Opinion ID: 1819311
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Caldwell Claim

Text: The United States Supreme Court held in Caldwell v. Mississippi, 472 U.S. 320, 328-29, 105 S.Ct. 2633, 86 L.Ed.2d 231 (1985), that it is constitutionally impermissible to rest a death sentence on a determination made by a sentencer who has been led to believe that the responsibility for determining the appropriateness of the defendant's death rests elsewhere. Hitchcock argues that the trial court's instruction in his resentencing improperly conveyed to the jury that it had no responsibility for the sentence that would be imposed on Hitchcock and that his resentencing counsel was ineffective for not objecting to the instruction. We agree with the circuit court that Hitchcock's claim that the trial court improperly instructed the jury is procedurally barred because the claim could have been raised on direct appeal but was not. See Jones v. State, 928 So.2d 1178, 1183 n. 5 (Fla.2006) (holding Caldwell claim procedurally barred because not raised on direct appeal). We further hold that resentencing counsel was not ineffective for not objecting to the trial court's jury instruction regarding the jury's recommendation. Upon reviewing the instruction given, we find that it does not materially differ from Florida's standard jury instruction, which fully advises the jury of the importance of its role, correctly states the law, and does not denigrate the role of the jury. Brown v. State, 721 So.2d 274, 283 (Fla.1998) (citations omitted); see also Card v. State, 803 So.2d 613, 628 & n. 14 (Fla.2001); Combs v. State, 525 So.2d 853, 855-58 (Fla.1988) (holding that the characterization of jury's role as advisory in the standard jury instructions does not violate Caldwell ). The instruction given in this case sufficiently instructed the jury of its responsibility and important role in the sentencing process and therefore did not violate Caldwell. Counsel cannot be deemed ineffective for failing to make a meritless objection. See Melendez v. State, 612 So.2d 1366, 1369 (Fla.1992).