Case Name: Kenneth Michael HENRY, Appellant, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee
Court: Florida District Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 1990-08-15
Citations: 566 So. 2d 29
Docket Number: No. 89-1613
Parties: Kenneth Michael HENRY, Appellant, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee.
Judges: WALDEN and STONE, JJ., concur.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 566
Pages: 29–30

Head Matter:
Kenneth Michael HENRY, Appellant, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee.
No. 89-1613.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, Fourth District.
Aug. 15, 1990.
Rehearing Denied Sept. 19, 1990.
Keith M. Krasnove of Keith M. Kras-nove, P.A., Coral Springs, for appellant.
Robert A. Butterworth, Atty. Gen., Tallahassee, Patricia G. Lampert and Sylvia H. Alonso, Asst. Attys. Gen., West Palm Beach, for appellee.

Opinion:
PER CURIAM.
Affirmed. We recognize that the trial court may have abused its discretion in precluding cross-examination of a state's witness concerning statements made by the defendant. The statements were made in the conversation at the scene of a consent search. Although the officer/witness testified only to the physical conduct of the search and not to the contemporaneous conversation, the defense was entitled to ask about the statements even if self-serving. E.g., Coco v. State, 62 So.2d 892 (Fla.1953); Eberhardt v. State, 550 So.2d 102 (Fla. 1st DCA 1989), rev. denied, 560 So.2d 234 (Fla.1990). Nevertheless, here, such error was harmless. Cf. Coxwell v. State, 361 So.2d 148 (Fla.1978). See also Ackerman v. State, 372 So.2d 215 (Fla. 1st DCA 1979) (Smith, J., concurring). The statement concerned the defendant explaining how he acquired a suitcase containing cocaine. This was subsequently testified to on defense. The defense also had the opportunity to recall the witness but elected not to do so. Nothing in the nature of the officer's testimony made the court's ruling unfair, nor did the excluded testimony refute, impeach or modify the state's evidence.
WALDEN and STONE, JJ., concur.
WARNER, J., dissents with opinion.