Title: State of Florida v. Jimmy Moore, Jr.

State: florida

Issuer: Florida Supreme Court

Document:

Supreme Court of Florida 
 
 
____________ 
 
No. SC13-1236 
____________ 
 
STATE OF FLORIDA,  
Petitioner, 
 
vs. 
 
JIMMY MOORE, JR.,  
Respondent. 
 
[January 14, 2016] 
 
PER CURIAM. 
We initially accepted jurisdiction under article V, section 3(b)(4), of the 
Florida Constitution to review Moore v. State, 114 So. 3d 486 (Fla. 1st DCA 
2013), a decision in which the First District Court of Appeal certified the following 
questions to be of great public importance: 
IN ORDER FOR COUNSEL TO WAIVE AN ERROR IN A 
JURY INSTRUCTION THAT WOULD OTHERWISE BE 
FUNDAMENTAL, IS IT ONLY NECESSARY THAT COUNSEL 
AFFIRMATIVELY AGREE TO THE INSTRUCTION, OR IS IT 
ALSO NECESSARY FOR COUNSEL TO AFFIRMATIVELY 
AGREE TO THE PORTION OF THE INSTRUCTION THAT IS 
ERROR AND/OR TO BE AWARE THAT THE INSTRUCTION IS 
ERRONEOUS? 
 
 
 
- 2 - 
WHEN A DEFENDANT IS CONVICTED OF EITHER 
MANSLAUGHTER OR A GREATER OFFENSE NOT MORE 
THAN ONE STEP REMOVED, DOES THE FAILURE TO 
INSTRUCT THE JURY ON JUSTIFIABLE OR EXCUSABLE 
HOMICIDE CONSTITUTE FUNDAMENTAL ERROR NOT 
SUBJECT TO A HARMLESS ERROR ANALYSIS EVEN WHERE 
THE RECORD REFLECTS THERE WAS NO DISPUTE AS TO 
THIS ISSUE AND THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE PRESENTED 
FROM WHICH THE JURY COULD FIND JUSTIFIABLE OR 
EXCUSABLE HOMICIDE? 
 
Id. at 493-94.  After further consideration and hearing oral argument in this case, 
we have determined that we should exercise our discretion and discharge 
jurisdiction.  Accordingly, we hereby dismiss review. 
 
It is so ordered. 
LABARGA, C.J., and PARIENTE, LEWIS, QUINCE, POLSTON, and PERRY, 
JJ., concur. 
CANADY, J., dissents. 
 
NO MOTION FOR REHEARING WILL BE ALLOWED. 
 
Application for Review of the Decision of the District Court of Appeal - Certified 
Great Public Importance  
 
 
First District - Case No. 1D10-4052 
 
 
(Madison County) 
 
Pamela Jo Bondi, Attorney General, Trisha Meggs Pate, Bureau Chief, and 
Kathryn Lane, Assistant Attorney General, Tallahassee, Florida, 
 
 
for Petitioner 
 
 
 
 
 
- 3 - 
Nancy Ann Daniels, Public Defender, and Kathleen Ann Stover, Assistant Public 
Defender, Second Judicial Circuit, Tallahassee, Florida,  
 
 
for Respondent