Opinion ID: 1844186
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Affidavits of Unavailable Witnesses

Text: Parker also asserts that the trial court erred in failing to admit certain affidavits of witnesses who were found to be unavailable to testify during his penalty phase. These witnesses were Elmira Parker (Parker's deceased mother), Douglas Smith (the companion of Parker's mother who is also deceased), Katie Lee Parker (Parker's sister who is suffering from Alzheimer's and is therefore incompetent to testify), Rosie Lee Parker (Parker's sister), and Gloria Marshall and Martha Rahming (both former teachers). This Court has recognized that even though section 921.141(1)[ [8] ] relaxes the evidentiary rules during the penalty phase of a capital trial a party cannot introduce hearsay evidence unless the opposing party has a fair opportunity to rebut the hearsay. See Blackwood v. State, 777 So.2d 399, 411 (Fla.2000). In Blackwood, we upheld the exclusion of the deceased victim's hearsay statements to a friend, explaining that the State had no fair opportunity to rebut because the State could not question the victim. See id. at 412. In this case, the trial court allowed the introduction of the affidavits only to the extent that the information contained therein related to family history as specified in section 90.804(2)(d), Florida Statutes (2003). [9] In deciding to exclude the remainder of the information contained in the affidavits, the trial court concluded that the State had no fair opportunity to rebut their contents. We agree with this determination and conclude that the trial court did not err in excluding the affidavits.