Shakel Devon McClain v. State of Florida

FIRST D ISTRICT COURT OF APPEAL
S TATE OF FLORIDA
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No. 1D2024-1097
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S HAKEL DEVON M CC LAIN ,
Appellant,
v.
STATE OF FLORIDA ,
Appellee.
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On appeal from the Circuit Court for Leon County.
William Gary, Judge.
April 22, 2026
P ER C URIAM.
Shakel Devon McClain was convicted after trial of attempted
first-degree murder, carjacking with a deadly weapon, and fleeing
or 	attempting 	to 	elude 	a 	law 	enforcement 	officer. 	On 	appeal
McClain claims that the court erred in permitting the State to
introduce text messages to his girlfriend in the days leading to the
crimes, because the messages impermissibly showed an improper
character trait with which McClain acted in conformity, as any
feelings McClain had in days prior to the crime were not probative
of a material fact at issue. We find that any error in admitting the
messages was harmless beyond a reasonable doubt. See Blackwood

2
v. State, 777 So. 2d 399, 408 (Fla. 2000) (holding that, to the extent
the court erred in allowing introduction of statements of the
defendant, “the error appears to be harmless because there is no
possibility that it contributed to the outcome of the proceedings,”
citing State v. DiGuilio, 491 So. 2d 1129 (Fla. 1986)).
A FFIRMED.
R AY , W INOKUR , and M.K. THOMAS, JJ., concur.
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Not 	final 	until 	disposition 	of 	any 	timely 	and
authorized motion under Fla. R. App. P. 9.330 or
9.331.
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Jessica J. Yeary, Public Defender, and Kathleen Pafford, Assistant
Public Defender, Tallahassee, for Appellant.
James Uthmeier, Attorney General, and David Welch, Assistant
Attorney General, Tallahassee, for Appellee.