Opinion ID: 1959116
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 14

Heading: Prosecutor's Penalty Phase Closing Argument

Text: Floyd asserts that fundamental error occurred when the prosecutor, without a defense objection voiced, ended his penalty phase closing argument by saying: Let the final chapter be justice was done. This man not only deserves but the law requires that he receive the death penalty. Relying on Henyard v. State, 689 So.2d 239 (Fla.1996), Floyd claims that fundamental error occurred because a jury is never required to vote to recommend the death penalty. In Henyard, a prosecutor on three separate occasions told jurors that if the aggravating factors outweighed the mitigating factors, they must recommend a sentence of death. We determined in that case that the prosecutor had misstated the law, but that the comments did not rise to the level of fundamental error when viewed in the totality of the entire trial. We further determined that if any error occurred such was harmless. Here, with regard to the prosecutor's statement, to the extent that it might have implied that the jury was bound by law and had no option but to recommend a sentence of death, we disapprove its content. However, the remark in Floyd's case was isolated, not repeated as in Henyard, and could be interpreted as an evaluation of the evidence and the conclusions to be drawn from such evidence. Moreover, just as in Henyard, the trial judge here properly instructed the jury on its role in the sentencing process. Given the three strong aggravators in Floyd's case and the paucity of mitigation, we determine that any error that may have been engendered by the prosecutor's statements was harmless. Any error with regard to this issue in no way affected the foundation of the case. Sanford v. Rubin, 237 So.2d 134, 137 (Fla. 1970). Therefore, we deny relief on this issue.