Thanks for visiting! Welcome to a new way to research case law. You are viewing a free summary from Descrybe.ai. For citation and good law / bad law checking, legal issue analysis, and other advanced tools, explore our Legal Research Toolkit — not free, but close.
Samuel Allen Jackson v. State of Florida
Citations: 212 So. 3d 505; 2017 WL 836933; 2017 Fla. App. LEXIS 2895Docket: 16-0144
Court: District Court of Appeal of Florida; March 1, 2017; Florida; State Appellate Court
Original Court Document: View Document
Samuel Allen Jackson appeals his conviction and sentence for aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, asserting that the trial court erred by admitting a photograph of the victim’s injuries. The court affirms the decision, stating that the photograph was relevant to demonstrate Jackson's use of a knife in a manner that qualified it as a deadly weapon. The victim sustained stab wounds to his back and chest, and the photograph showed him in a hospital bed, which provided context regarding the location of the wounds, particularly their proximity to the heart. The court references case law establishing that photographic evidence of injuries can be relevant in aggravated battery cases to corroborate that a battery occurred and to establish the nature of the weapon used. The court found that the photograph was not overly graphic or shocking, as it did not depict excessive blood and showed the victim with his wounds covered by gauze. Additionally, the jury was instructed to avoid bias or sympathy in their deliberations. Ultimately, the court concludes that the relevance of the photograph was not outweighed by any potential for undue prejudice, affirming Jackson's judgment and sentence. Judges Lewis and Kelsey concur with the decision.