Whitfield v. State

Benjamin Whitfield appeals his conviction and sentence for manslaughter and aggravated child abuse, raising four issues. We affirm and write only to address an issue of first impression, regarding the trial court’s application of section 90.706, Florida Statutes (2001), to prevent the defense from cross-examining the state’s medical witnesses using an article published in a medical journal.

Whitfield was charged with first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse of four-year-old Kwantrelle Greene, who died as a result of a massive subdural hemato-ma on the right side of his brain sustained…