Opinion

Page v. Watson

  • 140 Fla. 536
  • 192 So. 205
  • 126 A.L.R. 249
  • 1938 Fla. LEXIS 930
Court
Supreme Court of Florida
Filed
Jun 13, 1938
Status
Published
On the bench
Ellis, Whitfield, Brown, Chapman, Buford, Whi, Tfield, Terrell
Cited by
26 cases

The opinion

On Petition for Rehearing

Per Curiam. —

The opinion contains a statement that “the rule in Hawker v. New York, and State v. Hazard,

supra,

is in line with the modern trend of authorities, and by its adoption we observe the rule expressed in” cited au

*550

thorities, and “it (the rule) sustains the authority of the Board of Medical Examiners to remove morally unqualified persons to practice medicine.” The last quoted words are used abstractly and have reference to the grounds for revoking a license to practice medicine as stated in the previously cited Florida statute, Section 3415 C. G. L., which grounds have relation to “morally unqualified persons.”

Section 8495 (6181) C. G. L. provides that persons receiving full pardons from the Board of Pardons shall be entitled to all the rights of citizenship enjoyed by them before their conviction. The

rights of citizenship

do not include a right to practice medicine.

One of the grounds for revoking a license to practice medicine is “that a physician has been convicted in a court of competent jurisdiction of a felony.” This contemplates that the conviction is to be after being licensed to practice medicine, if not also before being licensed. In this case the petitioner was convicted after being licensed to practice medicine.

The statute, Section 3415 C. G. L., applies when “a physician has been convicted in a court of competent jurisdiction of a felony” and the opinion shows the petitioner was convicted of a felony, viz.: “for perjury, possession of stolen goods, and grand larceny” which involved moral turpitude and have relation to his qualifications as a practitioner of medicine.

A conviction of a felony does not revoke the license to practice medicine; but it is a predicate for such revocation by the State authority under the statute.

The pardon restored petitioner’s rights of citizenship, but it did not restore or affect his qualifications or his character, or exempt him from the enforcement of the statute author

*551

izing his license to practice medicine to be “revoked, suspended or annulled, or such practitioner reprimanded upon the grounds” stated in the statute.

In the Garland case the oath required as to past conduct had no relation to the qualifications required for practicing the profession of law.

In

Ex Parte

Wall, the circumstances of the practitioner’s personal conduct was held to justify the court in striking petitioner’s name from the roll of attorneys.

The history of Section 3415, C. G. L. does not indicate a legislative intent “to eliminate entirely the absence of good moral character as a ground for revoking a license to practice medicine.” See Chap. 8415, Acts 1921; Chap. 12285, Acts 1927.

In this case the felonies of which petitioner was convicted involved moral turpitude and affect his character and qualities as a practitioner of medicine, even though his rights of citizenship have been restored by a full pardon.

Rehearing denied.

Ellis, C. J., and Whitfield, Brown and Chapman, J. J., concur.

Buford, J., dissents.

This is a copy of a public record, reproduced as it was published. It is not legal advice, and it may not be the version a court would rely on. Check the official source before you cite it.

A word about cookies

We need a few to keep you signed in and the library working. The rest help us see which pages people use and where they get stuck. They stay off unless you say yes.