Opinion ID: 2489132
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Failure to Raise Claim Regarding Questions During Voir Dire

Text: In his third claim, Wyatt alleges that his appellate counsel was ineffective in failing to challenge a line of questioning during voir dire where the State discussed that sometimes a murder occurs in order to eliminate a witness. Defense counsel objected, asserting that the prosecutor was attempting to give an opening statement during voir dire. The trial court overruled the objection, and the prosecutor continued asking a juror if he understood that the State could prove its case without relying on eyewitness testimony to the murder. Counsel objected again. As this Court has recognized, where a juror's attitude about a particular legal doctrine . . . is essential to a determination of whether challenges for cause or peremptory challenges are to be made, it is well settled that the scope of the voir dire properly includes questions about and references to that legal doctrine even if stated in the form of hypothetical questions. Geralds v. State, ___ So.3d ___, ___, 2010 WL 3582955 (Fla.2010) (quoting Walker v. State, 724 So.2d 1232, 1233 (Fla. 4th DCA 1999)). The scope of voir dire questioning rests in the sound discretion of the trial court, and we will not disturb the trial court's ruling unless the court clearly abused its discretion. Id. The State can inquire from the prospective jurors on matters regarding the burden of proof and whether a juror can apply the law even though the State would not be presenting any eyewitness testimony. In addition, the State can discuss possible aggravating circumstances in the abstract where the State believes the evidence would support such factors. Wyatt's argument assumes that the discussion of legal theories in the abstract will bias the jurors and cause them to presume such circumstances transpired in the case before them. However, as Wyatt recognizes, after counsel objected, the trial judge explicitly instructed the jurors that such circumstances did not necessarily occur in this case. Even if the statement had been improper, however, Wyatt failed to establish prejudicethat appellate counsel's deficiency `compromised the appellate process to such a degree as to undermine confidence in the correctness of the result.' Rutherford, 774 So.2d at 643 (quoting Thompson, 759 So.2d at 660); see, e.g., Bell v. State, 965 So.2d 48, 78-79 (Fla.2007) (holding that the defendant failed to establish his appellate counsel was ineffective in failing to challenge a ruling pertaining to an isolated comment that was made during voir dire before the presentation of evidence even began). Thus, we deny this claim.