Opinion ID: 1860995
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: Failure to Give Guilt Phase Circumstantial Evidence Instruction

Text: We similarly find no merit to Darling's argument that the trial court erred in denying his requested special instruction regarding circumstantial evidence. As we observed in Monlyn v. State, 705 So.2d 1 (Fla.1997): We have in fact expressly approved courts which have exercised their discretion and not given the instruction: In In re Standard Jury Instructions in Criminal Cases, 431 So.2d 594 (Fla.1981), we found the instruction on circumstantial evidence to be unnecessary and deleted it from the standard instructions. A trial court can, of course, give such an instruction if, in the court's discretion, it finds it necessary due to the particular facts of any case. Williams v. State, 437 So.2d 133 (Fla.1983); Standard Jury Instructions in Criminal Cases. The trial court did not find the circumstantial evidence instruction necessary in this case, and we find no abuse of discretion in his refusal to give such an instruction. Id. at 5 (quoting Rembert v. State, 445 So.2d 337, 339 (Fla.1984)). We find no abuse of discretion in the trial court's refusal to give the requested instruction.