Antoine E. McCloud, Petitioner v. State of Florida, Respondent.

Summary

The Court held that Florida's witness-tampering statute does not require the State to prove that the victim or witness was attempting to contact law enforcement when the defendant acted. The statute instead requires proof that the defendant knowingly used a prohibited act with the specific intent to hinder, delay, or prevent communication concerning an offense, and the Court approved the lower court's application of that rule. Justice Lawson, specially concurring, agreed with the result but rejected the majority's formulation that legislative intent is always the guiding principle of statutory construction.