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NOT FINALUNTILTIME FORFILINGMOTIONFORREHEARINGEXPIRES.OR,FFILED,DISPOSEDOF.CAR.LOSMILLER,Appellant,STATEOFFLORIDA,Appellee.INTHECIR,CUTT OURTOF TffEELEVENTHJUDICIALCIR.CUITIAWFORMIAMI-DADE COUNTY,FLORDA
APPELLATEDIVISIONCASENO.OE-326PlnwerTribunal CaseNo. M07l 0544OPINION
opinionfiled:3ltbfol
An appeal romaFinalJudgmentythe CountyCourtof Miami-badeCounty,Florida.CarlosMiller,prose,Appellant.KatherineFernandez undle,StateAttorney,aqd gnacioJ.Yazquez,r.,AssistantStateAttomey forAppellee.BeforePLATZER.,SCOLAandFREEMAN,JJ.PER CURIAM.Carlos Miller, AppellantandDefendant elow,appeals isconvictionand sentenceorResistingArrestand Obstruction fa Public Street. Findingerrornboththeconvictionandsentence, e reverse.Miller, aphotojournalist,asarrestedollowinganencounterbetweenimselfandive Cityof Miamipoliceofficers. Theofficerswere nvestigatingnaccident n a heavilyraveledoadway.Millerwasattemptingophotographhemdoingso. The oflicers nstructedMiller toeave heareaand an argumentensued.At onepoint,while being movedrom theroadwayMiller snapped
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photographt closeange,withthe lashengaged,f theofficer.Millerwassubsequentlyrestedandchargedwithmultiplecriminalandcivilinfractions.Atthe rial,Millertestifiednhisown defense.Duringcross-examination,heCourtallowedtheState,overobjection,oquestionMiller about he contentsf ablogcreated y him severalmonthsafterhencident.n theblog, Millerquestionedoliceacticsacrosshe country. In somepostings,fficerswereeferredo as Gestapo"r"Nazis".Additionally,heStatewaspermittedoquestionMillerconcerningnarticlehe wroteover ayearafterhisarrestn which heexpressednegativeopinionsabouthepoliceanddiscussedolicebrutality nLosAngeles.Atclosing,he State rgued:...(I)insomewayor anotherwe're all studentsf history.When heNazisand heirGestapoutsomeone'seadotheground,tdidn'tlooklikethis. Itdid not. Butthat's hewayMr. Millerashesaidnhisownunvarnishedpinion eelsabout hepolice.Andthat's hestorythathe's writingaboutthepolice,andthat'sthestorythatyou'r€goingohearabout hepoliceon carlosmiller.com...TheStateargueshathequestionserepermissibles mpeachmento showbiasagainstpoliceofftcers.Courtshaveongallowedwitnessias o beexploredhroughcollateralevidence.Forexample,nTanziv.State,964So.2d 106,115(Fla.2007),theStatewaspermittedo impeachtheestimonyof a witnessy raisingactscommittednaseparateenue.No areas moredeservingof'widelatitude'han hedefendant'sbility n a criminalcaseoarguehecredibilityandbiases fthewitnesseshotestifiedttrial.'Williams . State,912o.2d66,68(Fla.4thDCA 2005)(quotingGoodrichv. State,54So.2d 663665(Fla.3dDCA2003).Seelso Carlylev.State,945So.2d540(Fla.}ilDCA2006)(adefendantas he absoluteighttofullycross-examinedversewitnesseso discredithembyshowingias,prejudice,r nterest);Graves.State,937 o.2d 1286(Fla.4thDCA2006)acriminaldefendant asconsiderableatitudencrossexaminationoelicittestimonyhowinghebiasof a witness);Minusv.State,901 o.2d344Fla.4thDCA 2005)for
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thepurposeofdiscreditingwitness, he Sixth Amendmentllowsa defendant widerangeofcross-examinationsa matterofright in regard o hismotives,nterest,r animus.)However,venhis ight s notwithout imits. SeeNelsonv. tate,704 o.2d752Fla.5thDCA1998)biasonpartofprosecutionitnesssvalidpointofinquiry ncross-examination,utprospectfbias doesnot opendoor o everyquestionhatmightpossiblyevelop ubject;videnceofbiasmaybenadmissiblef it unfairlyprejudicesrmisleadshe rier offact).Moreover,we find amaterialdistinctionbetween ttacking witnessbycollateralattackanddoingso to adefendant.Expertwitnesses an bereplacedndact witnessesmay be discreditedwithoutimpugningthedefendant.Further,uriescannotpunishwitnesses hernselvesor theircollateralwrongs,ut maybe ed o do sowhen hecollateral rongs committed ythedefendant.nsum,ntroductionfa defendant'sollateral ctprofoundlyncreaseshe isk hat hecollateralctwillgrosslyovershadowhateverias twas ntendedoprove.Thestandardfreviewofatrial court'sevidentiaryrulingss abuse fdiscretion..iupatrickv. State,900So.2d495.514-15F1a.2005\.he rial court'siscretions limited,however, ytherulesofevidence,Johnston.863o.Zd t278.andbytheprinciplesfstaredecisis. ection0.402.Florida Statutes2005)provideshatall relevant vidences admissiblexceptasprovidedby law.However, elevantvidencesnadmissiblef itsprobativealues substantially utweighedythedanger funfairprejudice.Thecourtmtrstconduct balancingest n order o applyhis discretion.Despitebareattemptsolink Miller'scommentso testimonial ias, heStateplacedCarlosMiller's abstractedommentsntrial.Miller'scomments,dmitted or the limitedpurposefimpeachment,ltimatelybecamevidencefhisguilt."[S]uchauseofimpeachmentestimonyhasbeenheld obereversiblerror."Merrillv.State,228So.2d 305,307 Fla.3dDCA1969)citingAdams.State,15So.905,908Fla.894);Whorely.State,33 o.E49Fla.1903);Hernandez.state,22 So.2d 781,786Fla.1945)).
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