Are Autopsy Photographs Admissible In Court ?

The Supreme Court of Florida has upheld the admission of photographs when they are offered to explain a medical examiner's testimony, the manner of death, the location of the wounds, or to demonstrate the heinous, atrocious, or cruel (HAC) factor. In England v. State, 940 So. 2d 389, 399 (Fla. 2006), this Court held that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in permitting a medical examiner to testify using autopsy photographs depicting "the victim's head, torso, and hands in a moderately decomposed state with extensive discoloration, skin sloughing off, and insect larvae on the wounds." The Supreme Court of Florida held that the photographs were relevant to establish the manner and cause of death and the HAC aggravator. Id.