Opinion ID: 1959116
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 10

Heading: Jury Instructions: Mitigating Circumstances

Text: Floyd makes three concurrent assertions of fundamental error regarding the jury instructions, or lack thereof, concerning mitigating factors. First, he asserts that fundamental error occurred when the trial judge, in reading the instructions to the jury, said only that the jury could consider [a]ny other circumstance of the offense committed by Floyd. The standard jury instructions require that, unless the defendant requests a different instruction, the trial judge instruct jurors that they may consider as mitigation [a]ny [other] aspect of the defendant's character, record, or background and [a]ny other circumstance of the offense. Fla. Std. Jury Instr. (Crim.) 113 (1997). Floyd never lodged an objection to this instruction as it was read to the jury. [30] Floyd nevertheless claims that fundamental error occurred because the effect of the trial judge's misreading of the instruction was that, in the absence of an instruction that it could consider aspects of Floyd's character, record, or background as mitigation, the jury concluded that it could only consider aggravating circumstances of the killing. Several points militate against this assertion. Jury instructions are subject to the contemporaneous objection rule, and in the absence of a contemporaneous objection at trial, relief regarding error in the instructions can be granted on appeal only if that error is fundamental. See Archer v. State, 673 So.2d 17, 20 (Fla. 1996). Fundamental error is that which reaches down into the validity of the trial itself to the extent that a verdict ... could not have been obtained without [that] error. Id. at 20. When a contemporaneous objection could easily have been lodged to bring the lack of completeness or clarity of a jury instruction to the trial judge's attention, we have previously declined to conclude that fundamental error occurred. See Archer, 673 So.2d at 20 (no fundamental error occurred when trial judge utilized the term reasonable doubt in jury instruction but then did not define that term for jury, especially in light of lack of contemporaneous objection made to jury instruction as given). In State v. Wilson, 686 So.2d 569 (Fla.1996), we determined that no fundamental error occurred when a preliminary instruction on reasonable doubt was utilized by the trial court that was arguably ambiguous though not entirely incorrect. Though we noted that the trial judge ultimately gave the correct instruction, we also unmistakably stated in Wilson: In any event, even if it could be said that the judge committed error in making the preliminary comments on reasonable doubt, the error would not be fundamental. Any perceived ambiguity could have been clarified by the simple expedient of calling it to the judge's attention through a proper objection. Id. at 570. Our reasoning in Archer and Wilson is applicable here because the asserted error in the trial judge's reading of the instruction could have been clarified by the simple expedient of calling it to the judge's attention through a proper [contemporaneous] objection. Wilson, 686 So.2d at 570. When we further consider that Floyd's defense counsel had and in fact utilized the opportunity in his penalty phase closing argument to fully present and discuss all of the mitigating factors he believed the jury should considerincluding those related to character and backgroundwe are unpersuaded by Floyd's assertion of fundamental error. When we further consider the three strong aggravating factors present in this case, the possible mitigating factors, and the eleven to one jury recommendation for a sentence of death, we conclude that a perfect instruction would not have in any way altered the jury's recommendation here. Therefore, we determine that no relief based on fundamental error is warranted on this matter. As his next concurrent assertion regarding fundamental error in the jury instructions, Floyd contends that the trial judge erred by not instructing the jury that Floyd's chronological age of twenty-one years could be considered as a mitigating factor. Floyd further contends that the trial judge also fundamentally erred by not considering age as a mitigating factor before imposing a sentence of death. We have previously stated: [W]here the defendant has requested an instruction on age and submitted reliable evidence tending to link his or her chronological age to some other [relevant] characteristic of the defendant or the crime, an appropriate instruction should be given. Campbell v. State, 679 So.2d 720, 726 (Fla. 1996). Floyd did not explicitly request the trial judge to provide an instruction on age as a mitigating factor, nor did he present compelling evidence which could reasonably be inferred to suggest his desire for such an instruction. In the absence of both a request for an instruction on age and any evidence on which the trial judge could base a decision to find it as a mitigating factor, we determine that no error occurred. See also Cooper v. State, 492 So.2d 1059, 1063 (Fla.1986) (There is no per se rule which pinpoints a particular age as an automatic factor in mitigation.). In his final contention regarding the jury instructions on mitigating circumstances, Floyd claims that fundamental error resulted from the trial judge's refusal to give his instruction that only in rare instances can [the trial judge] impose a sentence different than the jury recommend[s]. Floyd contends that the trial judge's refusal to give this instruction resulted in the denigration of the role and responsibility of the jury and therefore violated Caldwell v. Mississippi, 472 U.S. 320, 105 S.Ct. 2633, 86 L.Ed.2d 231 (1985). The record reflects that the trial judge employed the standard jury instruction on this matter. We have repeatedly stated that this instruction properly and fully apprises the jury of its role and responsibility in the penalty phase. See, e.g., Archer, 673 So.2d at 21; Sochor v. State, 619 So.2d 285, 291-92 (Fla.1993). No relief is warranted. [31]