Weddell v. State

Mar 27, 2001
1D99-2991
Reporters:
,
Before:
Barfield, Allen, Browning

Nancy A. Daniels, Public Defender, and Richard M. Summa, Assistant Public Defender, Tallahassee, for Appellant.

Robert A. Butterworth, Attorney General, and ‍‌​‌​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​‍Thomas H. Duffy, Assistant Attorney General, Tallahassee, for Appellee.

BARFIELD, C.J.

We affirm Weddell‘s conviction but certify to the Supreme Court of Florida as a matter of great public ‍‌​‌​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​‍importance the following question:

IS THE FLORIDA STANDARD JURY INSTRUCTION ON “POSSESSION OF PROPERTY RECENTLY STOLEN” AN IMPERMISSIBLE COMMENT ON THE EVIDENCE?

Paraphrasing the opinion in Fenelon v. State, 594 So.2d ‍‌​‌​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​‍292, 294 (Fla.1992), we can think of no valid policy reason why a trial judge should be permitted to comment on evidence of possession of recently stolen ‍‌​‌​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​‍property as opposed to any other evidence adduced at trial.

ALLEN and BROWNING, JJ., concur.