Siegel v. State

Appellant, Steven Mark Siegel, appeals' his conviction for attempting to seduce a minor over the internet in violation of section 847.0185(3), Florida Statutes (2002). We reverse, because the trial court erred in disallowing Siegel’s peremptory challenge to two female jurors when defense counsel provided a genuine, gender-neutral reason for each challenge. In addition, the court erred in permitting the state to cross-examine Siegel regarding his prior counsel’s defense of him in another case, as Siegel did not “open the door” to this irrelevant evidence. Finally, we reject Siegel’s claim that…