Teague v. State

RYDER, Judge.

In Teague, we have before us almost a carbon copy of State v. Cruz, 426 So.2d 1308 (Fla. 2d DCA 1983) and Goldstein v. State, 435 So.2d 352 (Fla. 2d DCA 1983). The scenario is the same: a police officer-decoy pretending to be a wino or some other downtrodden, ill person was on the streets of Tampa with money protruding from his pocket. Teague removed the money and was immediately arrested by detectives posted nearby. He was charged with grand theft in the second degree in violation of section 812.014(2)(b), Florida Statutes (1981).

After the trial judge denied his motion to…