Opinion ID: 1942962
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 11

Heading: Cross-Examination on Incident in Germany

Text: The trial court permitted the State to cross-examine Coday's expert witnesses during the penalty phase on any information which formed the basis for their opinions including a prior murder [8] committed by Coday. This ruling conforms with our decision in Valle v. State, 581 So.2d 40 (Fla.1991). In Valle, we said that section 921.141(1), Florida Statutes, allows for broader admissibility of evidence during the penalty phase of a trial. Id. at 46. We found that it was proper for the State to cross-examine the defense's expert witnesses about incidents in prison for which the defendant had not been convicted so long as those incidents were used by the experts in formulating their opinions. Id. Similarly, in Parker v. State, 476 So.2d 134 (Fla.1985), we said: In the instant case, the testimony of the defense expert that he based his opinion regarding appellant's non-violent nature on the appellant's past personal and social developmental history, including a prior criminal history, opened the door for this cross-examination by the state. We find that it is proper for a party to fully inquire into the history utilized by the expert to determine whether the expert's opinion has a proper basis. Id. at 139. Accordingly, we find that the trial court's ruling here was proper.