Opinion ID: 1882654
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: issue 5. bad character evidence

Text: Seibert next asserts that the trial court erred in denying his motion for mistrial on the basis of improper prosecutorial questions that were meant to introduce bad character evidence to the jury. During the penalty proceedings, in its cross-examination of Green, the State asked whether Seibert would frequent or ... go to gay clubs to hustle money from gay guys. The defense objected to this line of questioning, and a sidebar conference was held. During that sidebar conference, defense counsel made a motion for mistrial. The trial court sustained the objection to the question, gave a curative instruction to the jury to disregard the question and response (though the record reveals that Green never responded to the question), and denied the motion for a mistrial. Seibert argues that this denial was an error because the State's question prejudiced the jury against him. We deny Seibert's claim for a reversal of his sentence of death because the trial court did not abuse its discretion in denying the mistrial motion. A mistrial should be granted only when it is necessary to ensure that the defendant receives a fair trial. Cole, 701 So.2d at 853. Seibert's objection to the question was sustained and the trial court gave a curative instruction to the jury on the matter. This question by the State did not prejudice the penalty-phase proceedings. This case is therefore distinguishable from the circumstances of the other cases cited by Seibert where the Court reversed the sentences because the witnesses actually answered the challenged questions in those cases. See, e.g., Perry v. State, 801 So.2d 78, 91 (Fla.2001) (evidence introduced in State's case for penalty phase included testimony by wife of defendant about prior violent acts of defendant and comments about his ability to kill someone with a knife); Bowles v. State, 716 So.2d 769, 773 (Fla.1998) (testimony about defendant's hatred of homosexuals was made a feature of sentencing phase); Geralds v. State, 601 So.2d 1157, 1163 (Fla.1992) (testimony of witness as to prior felonies of defendant admitted over defense objection). Because the isolated question in the instant case does not rise to the level of prejudice demonstrated in these other cases, we affirm the trial court's denial of the motion for mistrial.