Opinion ID: 1880670
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 9

Heading: issue 5. cross-examination of defendant

Text: In his fifth claim, Boyd argues that the trial court erred in overruling the defense's objections to the State's cross-examination of Boyd. On direct examination, Boyd denied raping, kidnapping, and murdering Dacosta and stated that he was on trial because the Broward County Sheriff's Office was going to get [him]. Boyd alleged that during his interrogation by the police, Detective Bukata called him a racial slur and then said, [W]e told you we was going to get you. In its cross-examination of Boyd, the State proceeded to question him as to the work he performed at his family's funeral home business. The trial court overruled the defense objection to this cross-examination being outside the scope of direct examination but asked the State to limit its cross-examination to more immediate matters. Defense counsel put forth an ongoing objection as to all of the matters discussed on cross-examination, which covered areas including Boyd's relationship with Geneva Lewis, his work for Reverend Lloyd, the locations of various points in the community relevant to the crimes, the fliers about Dacosta's disappearance, the bed purchased by Lewis that was no longer in the apartment, blood that was found in the apartment, items that were in Reverend Lloyd's van the weekend of the murders, the sheets wrapped around Dacosta's body, Boyd's whereabouts on the night of the murders, whether he knew Dacosta, his interrogation by the Broward County Sheriff's Office, and the DNA evidence associated with the crimes. Section 90.612(2), Florida Statutes (2001), states, Cross-examination of a witness is limited to the subject matter of the direct examination and matters affecting the credibility of the witness. The court may, in its discretion, permit inquiry into additional matters. The permissible bounds of cross-examination are defined as follows: [W]hen the direct examination opens a general subject, the cross-examination may go into any phase, and may not be restricted to mere parts ... or to the specific facts developed by the direct examination. Cross-examination should always be allowed relative to the details of an event or transaction a portion only of which has been testified to on direct examination. As has been stated, cross-examination is not confined to the identical details testified to in chief, but extends to its entire subject matter, and to all matters that may modify, supplement, contradict, rebut or make clearer the facts testified to in chief.... Coco v. State, 62 So.2d 892, 895 (Fla.1953) (quoting 58 Am.Jur. Witnesses, § 632, at 352 (1948)). We review trial court decisions as to the scope of cross-examination on an abuse of discretion standard. McCoy v. State, 853 So.2d 396, 406 (Fla. 2003). This Court, in considering an objection to the scope of cross-examination, stated that a defendant opened the door to be examined or impeached with evidence that linked him to the murder when he denied the crime charged. Geralds v. State, 674 So.2d 96, 100 (Fla.1996). Thus, we hold that it was not an abuse of discretion for the trial court to permit the cross-examination to cover a variety of subjects relating to the murder and the evidence linking Boyd to the murder. These matters related to the impeachment of the defendant, and it was not an abuse of discretion for the trial court to allow this cross-examination. Furthermore, any error that was committed was harmless error. The State did not question Boyd on any relevant matter that was not already in evidence, and therefore there is no reasonable possibility that the error contributed to Boyd's conviction. See Chandler v. State, 702 So.2d 186, 197 (Fla.1997) (defendant could be cross-examined on variety of matters after denying he killed victims, and any error that had occurred was harmless).