Opinion ID: 1597407
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Former Testimony of Unavailable Witnesses

Text: Muehleman next contends that the trial court erred in allowing the State to present the former testimony of several witnesses who testified in the first penalty phase proceeding but who were found to be unavailable at the time of the resentencing. The State presented investigator Scott Hopkins who testified that he conducted a search for witnesses Virginia Battle, the victim's daughter, and Virginia Peterson, the victim's friend. He discovered they were both deceased and their death certificates were admitted into evidence. Hopkins and his assistants also conducted an extensive search for Ronald Rewis, the jailhouse informant who taped conversations with Muehleman. Hopkins testified that Rewis could not be located and had not been heard from by his family since 1991. Government records also showed no activity for him since 1991. Assistant State Attorneys were allowed to read the testimony of Peterson, Battle, and Rewis. Muehleman does not challenge the finding of unavailability of these witnesses but contends that the State should not have been allowed to present the testimony through witnesses who were associated with the State Attorney's Office. We find no error in the procedure followed by the trial court. A trial court's decision to admit prior testimony is reviewed for abuse of discretion. See Thompson v. State, 995 So.2d 532 (Fla.2d DCA 2008); Outlaw v. State, 269 So.2d 403, 404 (Fla.4th DCA 1972). This standard is applied, however, with due regard for the principles set out in Crawford v. Washington, 541 U.S. 36, 124 S.Ct. 1354, 158 L.Ed.2d 177 (2004). The Supreme Court in Crawford held that where an out-of-court testimonial statement is offered, it must be established that the defendant had the prior opportunity to cross-examine the declarant and that the witness must be shown to be unavailable. Id. at 68, 124 S.Ct. 1354. Section 90.804(2)(a), Florida Statutes (2003), similarly provided that former testimony may be received under certain circumstances, where the declarant is unavailable, as follows: (a) Former testimony.Testimony given as a witness at another hearing of the same or a different proceeding, or in a deposition taken in compliance with law in the course of the same or another proceeding, if the party against whom the testimony is now offered, or, in a civil action or proceeding, a predecessor in interest, had an opportunity and similar motive to develop the testimony by direct, cross, or redirect examination. Similar principles were also reflected in Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.640(b) (1992), which was in effect at the time of resentencing. [12] In the case of a retrial in a criminal case, as occurred here with the new penalty phase proceeding, rule 3.640 in effect in 2003 provided: (b) Witnesses and Former Testimony at New Trial. The testimony given during the former trial may not be read in evidence at the new trial unless it is that of a witness who at the time of the new trial is absent from the state, mentally incompetent to be a witness, physically unable to appear and testify, or dead, in which event the evidence of such witness on the former trial may be read in evidence at the new trial as the same was taken and transcribed by the court reporter. Before the introduction of the evidence of an absent witness, the party introducing the evidence must show due diligence in attempting to procure the attendance of witnesses at the trial and must show that the witness is not absent by consent or connivance of that party. This Court, in Ibar v. State, 938 So.2d 451 (Fla.2006), also explained the circumstances under which prior testimony will be allowed into evidence, stating as follows: The use of prior testimony is allowed where (1) the testimony was taken in the course of a judicial proceeding; (2) the party against whom the evidence is being offered was a party in the former proceeding; (3) the issues in the prior case are similar to those in the case at hand; and (4) a substantial reason is shown why the original witness is not available. Id. at 464 (quoting Thompson v. State, 619 So.2d 261, 265 (Fla.1993)). Those same factors were established in this case. The prior testimony was taken in Muehleman's first penalty phase, in a judicial proceeding, on the same issues, subject to cross-examination, and the unavailability of the witnesses was established. Muehleman's complaint here is that the former testimony was read by persons associated with the State Attorney's Office. No statute or rule dictates who must be utilized to read former testimony. Muehleman does not allege, nor does the record demonstrate, that the witnesses acted as advocates or attorneys in the trial, or that they shaded the testimony or presented it in an improper fashion. Muehleman has cited only the fact that the readers were well-respected members of the State Attorney's office, and that an especially well-respected assistant state attorney read the testimony of Rewis, the jail inmate, thereby allegedly adversely affecting the jury's ability to evaluate the credibility of Rewis. However, this same complaint would appear to apply to anyone who might have read Rewis's testimony, other than Rewis himself. Because Muehleman has not demonstrated that the procedure followed by the trial court violated the provisions of section 90.804, Florida Statutes, or the principles set forth in Crawford, we deny relief on this claim.