Opinion ID: 1770827
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Instructions on Aggravating Circumstances

Text: Next, Freeman argues the jury received inadequate instructions on the aggravating circumstances of murder in the course of a felony, pecuniary gain, and heinous, atrocious, and cruel. There is no allegation of ineffective assistance of counsel on this claim. The issue of the heinous, atrocious and cruel instruction is not properly raised in a postconviction motion because the claim either was or could have been raised on direct appeal. See Hardwick, 648 So.2d at 103; Lambrix, 641 So.2d at 848; Bryan, 641 So.2d at 63. The murder in the course of a felony and pecuniary gain instructions were not objected to at trial, and the heinous, atrocious and cruel aggravator was objected to at trial on other grounds. This Court addressed the failure to object further to the heinous, atrocious and cruel aggravator on direct appeal. See Freeman v. State, 563 So.2d at 76. [12] Accordingly, the court was correct in summarily denying this claim. See Remeta v. Dugger, 622 So.2d 452 (Fla. 1993).