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436 So. 2d 434

Docket No. 82-1898.

Fussell v. State

Donnie FUSSELL, Appellant, v. The STATE of Florida, Appellee.

District Court of Appeal of Florida

Decided August 30, 1983.

District Court of Appeal of Florida · decided 1983-08-30

Cited by 1 later decisions — most recently December 1983

1 state decisions

Relies on Ivory v. State · 358 So. 2d 1137 - Smith v. State

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1983-08-30

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¶1*435 Bennett H. Brummer, Public Defender, and Kathleen G. Gallagher, Asst. Public Defender, for appellant.

¶2Jim Smith, Atty. Gen., and Penny Hershoff Brill, Asst. Atty. Gen., for appellee.

¶3Before SCHWARTZ, C.J., and NESBITT and BASKIN, JJ.

¶4PER CURIAM.

¶5During voir dire examination, the prosecutor asked a prospective juror, "Does it bother you that a 14 year old girl is going to be the victim in this case, it is going to be her word against his word?" While the question generally represented the projected evidence in the case, (which consisted of the victim's testimony pitted against that of the defendant's admissible confession) the question nonetheless constituted a comment upon the defendant's failure to testify in his own behalf. Smith v. State,358 So.2d 1137 (Fla. 3d DCA), dismissed,364 So.2d 892 (Fla. 1978).

¶6For this reason, the defendant's conviction of attempted sexual battery is reversed and remanded for a new trial.

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