Case Name: Frank BAFFUTO, Appellant, v. The STATE of Florida, Appellee
Court: Florida District Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 1966-06-07
Citations: 187 So. 2d 79
Docket Number: No. 65-451
Parties: Frank BAFFUTO, Appellant, v. The STATE of Florida, Appellee.
Judges: Before HENDRY, C. J., and BARK-DULL and SWANN, JJ.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 187
Pages: 79–80

Head Matter:
Frank BAFFUTO, Appellant, v. The STATE of Florida, Appellee.
No. 65-451.
District Court of Appeal of Florida. Third District.
June 7, 1966.
William John Mason and Murray S. Mey-erson, Miami, for appellant.
Earl Faircloth, Atty. Gen., and Herbert P. Benn, First Asst. Atty. Gen., for ap-pellee.
Before HENDRY, C. J., and BARK-DULL and SWANN, JJ.

Opinion:
PER CURIAM.
Appellant was tried on three different charges for violations of the uniform narcotic drug law: unlawful possession of narcotic drug; forgery of prescription for narcotic drug and uttering forged prescription for narcotic drug. A jury found him guilty of only one of the charges, i. e., uttering a forged prescription for a narcotic drug in violation of § 398.19(4), F.S.A., and not guilty of the other charges. This appeal is from the judgment and sentence of two years in the state penitentiary.
One of the points urged by appellant for .reversal is: that the trial judge erred in permitting a police officer to testify over objection, that in his opinion certain scratch marks found on the defendant's arms at the time of his arrest were the result of the use of heroin. We find merit in appellant's contention and reverse.
This testimony was irrelevant to the cause and clearly prejudicial to the rights of the defendant. Accordingly the judgment and sentence appealed is reversed and the cause remanded for a new trial.
Reversed and remanded.
. Blackwell v. State, 76 Fla. 124, 79 So. 731, 1 A.L.R. 502.