Opinion ID: 1096608
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 16

Heading: Admission of Details Regarding Prior Violent Felony

Text: In the first of two subparts to his tenth claim, Conde asserts that the trial court erred in admitting detailed evidence regarding the aggravating circumstance of his prior violent felony, which occurred in April 1995 between the Dunn murder and Conde's arrest, when Conde broke into the home of a neighbor, raped her, and stole various items. In a trial held prior to the trial below, Conde was convicted of rape and burglary. The trial court below admitted, in the penalty phase only, the testimony of a detective about the facts of that offense. Conde acknowledges that the trial court properly admitted this prior conviction as proof of the aggravating circumstance of a prior violent felony but, relying upon Old Chief v. United States, 519 U.S. 172, 117 S.Ct. 644, 136 L.Ed.2d 574 (1997), claims the court erred in admitting detailed testimony, particularly in light of Conde's offer to stipulate to the conviction. We conclude, however, that the trial court properly admitted the testimony because section 921.141(5)(b), Florida Statutes (1995), requires, as an element to be proven beyond a reasonable doubt, that the prior felony involved the use or threat of violence. The details provided below were relevant to the threat of violence that Conde employed in the rape and burglary. Conde's reliance on Old Chief is improper, as was fully explained by this Court in Cox v. State, 819 So.2d 705, 716 (Fla.2002), cert. denied, 537 U.S. 1120, 123 S.Ct. 889, 154 L.Ed.2d 799 (2003). We, therefore, find no merit to this issue.