Opinion ID: 1090506
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Use of Autopsy Photograph During Voir Dire

Text: Hoskins next argues that the trial court abused its discretion in denying his request to show the potential jurors an autopsy photograph of the victim during voir dire. Defense counsel sought to show potential jurors the photograph and ask whether it would cause them to vote for the death penalty. The trial court denied the request, but indicated that the defense could tell the Jury that they're going to hear and see probably some pretty graphic testimony and photographs of injuries, including photographs taken during the autopsy. The defense did inform the jurors that they would see very graphic photos and gory, graphic images of the victim, and questioned some of the jurors regarding their ability to remain impartial and fair despite viewing the photographs. No Florida court has addressed whether the defense must be permitted to show potential jurors graphic autopsy photographs during voir dire. Hoskins has cited no cases, and we are not aware of any, holding to that effect. Instead, courts have found no abuse of discretion in preventing the use of such photographs. See State v. Thibodeaux, 728 So.2d 416, 422 (La.Ct.App.1998) (holding that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in preventing the use of photographs of the victims during voir dire); State v. Bibb, 626 So.2d 913, 942 (La.Ct.App.1993) (recognizing that the purpose of voir dire examination is not to elicit jurors' opinions concerning particular evidence, and holding that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in refusing to permit the defense to show potential jurors gruesome photographs of the defendant's slain children); cf. State v. Proctor, 585 N.W.2d 841, 844-45 (Iowa 1998) (holding the trial court did not abuse its discretion in restricting defense counsel's display of gruesome crime scene photographs from another murder case); Commonwealth v. Keohane, 444 Mass. 563, 829 N.E.2d 1125, 1133 (2005) (holding the trial judge did not abuse his discretion in refusing to display two autopsy photographs to the venire where the trial judge explained that there would be graphic photographs and asked prospective jurors whether they could remain fair and impartial); Bennett v. Commonwealth, 236 Va. 448, 374 S.E.2d 303, 317 (1988) (holding the trial court did not err in refusing to permit use of photographs of the victim during voir dire where the photographs had not been admitted into evidence and the trial court permitted an oral description of the murder scene). Here, defense counsel, in effect, sought an advance opinion of the evidence from the jurors. The purpose of voir dire is to obtain a fair and impartial jury, whose minds are free of all interest, bias, or prejudice, not to shock potential jurors or to obtain a preview of their opinions of the evidence. Ferreiro v. State, 936 So.2d 1140, 1142 (Fla. 3d DCA 2006) (quoting Pope v. State, 84 Fla. 428, 94 So. 865, 869 (1922)). The scope of voir dire questioning rests in the sound discretion of the court and will not be interfered with unless that discretion is clearly abused. Vining v. State, 637 So.2d 921, 926 (Fla. 1994). While the trial court did not permit the use of the actual photographs, it did permit questioning about the effect of viewing graphic autopsy photographs. Therefore, the record does not demonstrate that the trial court restricted Hoskins's ability to determine the jurors' fairness. See Ferreiro, 936 So.2d at 1142 (holding that the trial court did not abuse its discretion or restrict counsel's ability to determine the fairness of jurors where it refused to permit defense counsel to question potential jurors in a manner that referred to the facts of the case); King v. State, 790 So.2d 1253, 1255 (Fla. 5th DCA 2001) (holding that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in preventing defense counsel from questioning prospective jurors on the effect of viewing graphic autopsy photographs where the State already had questioned prospective jurors about the effect of the photographs). Accordingly, the trial court did not abuse its discretion in preventing use of autopsy photographs during voir dire.