midpage

Pino v. StatePino v. State

District Court of Appeal of Florida
Feb 7, 2001
No. 3D99-3015
Reporters:
, ,
Before:
Goderich
PER CURIAM.

The defendant, Alberto Lazaro Pino, appeals from his conviction for vehicular homicide. We affirm.

During closing ‍‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‍argument, the prosecutor stated that the defendant was a “liar,” that the defendant had told “lies,” and that the defendant had “lied.” The defendant contends that these arguments were improper. We disagree. ‍‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‍In Murphy v. International Robotic Sys., Inc., 766 So.2d 1010, 1028-29 (Fla.2000), the Florida Supreme Court held:

it is not improper for counsel to state during closing argument that a witness “lied” or is a ‍‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‍“liar,” provided such characterizations are supported by the record. If the evidence supports such a characterization, counsel is not imper-missibly stating a personal opinion about the credibility of a witness, but ‍‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‍is instead submitting to the jury a conclusion that reasonably may be drawn from the evidence.

(citations and footnote omitted). After carefully reviewing the record, we find that prosecutor’s characterizations of the defendant ‍‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‍are supported by the record.

The remaining contention raised by the defendant lacks merit. Accordingly, we affirm.

Affirmed.

Case Details

Case Name: Pino v. State
Court Name: District Court of Appeal of Florida
Date Published: Feb 7, 2001
Citations: 776 So. 2d 1081; 2001 WL 98693; 2001 Fla. App. LEXIS 1085; No. 3D99-3015
Docket Number: No. 3D99-3015
Court Abbreviation: Fla. Dist. Ct. App.
Log In