Opinion ID: 1684899
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Failure to Challenge the Denial of the Motion to Exclude DNA Evidence Based on a Break in the Chain of Custody

Text: Overton argues that his appellate counsel was ineffective for the failure to challenge the denial of the motion to exclude DNA evidence based upon a break in the chain of custody. The claim is procedurally barred. Overton made the motion to exclude the DNA evidence only in the alternative if his motion to compel (and his corresponding motion to continue to allow time to review the documents) the production of the Bode Lab documents was denied. Although Overton did ask the trial court to exclude the DNA evidence, this request was made in the context of his request to have Bode Lab documents produced so he could challenge at the Frye hearing the testing that was used (i.e., the protocols and procedures) under the second prong of the Frye test. As presented to the trial court, the motion to exclude was based upon the alleged faulty protocols or procedures, rather than an alleged broken chain of custody that Overton now asserts. The trial court was not presented with the specific argument that the DNA evidence should be excluded due to an alleged broken chain of custody. To preserve error for appellate review, the general rule is a contemporaneous, specific objection must occur during trial at the time of the alleged error. See F.B., 852 So.2d at 229; Steinhorst, 412 So.2d at 338. Thus, the claim is procedurally barred. Even if this claim did not have a procedural bar, the claim is without merit. Overton's appellate counsel was not ineffective here because the underlying claim itself is without merit. Even if the claim had been asserted, this Court would not have concluded that the chain of custody was broken because as previously analyzed, the chain of custody here was intact. Moreover, even if this Court had concluded that the chain of custody had been broken, the trial court's denial of the motion to exclude would not have been reversed. A broken chain of custody is not enough by itself to establish the probability of tampering, which would require the exclusion of evidence. See Taplis, 703 So.2d at 454. Instead, there must be other evidence of tampering. See id. Here, there was no other evidence of tampering. On direct appeal, this Court held that there was not a scintilla of evidence that there was any planting of Overton's DNA. Overton, 801 So.2d at 897. Additionally, the record refutes the allegations that there was harmful degradation to the DNA evidence. Multiple witnesses testified during the evidentiary hearing that there were no signs of significant degradation to the DNA evidence. Therefore, this Court would have in all probability found the underlying claim to be without merit for multiple reasons and appellate counsel was not ineffective for the failure to present this claim.