Opinion ID: 1805203
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Failure to Object During Voir Dire

Text: Sexton first contends that there were certain comments made by the prosecutor during voir dire that were improper and should have been objected to by counsel. We have reviewed his claims and conclude there was no impropriety in the comments and hence no deficiency. As to Sexton's claim that counsel was ineffective for not objecting to venire members walking in and out during voir dire, this claim was properly denied because the record confirms that counsel objected. Further, any complaint regarding the trial courts response to this objection should have been raised on direct appeal and is therefore procedurally barred. See Pooler v. State, 980 So.2d 460, 470 (Fla.2008) (citing Spencer v. State, 842 So.2d 52, 60-61 (Fla.2003)). There is also no merit to Sextons claim of alleged deficiency for failure to seek individual voir dire of four venire members who indicated they had heard or read details of the case because three of the jurors did not serve. As to the fourth, juror Hart, this claim is properly denied because Sexton failed to make any claim of actual bias, Carratelli v. State, 961 So.2d 312, 324 (Fla.2007), and no evidence of bias appears in the record. As the trial court found, juror Hart stated that he had no opinions about the case based on what he had heard or read. Thus, the trial court correctly denied these claims without an evidentiary hearing.