Opinion ID: 1959116
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Hearsay and Bolstering

Text: Floyd asserts that the trial judge erred in overruling hearsay and foundation objections to the testimony of Jeanette Figuero, given in response to the prosecutor's question concerning what J.J. Jones and LaJade Evans told her once they were inside her home, when she responded: And then the children just told me what happened, said their grandmother was shot, when I asked them what was the matter. Floyd did not object until Ms. Figuero had fully completed her answer, nor did Floyd move to strike the question and subsequent answer or ask that a curative instruction be given to the jury. Even if the objections were well founded, any error regarding the admission of these statements is harmless, at best. See generally State v. DiGuilio, 491 So.2d 1129 (Fla. 1986). [24] J.J. Jones personally testified as to what he told Ms. Figuero, and the comments by Ms. Figuero were, in many respects, cumulative to the direct eyewitness reports. Therefore, the error, if any, in admitting Ms. Figuero's statement was harmless. See Torres-Arboledo v. State, 524 So.2d 403, 408 (Fla.1988). Floyd further contends that Ms. Figuero improperly bolstered the credibility of J.J. Jones when, in response to the prosecutor's inquiries, she confirmed that she believed J.J.'s version of the events and stated her belief that J.J. was a bright child. Floyd's defense counsel did not contemporaneously object to this testimony. Moreover, all of the cases on which Floyd relies are distinguishable. In those cases either defense counsel timely objected to the asserted improper bolstering, a policeman improperly bolstered the credibility of the only eyewitness to the defendant's criminal act, or an expert opined on a matter not related to her expertise. None of these situations occurred in Floyd's case. We therefore reject Floyd's assertion of entitlement to relief on the basis of fundamental error.