Opinion ID: 1110731
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: denial of introduction into evidence of the .380 handgun

Text: ¶ 54. Flora argues the trial court erred by prohibiting him from introducing into evidence a chrome .380 handgun that was discovered at the scene of Flora's arrest. Flora claims that Spann pulled out the chrome .380 handgun when he entered Levy's apartment, and argues that the exclusion of the gun deprived him of his right to present his theory of the case. Flora alleges that the murder weapon, the .32 pistol, was possessed by his cousin, Roger Johnson, on the night of Spann's murder. ¶ 55. As stated supra, this Court applies an abuse of discretion standard to the admission or exclusion of evidence by a trial court. Smith, 839 So.2d at 496. Flora argues that he should have been allowed to put the .380 handgun into evidence because his theory of the case was that he was in possession of the .380, and Roger Johnson had the .32. However, Flora's own testimony was that Spann had the chrome .380 when Flora and Johnson entered Levy's apartment, which clearly contradicts Flora's theory of the case. In addition, Flora apparently wanted to tell the jury that Johnson was in possession of the murder weapon, leading the jury to believe that Johnson was the shooter. However, when the prosecutor asked on cross-examination: Are you blaming your cousin for shooting Ray Spann? Flora replied, No Ma'am. To say the least, Flora's theory is confusing. ¶ 56. The trial judge ruled it was never shown that the chrome .380 had any relevance whatsoever in this case. There was never any evidence presented to the trial court that tied the .380 handgun to the murder scene. That it was found underneath Flora at the apartment of Sebrina Johnson does not make it relevant evidence when the murder occurred in another part of the city. ¶ 57. Flora finally renews his argument that the State opened the door for the admission of the .380 handgun. On direct examination of Investigator Taylor, the State asked him, Why did you respond to the Lincoln Garden Apartments? to which Taylor responded I received a call from the police communications to respond to the apartments in reference to Precinct 3 officers recovering a car and possibly some handguns. Flora argued, outside the presence of the jury, that the use of the plural handguns opened the door for the admission of the .380. The State never asked any questions about multiple handguns found at the scene, and the trial judge correctly ruled that the reference to the handguns by Taylor was very obscure and vague and that nothing specific was said about multiple handguns. The trial judge did not abuse his discretion in denying the admission of the.380 handgun into evidence.