Killian v. State
| Decision Date | 24 March 1999 |
| Docket Number | No. 98-01162.,98-01162. |
| Citation | 730 So.2d 360 |
| Parties | Jack KILLIAN, Appellant, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee. |
| Court | Florida District Court of Appeals |
Elliott C. Metcalfe, Jr., Public Defender, and Peter B. Belmont, Assistant Public Defender, Bradenton, for Appellant.
Robert A. Butterworth, Attorney General, Tallahassee, and Patricia E. Davenport, Assistant Attorney General, Tampa, for Appellee.
Jack Killian appeals his convictions and sentences for two counts of capital sexual battery,1 one count of handling and fondling a child,2 and one count of use of a child in a sexual performance.3 We reverse because the State introduced five "dirty" books possessed by Mr. Killian that were unconnected to the alleged offenses.
Mr. Killian is the uncle of the alleged victim, a nine-year-old girl. She testified that when she was alone with him at his home, he took two self-developing photographs of her in the nude and placed them in a drawer in his garage next to a "nasty" magazine that pictured two naked men and a naked woman on the cover. She also claimed that on several occasions he touched her genital area on the outside of her clothing. Finally, she testified that he kissed her vagina while they were in his swimming pool and that he forced her to place her mouth on his penis. There were no witnesses to these events. The State presented no physical evidence of any sexual contact. Thus, the State's case relied primarily upon the credibility of a young witness whose testimony was not entirely consistent.
When the child first reported this incident several months after the events, the State obtained a search warrant and searched Mr. Killian's home. The officers did not find the nude photographs or the magazine. They did find two cameras that could have been used to take the photographs. In an undisclosed location, the officers found five paperback books. The books are entitled: Teens for Older Men, Satisfaction Through Incest, Making Great-Grand-Daughters, As Young As They Cum, and Incest Is Best. Although the books' covers have drawings or photographs depicting sexual activity, none of the pictures is similar to the magazine cover described by the victim. These books were inexpensively published and apparently contain no photographs. These books are not directly related in any fashion to the nude photographs nor are they directly involved in any of the alleged activities with Mr. Killian's young niece. Although they certainly are not quality literature, these books are not illegal pornography and their possession is protected by the First Amendment.
When the State indicated its intention to introduce these books into evidence, Mr. Killian's attorneys filed a motion in limine to exclude the books. The trial court denied the motion because it concluded that the titles were somehow relevant to prove the alleged conduct between the older man and his niece. At trial the books were identified by a detective who was the State's first witness. He testified that the books were found somewhere in the residence during the search, which occurred several months after the alleged incidents. He did not know the exact location of the books. Over objection, the court later introduced the books into evidence. The court, however, taped the books closed so that the jury was allowed to judge the books only by their covers.4
In his initial closing argument, over objection, the prosecutor stated:
At the close of the State's rebuttal, the prosecutor argued:
If the kid says these things happened, then they must have happened. Judge him by [the child's] statements. Judge his intent by the books, As Young As They Cum. [Objection made and overruled at this point]. As Young As They Cum. I won't go through them all, they'll be available for you to look at, you've heard it and you'll see them again. Judge it by a man who preyed upon a nine-year-old girl.
The arguments concerning the admissibility of these books and the...
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Killian v. State, 2D99-2991.
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