JOHN PHILLIP BAULDREE, APPELLANT,
v.
STATE OF FLORIDA, APPELLEE (TWO CASES)
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The Florida Supreme Court reviewed two consolidated first-degree murder convictions and death sentences imposed on John Phillip Bauldree. Following Furman v. Georgia, the court's prior decision in Anderson v. State had already reduced his sentence to life imprisonment. The court affirmed the convictions, rejecting challenges to the admissibility of crime scene photographs and the sufficiency of evidence.
The court held that gruesome and inflammatory photographs are admissible if relevant to any issue in the case, with relevancy determined under normal standards without special consideration for the photographs' inflammatory nature. The court also found sufficient evidence supported the murder convictions and affirmed both convictions as previously modified by sentence reduction.
[1] Photographs of a crime scene are admissible into evidence if they are relevant to any issue required to be proven in the case, with relevancy determined in the normal man…
[2] The admissibility of allegedly gruesome photographs is not determined by a "necessity" test, but rather by whether the photographs are relevant to a vital issue in the ca…
Previewing 2 of 4 headnotes on this case. FLexlaw’s editorially structured points of law — every proposition, pinpointed — are reserved for members.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligence“Thus, the current position of this Court is that allegedly gruesome and inflammatory photographs are admissible into evidence if relevant to any issue required to be proven in a case. Relevancy is to be determined in the normal manner, that is, without regard to any special characterization of the proffered evidence.”
Establishes the controlling test for admission of crime scene photographs—relevancy under normal standards, rejecting a special 'necessity' test.
Previewing 1 of 3 key quotes on this case — the court’s exact language, pinpointed for members.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceBauldree was convicted of murdering his wife and her father. Six color photographs of the victims' bodies were admitted at trial, depicting them in th…
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PER CURIAM.
This consolidated cause is before us to review by writ of habeas corpus two convictions of murder in the first degree without recommendation of mercy and sentence of death imposed by the Circuit Court in and for Orange County. Subsequent to the defendant’s convictions under authority of Furman v. Georgia, 408 U.S. 238, 92 S.Ct. 2726, 33 L.Ed.2d 346 (1972), this Court in Anderson v. State, 267 So. 2d 8 (Fla.1972), reduced the defendant’s sentence from death to life imprisonment. We dispense with oral argument as unnecessary. See F.A.R., Rule 3.10(e), 32 F.S.A. We now consider the defendant’s grounds urged for reversal.
The defendant’s first point concerns the admissibility into evidence of allegedly gruesome and inflammatory photographs. The photographs in question consist of six color photographs of the defendant’s slain wife and her slain father in the room where their .bodies were found.
In one photograph, one of the bodies had been slightly moved. The defendant argues that under authority of 13 Fla. Jur., Evidence, § 296, such photographs taken after the body has been moved should be held inadmissible. The defendant’s argument is without merit, for the only photograph in which the bodies were moved is Exhibit number nine, the only photograph the defendant recognizes as admissible.
As to the remaining photographs, defendant asserts that the test to be utilized to determine their admissibility is the “necessity” test which was established in Albritton v. State, 221 So. 2d 192 (Fla.App.2d, 1969). The Albritton test was stated as follows:
“We think the sound and logical rule for admissibility is that if the pictorial evidence is not so inflammatory or gruesome as reasonably to 'prejudice the minds of the jury, the evidence is admissible provided it is relevant to any issue. But if such exhibit is so inflammatory and repulsive as would reasonably produce a prejudicial and exceedingly harmful effect on an otherwise impartial mind, it would not be admissible unless it would throw light upon a vital issue in the case and resolve, or reasonably tend to resolve, a conflict in evidence upon such vital issue.” 1
This Court, however, has announced a different view. In State v. Wright, 265 So. 2d 361 (Fla.1972), we commented on and stated the proper test as follows:
“ . . . Appellant interprets the Young case [Young v. State, 234 So. 2d 341 (Fla.1970) ] as holding that ‘necessity’ rather than ‘relevancy’ is the test for admissibility of gruesome photographs. ‘Necessity’ may be a consideration where, as in Young, large numbers of cumulative photographs of a gruesome nature taken away from the scene of the crime, are offered into evidence. But relevancy remains the basic test, as stated in Young: [5.Id. at 347]
‘The fact that the photographs are offensive to our senses and might tend to inflame the jury is insufficient by itself to constitute reversible error, but the admission of such photographs, particularly in large numbers must have same [sic] relevancy, either independently or as corroborative of other evidence.’
“Thus, the current position of this Court is that allegedly gruesome and inflammatory photographs are admissible into evidence if relevant to any issue required to be proven in a case. Relevancy is to be determined in the normal manner, that is, without regard to any special characterization of the proffered evidence. Under this conception, the issues of ‘whether cumulative’, or ‘whether photographed away from the scene,’ are routine issues basic to a determination of relevancy, and not issues arising from any ‘exceptional nature’ of the proffered evidence.” 2
Applying this test of admissibility to this cause, we hold that the photographs in question were relevant and that no error was committed in admitting them into evidence.
The defendant’s second and final point is that the evidence before the jury was insufficient to sustain a verdict of murder in the first degree. Upon careful considera tion of the record and briefs, we find no reversible error. Accordingly, the convictions, as previously modified by reduction of sentence, are affirmed.
It is so ordered.
CARLTON, C. J., and ROBERTS, ERVIN, McCAIN and DEKLE, JJ., concur. . 221 So. 2d at 197.
. 266 So. 2d at 362.
Cases With Similar Vibessemantic neighbors from the corpus
Citator
Cited By (23 total)
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Straight v. State, 397 So. 2d 903 (Fla. 1981)…from the river after twenty days. The pictures showed the wounds inflicted on the deceased and were quite gruesome because of decomposition. The basic test of admissibility of photographs, however, is not necessity, but relevance. Bauldree v. State, 284 So. 2d 196 (Fla.1973). Photographs can be relevant to a material issue either independently or by corroborating other evidence. State v. Wright, 265 So. 2d 361 (Fla.1972). Relevancy is to be determined in the normal manner, that is, without regard to any spec…
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Bush v. State, 461 So. 2d 936 (Fla. 1984)…s relevancy and not necessity. Photographs are admissible where they assist the medical examiner in explaining to the jury the nature and manner in which the wounds were inflicted. Welty v. State, 402 So. 2d 1159, 1163 (Fla.1981); Bauldree v. State, 284 So. 2d 196, 197 (Fla.1973). In the instant case, exhibit twenty-one was used in order to assist the medical examiner in explaining the external examination of the victim. This exhibit was clearly admissible as an aid in illustrating to the jury what the examin…
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Welty v. State, 402 So. 2d 1159 (Fla. 1981)…l why these photographs would be relevant and of extreme value to him in explaining the injuries of the deceased to the jury. The test of admissibility of these photographs is relevancy to an issue required to be proven in a case. Bauldree v. State, 284 So. 2d 196 (Fla.1973); Young v. State, 234 So. 2d 341 (Fla.1970). Applying this test of admissibility, we find the photographs were relevant. They assisted the medical examiner in explaining to the jury the nature and manner in which the wounds were inflicted…
Previewing 3 of 23 citing cases — full citator treatment, depth of discussion, and citing context are member features.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceAuthorities Cited
- Furman v. Georgia, 408 U.S. 238 (U.S. 1972)
- Earnest Eugene Anderson v. State, 267 So. 2d 8 (Fla. 1972)
- Young v. State, 234 So. 2d 341 (Fla. 1970)
- State v. Wright, 265 So. 2d 361 (Fla. 1972)
- Albritton v. State, 221 So. 2d 192 (Fla. 2d DCA 1969)