Unfair Prejudice

888 Florida cases classified under this topic, plus 386 listed through its narrower topics · sorted by citation count · see the citation graph · browse and sort

• Williams v. State
  110 So. 2d 654· Fla.· 1959-03-25 ·cited 2146×·via Undue Prejudice
  Ralph Williams was convicted of rape and sentenced to death. He appealed arguing that the trial court erred in admitting evidence of a similar incident six weeks prior involving another victim. The Florida Supreme Court affirmed, holding that similar fact evidence pointing to a s
• Pagan v. State
  830 So. 2d 792· Fla.· 2002-04-04 ·cited 1191×
  Alex Pagan was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted first-degree murder in connection with a February 1993 home invasion and robbery that killed a six-year-old child and his father. The Florida Supreme Court affirmed both the convictions and
• United States v. Orange Jell Beechum
  582 F.2d 898· 5th Cir.· 1978-10-25 ·cited 729×
  The dissent argues the majority misinterpreted Federal Rule of Evidence 404(b) by broadly allowing evidence of other crimes, wrongs, or acts, effectively overruling prior precedent ('Broadway') without sufficient justification.
• Pardo v. State
  596 So. 2d 665· Fla.· 1992-03-26 ·cited 438×
  The Florida Supreme Court held that a child victim's hearsay statements qualifying under Fla. Stat. § 90.803(23) may be admissible even when the child testifies fully at trial and the statements are characterized as prior consistent statements, but such statements remain subject
• Straight v. State
  397 So. 2d 903· Fla.· 1981-03-19 ·cited 297×·via Prejudicial Impact
  Ronald Straight was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death for the kidnapping, torture, and murder of James Stone in a robbery scheme. The Florida Supreme Court affirmed the conviction and death sentence, rejecting challenges to venue, photograph admissibility, e
• Griffin v. State
  639 So. 2d 966· Fla.· 1994-07-07 ·cited 251×
  Michael Allen Griffin was convicted of first-degree murder of a police officer and sentenced to death. The Florida Supreme Court affirmed his convictions and death sentence, rejecting arguments regarding the admissibility of prior criminal conduct evidence, mitigating evidence re
• Stephens v. State
  787 So. 2d 747· Fla.· 2001-03-15 ·cited 244×
  The Florida Supreme Court affirmed the death sentence imposed on Jason Demetrius Stephens for the first-degree felony murder of a three-year-old child (Robert Sparrow III) committed during the course of armed kidnapping, armed robbery, and burglary. The court rejected all eleven
• Swafford v. State
  533 So. 2d 270· Fla.· 1988-09-29 ·cited 229×
  Roy Swafford was convicted of first-degree murder and sexual battery and sentenced to death for the February 14, 1982 murder of a FINA gas station attendant in Daytona Beach, Florida. The Florida Supreme Court affirmed his convictions and death sentence, finding the evidence suff
• McLEAN v. State
  934 So. 2d 1248· Fla.· 2006-07-06 ·cited 224×
  The Florida Supreme Court held that Fla. Stat. § 90.404(2)(b), which allows evidence of prior acts of child molestation in cases where the defendant is charged with child molestation, does not violate due process when applied in cases where identity is not disputed and the eviden
• Gore v. State
  719 So. 2d 1197· Fla.· 1998-10-01 ·cited 208×
  The Florida Supreme Court reversed Marshall Lee Gore's death sentence for the murder of Robyn Novick, finding that the cumulative effect of the prosecutor's improper cross-examination regarding excluded collateral crimes evidence, misleading closing arguments about the burden of
• United States v. Young
  745 F.2d 733· 2d Cir.· 1984-09-17 ·cited 205×
  The court held that while expert testimony on ambiguous conduct constituting criminal activity is admissible under certain circumstances, it must be carefully weighed against prejudice and cannot salvage an otherwise insufficient case.
• Special v. W. Boca Med. Ctr.
  160 So. 3d 1251· Fla.· 2014-11-13 ·cited 194×·via Danger Of Unfair Prejudice
  The Florida Supreme Court clarified the test for harmless error in civil appeals, holding that the beneficiary of an error must prove there is no reasonable possibility the error contributed to the verdict. Applying this test, the Court reversed a medical malpractice judgment and
• Gudinas v. State
  693 So. 2d 953· Fla.· 1997-04-10 ·cited 191×·via Prejudicial Impact
  Thomas Lee Gudinas was convicted of first-degree murder, two counts of sexual battery, attempted sexual battery, and attempted burglary with assault in connection with the brutal rape and murder of Michelle McGrath following an attempted attack on another woman, Rachelle Smith. T
• Walker v. State
  707 So. 2d 300· Fla.· 1997-09-04 ·cited 187×
  James Walker was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder for killing his ex-girlfriend Joanne Jones and their 17-month-old son Quinton in August 1993. The trial court imposed the death penalty based on jury recommendations, but the Florida Supreme Court affirmed the convic
• Pressley Alston v. State
  723 So. 2d 148· Fla.· 1998-09-10 ·cited 183×
  Pressley Alston was convicted of first-degree murder, armed robbery, and armed kidnapping in the death of James Lee Coon, a college student abducted during a robbery. The Florida Supreme Court affirmed Alston's conviction and death sentence, rejecting seventeen appellate challeng
• Bryan v. State
  533 So. 2d 744· Fla.· 1988-09-22 ·cited 181×·via Undue Prejudice
  Anthony Bryan was convicted of first-degree murder, kidnapping with a firearm, and robbery with a firearm for killing George Wilson in Mississippi during the course of kidnapping and robbery. The Florida Supreme Court affirmed his convictions and death sentence, rejecting challen
• United States v. Robinson
  560 F.2d 507· 2d Cir.· 1977-07-28 ·cited 176×
• United States v. Dansker
  537 F.2d 40· 3d Cir.· 1976-06-02 ·cited 163×·via Prejudicial Impact
  The court held that the evidence was insufficient to prove that Serota accepted a bribe under New Jersey law, as it did not demonstrate an intent to corrupt a public office or action. Consequently, the convictions for bribing Serota and the conspiracy to bribe Serota were reverse
• Garron v. State
  528 So. 2d 353· Fla.· 1988-05-19 ·cited 161×
  Joseph Henry Garron was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death for killing his wife and stepdaughter. The Florida Supreme Court reversed both the conviction and death sentence, finding multiple instances of prosecutorial misconduct, erroneous evidentiary rulings,
• Brooks v. State
  918 So. 2d 181· Fla.· 2005-06-23 ·cited 158×
  This case involves Lamar Brooks' appeal of his conviction and death sentences for the first-degree murders of Rachel Carlson and her infant daughter, Alexis Stuart. This is Brooks' second appeal after his initial conviction was reversed in 2001 due to erroneous hearsay testimony.
• Duest v. State
  462 So. 2d 446· Fla.· 1985-01-10 ·cited 153×·via Prejudicial Impact
  Lloyd Duest was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death for the stabbing death of John Pope during a robbery. The Florida Supreme Court affirmed the conviction and death sentence, rejecting challenges to witness disclosure, prosecutorial conduct, sufficiency of ev
• Coolen v. State
  696 So. 2d 738· Fla.· 1997-05-22 ·cited 151×
  The Florida Supreme Court reversed Michael Coolen's first-degree murder conviction and death sentence, finding insufficient evidence to prove premeditation. The court determined that while the evidence established an unlawful killing, it was consistent with either an escalating f
• United States v. McRAE
  593 F.2d 700· 5th Cir.· 1979-04-23 ·cited 139×
  The court held that the jury instructions, while containing language similar to the Mann charge, did not impermissibly shift the burden of proof to the defendant. The court also found that prosecutorial remarks, though improper, did not constitute reversible error given the overw
• State v. Vazquez
  419 So. 2d 1088· Fla.· 1982-09-14 ·cited 137×
  The Florida Supreme Court reviewed a district court's decision to reverse convictions for second-degree murder and firearm offenses, finding that while severance of the firearm possession count was mandated due to prejudice from admitting a prior felony conviction, the district c
• J.R. Bryson v. City OF Waycross
  888 F.2d 1562· 11th Cir.· 1989-11-30 ·cited 136×·via Undue Prejudice
  The court held that a police officer's disruptive speech, even if concerning public matters, is not protected by the First Amendment when it significantly impairs governmental efficiency, and that denying a motion to amend a complaint to add an equal protection claim was not an a
• Johnson v. State
  969 So. 2d 938· Fla.· 2007-07-05 ·cited 133×
  Richard Allen Johnson was convicted of first-degree murder, kidnapping, and sexual battery with great force in the death of Tammy Hagin and sentenced to death. The Florida Supreme Court affirmed the convictions and death sentence after addressing claims regarding jury selection,
• McWATTERS v. State
  36 So. 3d 613· Fla.· 2010-03-18 ·cited 129×
  Eugene McWatters was convicted of three counts of first-degree murder and three counts of sexual battery arising from the 2004 strangulation murders of three women. He received death sentences for each murder. The Florida Supreme Court affirmed all convictions and sentences, find
• United States v. Long
  574 F.2d 761· 3d Cir.· 1978-03-06 ·cited 129×
  The admission of evidence of other crimes, even if potentially prejudicial, was not reversible error because the objection was not specific and the evidence of guilt was overwhelming.
• Burley Clifton Harryman v. Estelle
  616 F.2d 870· 5th Cir.· 1980-05-09 ·cited 122×·via Prejudicial Impact
  The court held that the majority applied the wrong standard of harmless error review, failing to consider whether the unconstitutionally admitted evidence contributed to the conviction.
• United States v. Gonzalez
  2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 68611· S.D. Fla.· 2010-06-10 ·cited 119×
  The court held that a federal district court judge's testimony in a perjury trial is inadmissible when its probative value is substantially outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice.
• United States v. Figueroa
  618 F.2d 934· 2d Cir.· 1980-02-26 ·cited 118×
  The dissenting judge would affirm the jury's verdict and the trial court's decisions regarding evidence admissibility and joint trial.
• Bozeman v. State
  698 So. 2d 629· Fla. 4th DCA· 1997-09-03 ·cited 116×
  Chester Bozeman appealed his convictions for battery on a police officer and resisting an officer with violence. The Fourth District Court of Appeal reversed because the trial court improperly admitted evidence of Bozeman's propensity for violence through testimony about the 'spe
• United States v. Masters
  622 F.2d 83· 4th Cir.· 1980-05-22 ·cited 114×
  The court held that statements made during negotiations for firearm sales, including discussions of other sales and the defendant's supply, were admissible under Federal Rule of Evidence 404(b) to complete the story of the crime and establish the defendant's status as a dealer.
• Chapman v. United States
  547 F.2d 1240· 5th Cir.· 1977-03-03 ·cited 113×·via Prejudicial Impact
  The court held that while the prosecution's eliciting of the defendant's post-arrest silence may have constituted a due process violation under intervening law, it was harmless error beyond a reasonable doubt given the overwhelming evidence of guilt and the implausibility of the
• Morton v. State
  689 So. 2d 259· Fla.· 1997-03-06 ·cited 112×·via Prejudicial Impact
  Alvin Morton was convicted of two murders and sentenced to death. The Florida Supreme Court affirmed the conviction but vacated the death sentence due to prosecutorial abuse in using prior inconsistent statements to impeach the State's own witnesses, particularly regarding the co
• LaMARCA v. State
  785 So. 2d 1209· Fla.· 2001-03-08 ·cited 111×
  Anthony LaMarca was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death for killing Kevin Flynn, his son-in-law. The Florida Supreme Court affirmed the conviction and death sentence, rejecting multiple challenges to the trial court's evidentiary rulings, denial of a judgment
• Leach v. State
  132 So. 2d 329· Fla.· 1961-06-16 ·cited 111×·via Undue Prejudice
  Appellants Leach and Smith were convicted of first-degree murder without a mercy recommendation for killing a cellmate in a maximum-security prison cell. The Florida Supreme Court affirmed the conviction, rejecting arguments regarding admission of photographs, voluntary confessio
• United States v. Narcisa Savinovich
  845 F.2d 834· 9th Cir.· 1988-04-26 ·cited 110×
  The court affirmed the convictions, holding that the admission of scales and firearms was not unfairly prejudicial and that the evidence was sufficient to support the convictions for possession with intent to distribute and attempted distribution.
• United States v. Bosch
  584 F.2d 1113· 1st Cir.· 1978-09-29 ·cited 109×
  The court held that the admission of prior convictions into evidence, due to counsel's ineffective assistance and the court's erroneous instructions, constituted reversible error. The court also affirmed that the 'reasonably competent assistance' standard is the appropriate measu
• United States v. Mohammad Reza Mehrmanesh
  689 F.2d 822· 9th Cir.· 1982-10-05 ·cited 108×
  The court held that the Speedy Trial Act sanctions for arrest-to-indictment delay do not apply because the defendant was arrested before the effective date of the sanctions, and that the admission of certain prior bad acts evidence was either admissible or harmless error.
• United States v. McDONALD
  576 F.2d 1350· 9th Cir.· 1978-05-04 ·cited 108×·via Prejudicial Impact
  The court held that the evidence was insufficient to sustain McDonald's convictions for mail fraud and interstate transportation of fraudulently obtained property, reversing his conviction. The convictions of the other appellants were affirmed.
• Wadada Delhall v. State
  95 So. 3d 134· Fla.· 2012-07-12 ·cited 105×·via Prejudicial Impact
  Wadada Delhall was convicted of first-degree murder for killing Hubert McCrae, the eyewitness to his brother's murder charge. The Florida Supreme Court affirmed his guilt-phase conviction but vacated his death sentence and remanded for a new penalty phase due to cumulative errors
• Furtado v. Bishop
  604 F.2d 80· 1st Cir.· 1979-07-26 ·cited 105×
  The court held that the admission of an attorney's affidavit under Federal Rule of Evidence 804(b)(5) was proper, despite issues with pretrial notice and the judge's reasoning, because sufficient indicia of trustworthiness existed and the defendants were not prejudiced.
• United States v. Peters
  791 F.2d 1270· 7th Cir.· 1986-05-20 ·cited 104×
  The court affirmed the convictions and sentences of the defendants, finding no reversible error in the trial court's rulings on search warrants, property seizure, standing, grand jury proceedings, or jury instructions.
• Butler v. State
  842 So. 2d 817· Fla.· 2003-04-03 ·cited 101×
  Harry Butler was convicted of first-degree murder in the stabbing and asphyxiation death of his former girlfriend Leslie Fleming and sentenced to death. The Florida Supreme Court affirmed his conviction and death sentence, rejecting claims regarding the admission of prior domesti
• United States v. Chalan
  812 F.2d 1302· 10th Cir.· 1987-03-03 ·cited 98×
  The court held that the trial court did not err in admitting the defendant's statements, but erred in imposing consecutive sentences for two violations of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c) and in excluding certain hearsay statements.
• United States v. Ring
  513 F.2d 1001· 6th Cir.· 1975-04-02 ·cited 98×·via Undue Prejudice
  The court held that evidence of prior threats was inadmissible to show criminal intent when intent is inferable from the act itself and the defendant has not asserted a defense of innocent state of mind.
• M. David Sims, M.D. v. Brown
  574 So. 2d 131· Fla.· 1991-01-18 ·cited 97×·via Prejudicial Impact
  The Florida Supreme Court reviewed a medical malpractice case involving a patient who suffered a stroke during gynecological surgery. The Court quashed the district court's reversal of jury verdicts for two defendants (Keedy and South Miami Hospital) while leaving intact the dist
• United States v. Graham Lee Kendall
  766 F.2d 1426· 10th Cir.· 1985-07-03 ·cited 96×
  The court held that sufficient evidence supported Kendall's conviction for conspiracy to possess marijuana with intent to distribute and for violating the Travel Act, and that the admission of prior bad acts evidence was proper.
• Floyd v. State
  913 So. 2d 564· Fla.· 2005-10-12 ·cited 94×
  Franklin Delano Floyd appeals his 1997 conviction for the 1989 first-degree murder of Cheryl Commesso and death sentence imposed in 2002. The Florida Supreme Court affirms the judgment, holding that sufficient evidence supported the conviction and that the death sentence was prop