Opinion ID: 1787540
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 12

Heading: jury instructions on merging of aggravators

Text: Knight next claims that the trial court erred in refusing to instruct the jury on the merging of aggravators based on a common aspect of the offense. Knight contends that because the jurors could properly conclude that the kidnapping merged with either the HAC, avoid arrest, or pecuniary gain aggravators, the failure to give the merging instruction undermined the reliability of the jury's sentencing recommendation. We agree with the State that this issue was not preserved below because no such argument regarding these specific grounds was made. Therefore, this claim is procedurally barred. San Martin; Gore v. State, 706 So.2d 1328 (Fla.1997), cert. denied, ___ U.S. ___, 119 S.Ct. 212, 142 L.Ed.2d 174 (1998).