Florida/Georgia Personal Injury & Workers Compensation

...To import Appendix I plants into the United States, an importer must obtain (1) a valid export permit from the country of origin and (2) a valid import permit from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (“USFWS”). See CITES, art. III at 1093-95; 50 C.F.R. § 23.12(a)(1)(i). To import Appendix II plants into the United States, an importer must obtain a valid export permit from the country of origin. See CITES, art. IV at 1095-97; 50 C.F.R. § 23.12(a)(2)(i)....

...§ 3372(a)(1) and (a)(4)); (4) knowingly engaging in the trade of wildlife specimens contrary to the provisions of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora ("CITES") without first obtaining a valid export permit and re-export certificate as required by CITES and 50 C.F.R. § 23.12(b)(1) (in violation of 16 U.S.C....

...s Act, 16 U.S.C. section 1538(c)(1), because the permit used to import them was not a valid foreign export permit. 50 C.F.R. section 23.1 (implementing Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species [hereinafter referred to as "CITES"]) and section 23.12 (requiring the issuance of a valid permit for importation of "Appendix II" species, including brotogeris versicolorus ); see also CITES Article VI(2)(b) (determination by a country's designated authority that the issuance of a particula...

...The federal regulations that implement CITES provide that "in order to import into the United States any wildlife ... listed in Appendix II from any foreign country, a valid foreign export permit issued by the country of origin ... must be obtained prior to such importation." 50 C.F.R. section 23.12(a)(2) (emphasis added)....

...The express language of the Endangered Species Act does not require that the permit be "fraudulently altered." The Act, and the federal regulations that implement it, merely require that it be proven that the permit was not in fact a " valid export permit." 16 U.S.C. section 1538(c)(1); 50 C.F.R. section 23.12(a)(2) (emphasis added)....

...The State contends that the seizure was valid because the warrant was obtained and executed pursuant to a voluntary cooperation agreement between the Tampa Police Department and the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Department, as authorized by the Florida Mutual Aid Act, section 23.12, Florida Statutes (1999)....

...rch warrant. The circuit court considered these facts as well as counsels' argument and suppressed the evidence on the ground that the Tampa police officers were acting outside of their territorial jurisdiction without any lawful authority to do so. Section 23.1225 authorizes three types of mutual aid agreements: a voluntary cooperation written agreement between two or more law enforcement agencies, a requested operational assistance written agreement, and a combination of the two. Our legislature concluded that such agreements were necessary because of the "possibility of the occurrence of natural or manmade disasters or emergencies and other major law enforcement problems." § 23.121(1)....

...These agreements help solve problems that cross jurisdictional lines and serve to enhance public safety. Id. One statutorily recognized purpose of mutual aid agreements is to "provide for a system for the receipt and dissemination of information, data, and directives pertaining to activities among law enforcement agencies." § 23.121(1)(c)....

...Here, the State contends that the first type of mutual aid agreement, a voluntary cooperation agreement between the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Department and the Tampa Police Department, supports the Tampa police detective's seizure of property outside the city limits. A mutual aid agreement authorized by section 23.1225(1)(a) permits "voluntary cooperation and assistance of a routine law enforcement nature across jurisdictional lines." The statute explicitly recognizes the propriety of such activities as "establishing a joint city-county task force o...

...vidence in Lutz, an area outside the Tampa city limits and outside his territorial jurisdiction. The announced policy of the Florida Mutual Aid Act was to provide a means to deal with disasters, emergencies, and other major law enforcement problems. § 23.121(1)....

Robert A. Butterworth Attorney General RAB/tjw 1 Section 23.12, Fla. Stat. (1993). 2 Section 943.03(7), Fla