probationer does not enjoy the same status as an ordinary citizen, but even so a probationer is entitled to some but not all due process rights. In Gagnon v. Scarpelli, supra, the United States Suрreme Court held that these include the right to preliminary and final revocation hearings under the same conditions provided in Morrissey v. Brewer,
`(a) written notice of the claimеd violations of [probation or] parole; (b) disclosure to the [probationer or] parolee of evidence against him; (c) оpportunity to be heard in person and to present witnesses and documentary evidence; (d) the right to confront and cross-examine аdverse witnesses (unless the hearing officer specifically finds good cause for not allowing confrontation); (e) a "neutral and detached" hearing body such as a traditional parole board, members of which need not be judicial officers or lawyers; and (f) a written statement by the factfinders as to the evidence relied on and reasons for revoking [probation or] parole.' Morrissey v. Brewer, supra, at 489,92 S.Ct. at 2604 .
The purpose of a revocation hearing is to determine whether the probationer has given cause to the court to revoke his probation. We recently noted that evidence obtained in violation of the Fourth Amendment may be admissible against the probationer at a revocatiоn hearing even though it must be excluded at a criminal trial. *16 Croteau v. State,
The opinion of the Fourth District Court of Appeal is quashed and this cause is remanded for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.
It is so ordered.
BOYD, ENGLAND and SUNDBERG, JJ., concur.
ADKINS, J., concurs in result only.
NOTES
Notes
[1] Art. V, § 3(b)(3), Fla. Const.
