Opinion ID: 528434
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Evidence of Bertolotti's Propensity to Crime (Claim 10)

Text: 73 Bertolotti characterizes this as a claim affecting the reliability of his sentencing, but it is clear that evidence of certain prior criminal activity is admissible during the sentencing phase of a capital trial. Fla. Stat. Ann. Sec. 921.141(5)(b); Zant v. Stephens, 462 U.S. 862, 886, 103 S.Ct. 2733, 2747, 77 L.Ed.2d 235 (1983). We will thus consider whether this claim has merit in the context of the guilt phase of Bertolotti's trial. During direct examination, Bertolotti's girlfriend, a prosecution witness, testified as follows: 74 I just about had him talked into going [to the police] with me, and he asked me if he could have one more day of freedom because he knew he was going to prison again.... 75 Defense counsel immediately moved for a mistrial, which the judge denied; the prosecutor explained that the statement was inadvertent and that the witness had been warned not to mention Bertolotti's criminal record. The prosecutor indicated that he would not oppose a cautionary instruction; defense counsel objected, arguing that a cautionary instruction would do more harm than good. The trial judge acceded to the defense request. The error was harmless beyond any reasonable doubt in light of the overpowering evidence of guilt adduced in this case; we doubt there is any possibility that the jury would have been less prone to convict Bertolotti had they not suspected him of earlier criminal involvement.