Character Evidence

704 Florida cases classified under this topic, plus 170 listed through its narrower topics · sorted by citation count · see the citation graph · browse and sort

• Roten v. State
  31 Fla. 514· Fla.· 1893-01-01 ·cited 24×·via Admissibility Of Character Evidence
  Caleb Roten and Richard Thompson were convicted of murder in the first degree for the shooting death of Rudolph W. Raymond during the execution of an arrest warrant. The Florida Supreme Court reversed and remanded for a new trial due to multiple evidentiary errors, including impr
• Goodman Bond v. State
  21 Fla. 738· Fla.· 1886-01-01 ·cited 24×
  Goodman Bond was convicted of murder in the first degree for shooting and killing Stephens. Bond appealed, arguing the trial court erred in refusing to admit evidence of threats made by Stephens against Bond's life and evidence of Stephens's reputation for violence. The Florida S
• Duffey v. State
  741 So. 2d 1192· Fla. 4th DCA· 1999-09-22 ·cited 23×
  Duffey was convicted of second-degree murder and grand theft for strangling Deborah Helenius in a motel room. The Fourth District Court of Appeal affirmed the conviction, holding that evidence of Duffey's similar prior attack on another woman was properly admitted to rebut his ac
• Carter v. State
  485 So. 2d 1292· Fla. 4th DCA· 1986-01-29 ·cited 23×
  Pamela Sue Carter appeals her second-degree murder conviction, challenging multiple evidentiary rulings, jury instructions, and suppression motions. The appellate court affirms the conviction, finding most issues without merit or improperly preserved, but addresses two specific i
• Hutchins v. Garrison
  724 F.2d 1425· 4th Cir.· 1983-12-29 ·cited 23×
  The court held that the district court did not err in denying the habeas corpus petition, affirming the denial of relief to the state prisoner.
• United States v. Curtis
  644 F.2d 263· 3d Cir.· 1981-03-16 ·cited 23×
  The dissenting judge held that the prosecutor's comment on the defendant's post-arrest silence and the cross-examination of character witnesses were permissible.
• United States v. Hewitt
  634 F.2d 277· 5th Cir.· 1981-01-15 ·cited 23×
  The court held that the trial court erred in refusing to allow the defendant to present evidence of his character as a law-abiding citizen, even though he did not testify.
• United States v. Torbert
  496 F.2d 154· 9th Cir.· 1974-04-26 ·cited 23×
  A judge's transfer of a case to another judge, even without a formal ruling on a disqualification motion and deviating from a random assignment procedure, does not violate due process or 28 U.S.C. § 144 if no actual prejudice is shown. Disqualification of a witness for violating
• Traina v. State
  657 So. 2d 1227· Fla. 4th DCA· 1995-07-05 ·cited 22×
  The court held that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in excluding reverse Williams rule evidence and witness bias testimony, nor in denying a mistrial for an improper opening statement comment.
• Broughton Howard v. State
  616 So. 2d 484· Fla. 1st DCA· 1993-03-04 ·cited 22×
  Broughton Howard was convicted of lewd and lascivious assault on his seven-year-old step-granddaughter. The Florida District Court of Appeal reversed and remanded for a new trial, finding that the trial court erred by admitting testimony about a sex education/abuse prevention pro
• United States v. van Dorn
  925 F.2d 1331· 11th Cir.· 1991-03-11 ·cited 22×·via Admissibility Of Character Evidence
  The court held that the district court did not abuse its discretion in restricting cross-examination of a government witness regarding his prior drug prosecution and alleged threats, nor in admitting testimony about a defendant's affiliation with the Gambino crime family and expe
• E.B. v. State
  531 So. 2d 1053· Fla. 3d DCA· 1988-10-11 ·cited 22×
  The court held that the trial court erred in precluding evidence relevant to the defendant's self-defense claim, including the victim's reputation and prior threats, and statements affecting the defendant's state of mind.
• Lataille v. Ponte
  754 F.2d 33· 1st Cir.· 1985-02-06 ·cited 22×
  The past disciplinary record of a prisoner is inadmissible in a 42 U.S.C. § 1983 suit against corrections officers if its sole purpose is to show the prisoner acted in conformity with past violent behavior.
• State v. Maisto
  427 So. 2d 1120· Fla. 3d DCA· 1983-03-15 ·cited 22×
  The State sought to introduce similar fact evidence of two prior incidents involving a man approaching young girls at shopping centers and asking them to urinate, to prove identification in a kidnapping and indecent assault case. The trial court excluded both incidents as lacking
• United States v. Puckett
  692 F.2d 663· 10th Cir.· 1982-07-16 ·cited 22×
  The court held that the evidence was sufficient to support the wire fraud convictions, that Krown's double jeopardy claim failed, and that the trial court did not err in its evidentiary or procedural rulings.
• United States v. Grady
  665 F.2d 831· 8th Cir.· 1981-12-08 ·cited 22×·via Cross-Examination Of Character Witnesses
  The court held that Miranda warnings were not required for on-the-scene questioning of a suspect who was not in custody, and that cross-examination of a character witness about the defendant's prior arrests was permissible.
• United States v. Bosley
  615 F.2d 1274· 9th Cir.· 1980-04-02 ·cited 22×
  The court held that admitting extrinsic evidence of a specific act solely to impeach a witness's credibility, after the witness denied the act on cross-examination, was prejudicial error under Fed.R.Evid. 608(b).
• Mancebo v. State
  350 So. 2d 1098· Fla. 3d DCA· 1977-09-27 ·cited 22×
  Mario and Jorge Mancebo appealed their convictions for aggravated battery by billiard ball, raising multiple trial errors including improper cross-examination about prior fights, prosecutor's closing arguments about character, admission of mug shots, and admission of the weapon.
• Reyes v. State
  253 So. 2d 907· Fla. 1st DCA· 1971-10-05 ·cited 22×
  The court held that the State improperly introduced evidence of unrelated prior crimes on rebuttal, which prejudiced the defendant and warranted reversal.
• Swingle v. United States
  389 F.2d 220· 10th Cir.· 1968-02-09 ·cited 22×
  The court held that the trial court did not err in admitting evidence, instructing the jury, restricting cross-examination, or denying pre-trial motions, affirming the conviction.
• Awkard v. United States
  352 F.2d 641· D.C. Cir.· 1965-06-03 ·cited 22×·via Cross-Examination Of Character Witnesses
  The court held that the trial judge erred in permitting the prosecutor to cross-examine character witnesses about the defendant's prior arrests and convictions, as this was unduly prejudicial and an abuse of discretion.
• Briggs v. United States
  176 F.2d 317· 10th Cir.· 1949-07-26 ·cited 22×
  The court held that the evidence was sufficient to support the jury's verdict of conspiracy to violate internal revenue laws, and that the trial court's instructions and evidentiary rulings were not reversibly erroneous.
• Josey v. United States
  135 F.2d 809· D.C. Cir.· 1943-03-31 ·cited 22×
  The court held that the trial court did not err in its cross-examination of the defendant regarding self-defense and in its jury instructions, nor in its handling of character evidence.
• Jewel Grier v. State
  27 So. 3d 97· Fla. 4th DCA· 2009-12-23 ·cited 21×
  Grier was convicted of sexual abuse charges involving a teenage victim. On appeal, he challenged the trial court's admission of "Williams rule" testimony from two other alleged victims, arguing the similar fact evidence was unduly prejudicial. The Fourth District affirmed, holdin
• United States v. Perkins
  937 F.2d 1397· 9th Cir.· 1991-07-01 ·cited 21×
  The court held that the district court did not err in its evidentiary rulings, and while an instruction on change of appearance was improper, it constituted harmless error. Therefore, the conviction is affirmed.
• Burk v. State
  497 So. 2d 731· Fla. 2d DCA· 1986-11-14 ·cited 21×·via Admissibility Of Character Evidence
  The trial court erred in refusing to allow the defendant to testify about the victim's reputation for violence when self-defense was claimed, and the state's subsequent offer to reopen the case did not cure the error.
• United States v. Thomas
  768 F.2d 611· 5th Cir.· 1985-08-01 ·cited 21×
  The court held that the evidence was sufficient to support the conspiracy conviction, the jury instructions on entrapment and conflicting theories were proper, and the exclusion of polygraph examiner testimony was correct.
• United States v. Calvert
  498 F.2d 409· 6th Cir.· 1974-06-20 ·cited 21×·via Improper Character Evidence
  The court held that the admission of fingerprint evidence, implying prior criminal history, was not harmless error and required reversal.
• Ray v. State
  159 Fla. 101· Fla.· 1947-06-17 ·cited 21×·via Admissibility Of Character Evidence
  James F. Ray was convicted of sexually assaulting a nine-year-old girl in Fort Walton, Florida, and sentenced to five years in prison. The Florida Supreme Court affirmed the conviction, holding that the victim's identification was sufficiently reliable and that evidence of Ray's
• English v. State
  122 Fla. 77· Fla.· 1935-12-27 ·cited 21×
  John English was convicted under Florida law of sodomy and challenged the sufficiency of the information, the admission of character evidence, and hearsay testimony. The Florida Supreme Court affirmed the conviction, holding that the information adequately charged the offense and
• United States v. Johnson
  879 F.2d 331· 8th Cir.· 1989-07-10 ·cited 20×
  The court held that while evidence of a prior act was improperly admitted, the error was harmless due to overwhelming evidence of guilt, and the trial court did not err in applying the Sentencing Guidelines.
• United States v. Bailey
  834 F.2d 218· 1st Cir.· 1987-12-02 ·cited 20×
  The court held that the district court erred in denying the defendant access to interview jurors who served with the government's key witness, as this violated her constitutional right to present a defense, but that the other claims of error were without merit.
• Francis v. State
  512 So. 2d 280· Fla. 2d DCA· 1987-09-04 ·cited 20×
  Robert Arnold Francis was convicted of one count of capital sexual battery and two counts of battery against his three young nieces. The appellate court reversed and remanded for a new trial due to evidentiary errors that admitted prejudicial and character-based testimony to prov
• Bannister v. Town OF Noble
  812 F.2d 1265· 10th Cir.· 1987-02-25 ·cited 20×
  The court held that the district court did not abuse its discretion in admitting videotapes, submitting proximate cause to the jury, or in its jury instructions, and that there was no reversible error regarding character evidence or attorney misconduct.
• Perrin v. Donnie Anderson and Roland Von Schriltz
  784 F.2d 1040· 10th Cir.· 1986-02-27 ·cited 20×
  The court held that evidence of prior violent encounters was admissible as habit evidence, and a report by the Shooting Review Board was admissible under the public records exception to the hearsay rule. Remarks about personal liability were permissible due to the claim for punit
• West v. Love
  776 F.2d 170· 7th Cir.· 1985-10-30 ·cited 20×
  The court held that the admission of evidence regarding the plaintiff's confinement in a segregation unit and his disciplinary history was proper, and that a post-trial threat by an officer to a witness did not warrant relief from judgment.
• United States v. Reed
  715 F.2d 870· 5th Cir.· 1983-09-12 ·cited 20×
  The court held that the evidence was sufficient to sustain the defendants' convictions for conspiracy to commit extortion and interstate travel to commit extortion, and that the trial court did not err in denying their motions for acquittal or a new trial.
• United States v. Winston Hall Worthington, M.D.
  698 F.2d 820· 6th Cir.· 1983-01-25 ·cited 20×
  The court held that the district court did not abuse its discretion in denying the defendant's untimely motion to suppress evidence, nor was the defendant denied a fair trial by alleged jury or judicial misconduct, or improper character evidence.
• Turner v. Fair
  617 F.2d 7· 1st Cir.· 1980-03-18 ·cited 20×
  The court held that a federal habeas corpus petition must be dismissed if the specific legal theory supporting the constitutional claim was not fairly presented to the state courts.
• United States v. Warf
  529 F.2d 1170· 5th Cir.· 1976-04-08 ·cited 20×
  The dissenting judge believes the majority opinion erred in finding reversible error, arguing the prosecutor's improprieties were harmless given the totality of the evidence.
• United States v. Arnulfo Salazar-Gaeta
  447 F.2d 468· 9th Cir.· 1971-08-16 ·cited 20×·via Cross-Examination Of Character Witnesses
  The court held that the search of the automobile and the admission of evidence discovered were lawful, and other claims of error were without merit.
• Percifield v. United States
  241 F.2d 225· 9th Cir.· 1957-02-14 ·cited 20×
  The court held that the appellant's failure to object to jury instructions at trial, coupled with the lack of plain error or miscarriage of justice, precluded appellate review of those instructions. The court also found the admission of an affidavit and the use of specific accoun
• Jonas Henderson v. State
  90 So. 2d 447· Fla.· 1956-11-07 ·cited 20×
  Jonas Henderson was convicted of manslaughter resulting from culpably negligent operation of an automobile after driving 80-100 mph through a dangerous curve he knew to be treacherous, killing two passengers. The Florida Supreme Court affirmed his conviction, holding that excessi
• Packineau v. United States
  202 F.2d 681· 8th Cir.· 1953-03-10 ·cited 20×
  The dissenting judge holds that the trial court's rulings were not reversible error and the convictions should be affirmed.
• United States v. Cumberland
  200 F.2d 609· 3d Cir.· 1952-12-23 ·cited 20×
  The court held that cumulative errors in the jury charge, particularly regarding character evidence and the presumption of innocence, prejudiced the defendant and required a new trial.
• Sims v. BMW of N. Am. LLC
  M.D. Fla.· 2025-04-04 ·cited 19×
  The court granted in part and denied in part Plaintiff's motions in limine, excluding certain evidence and arguments while allowing others, based on rules of evidence and procedural fairness.
• Hedges v. State
  667 So. 2d 420· Fla. 1st DCA· 1996-01-19 ·cited 19×
  When a defendant establishes even the slightest evidence of an overt act by the victim that may be reasonably regarded as placing the accused in imminent danger, evidence of the victim's prior specific violent acts known to the defendant is admissible to show the reasonableness o
• Arias v. State
  593 So. 2d 260· Fla. 3d DCA· 1992-01-14 ·cited 19×
  Jean Arias was convicted of attempted first-degree murder and solicitation to commit murder for allegedly plotting to kill an infant with severe birth defects by administering a lethal overdose of pain medication. The Florida District Court of Appeal reversed the attempted murder
• United States v. Heller
  830 F.2d 150· 11th Cir.· 1987-09-29 ·cited 19×
  The court held that the defendant was entitled to a jury instruction on the legal uncertainty defense, and that governmental misconduct in intimidating a defense witness required reversal.
• Dixon v. State
  426 So. 2d 1258· Fla. 2d DCA· 1983-02-11 ·cited 19×
  Robert Lee Dixon was convicted of first-degree murder and attempted robbery, but the Florida District Court of Appeal reversed due to significant trial errors, including the improper admission of evidence regarding the defendant's prior arrests and hearsay testimony that may have