Opinion ID: 1709393
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Presentation of Untruthful Parole Possibilities

Text: Gore asserts that the State knowingly presented the false testimony of Stone that Gore could receive parole at any time, because of the new evidence discovered at the evidentiary hearing that Stone only met with the State prior to the resentencing to discuss his testimony and the State has imputed knowledge of the correct parole possibilities. A Giglio [8] violation exists when (1) the prosecutor presented or failed to correct false testimony; (2) the prosecutor knew the testimony was false; and (3) the false evidence was material. See Guzman v. State, 941 So.2d 1045, 1050 (Fla.2006). Once the first two prongs are established, the false evidence is deemed material if there is any reasonable possibility that it could have affected the jury's verdict. See id. at 1050. Gore also asserts that he was prevented from arguing the correct sentencing alternative of life imprisonment without eligibility for parole for fifty years as a mitigating circumstance, because the trial court incorrectly instructed the jury that the alternative to the death penalty was life imprisonment without eligibility for parole for twenty-five years. This general claim involving the alleged untruth with regard to Gore's parole possibilities was previously litigated on direct appeal. In Gore, 706 So.2d 1328, this Court's conclusions included the following: (1) a jury instruction that stated the life sentence for Elliot's murder included eligibility for parole after twenty-five years was correct; (2) the trial court's response to the second jury question asking when Gore could receive parole on the other life sentences was correct; [9] and (3) any alleged error with regard to Stone's testimony that none of Gore's life sentences had a minimum mandatory sentence was not preserved for appellate review because defense counsel failed to object. See id. at 1332-33. Gore cannot bring a second appeal on the parole possibilities that were presented to the jury. See Maharaj v. State, 684 So.2d 726, 728 (Fla.1996) (It is inappropriate to use a collateral attack to relitigate an issue previously raised on appeal.). Despite couching his challenge in terms of a Giglio violation, Gore is making the same general argument that he made on direct appeal: that the parole possibilities presented to the jury were incorrect and, therefore, a resentencing is warranted. Gore is procedurally barred from making the same challenge in a postconviction proceeding. See Harvey v. Dugger, 656 So.2d 1253, 1256 (Fla.1995) (concluding that it is not appropriate to use a different argument to relitigate the same issue). As previously described, this Court on direct appeal has already specifically addressed (and concluded that it was without merit) Gore's current claim that the jury instruction which stated that Gore would be eligible for parole after twenty-five years for Elliot's murder was error. The one claim that was not specifically litigated on direct appeal addressed Stone's response to the question about Gore's kidnapping and sexual battery offenses, when Stone testified that Gore could receive parole at any time. On direct appeal, this Court held that Gore could not argue error with Stone's testimony about minimum mandatory sentences [10] because it was procedurally barred due to the failure of Gore's counsel to object to it. See Gore, 706 So.2d at 1333. To preserve error for appellate review, the general rule is a contemporaneous, specific objection must occur during trial at the time of the alleged error. See F.B. v. State, 852 So.2d 226, 229 (Fla.2003); Steinhorst v. State, 412 So.2d 332, 338 (Fla.1982). In the instant postconviction matter, the Giglio claim involving Stone's any time testimony is without merit. [11] Even without the earlier procedural bar, we conclude that the requirements of Giglio are not met. Under the first prong of Giglio, the testimony of Stone with regard to when parole could occur was technically not false. Even Gore acknowledges that when Stone stated that he could receive parole at any time, Stone was being questioned with regard to the noncapital felonies of kidnapping and sexual battery. For first-time offenders, convictions for kidnapping and sexual battery offenses committed prior to October 1, 1983, do not require minimum mandatory sentences in Florida. See § 775.082(3)(a)(1), Fla. Stat. (2005). Gore could technically receive parole at any time for each of these particular offenses in isolation. There was no inquiry specifically about the practical or combined effect of all of Gore's sentences on his parole possibilities. Therefore, without a clear and more fully developed context, the first prong for a Giglio violation is unsatisfied as the State did not necessarily present false testimony through witness Stone. [12]