Case Name: Larry Eugene Carter HOLCOMB, Appellant, v. The STATE of Florida, Appellee
Court: Florida District Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 2000-06-28
Citations: 760 So. 2d 1097
Docket Number: No. 3D99-766
Parties: Larry Eugene Carter HOLCOMB, Appellant, v. The STATE of Florida, Appellee.
Judges: Before SCHWARTZ, C.J., and LEVY and RAMIREZ, JJ.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 760
Pages: 1097–1097

Head Matter:
Larry Eugene Carter HOLCOMB, Appellant, v. The STATE of Florida, Appellee.
No. 3D99-766.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, Third District.
June 28, 2000.
Bennett H. Brummer, Public Defender and Roy A. Heimlich, Assistant Public Defender, for appellant.
Robert A. Butterworth, Attorney General and Steven R. Berger, Assistant Attorney General, for appellee.
Before SCHWARTZ, C.J., and LEVY and RAMIREZ, JJ.

Opinion:
PER CURIAM.
The trial court's failure to instruct the jury as to an essential element of the crime of sexual battery, lack of consent, which was the primary disputed issue at the trial, constituted fundamental error which, even in the absence of objection below, requires reversal of the appellant's conviction of that crime and a new trial. See Palazzolo v. State, 754 So.2d 731 (Fla. 2d DCA 2000); Harrison v. State, 743 So.2d 178 (Fla. 3d DCA 1999), and cases cited.