Title: Oscar Ray Bolin v. State of Florida

State: florida

Issuer: Florida Supreme Court

Document:

Supreme 
Court 
of 
Florida
 
____________
No. SC95774
____________
OSCAR RAY BOLIN,
Appellant,
vs.
STATE OF FLORIDA,
Appellee.
[August 30, 2001]
PER CURIAM.
We have on appeal a judgment of conviction of first-degree murder and a
sentence of death.  We have jurisdiction.  See art. V, § 3(b)(1), Fla. Const.  In
accord with our decision in Bolin v. State, 26 Fla. L. Weekly S511 (Fla. July 13,
2001) (“Bolin I”), we reverse Bolin’s convictions and sentences and order a new
trial.  
Bolin was charged with the robbery, kidnaping, and murder of Natalie
Blanche Holley.  While awaiting his trial, Bolin attempted to commit suicide and
wrote a letter to Captain Terry, who was investigating the charged crimes.  As in
1.  Due to our resolution of this issue, we do not address the other issues
raised on appeal.
-2-
Bolin I, the trial court erroneously held that Bolin had waived his spousal privilege
in the suicide letter and improperly admitted evidence at the trial which was
protected by the spousal privilege.  The jury convicted him of armed robbery,
kidnaping, and first-degree murder.
For the reasons expressed in Bolin I, we do not find competent, substantial
evidence to support the trial court’s decision that Bolin made a voluntary waiver
through the letter.  As in Bolin I, the State’s case against Bolin revolved around
privileged statements that Bolin made to his wife; this error cannot be considered to
be harmless.1  Therefore, we reverse Bolin’s convictions and sentences and remand
for a new trial.
It is so ordered.
WELLS, C.J., and SHAW, HARDING, ANSTEAD, PARIENTE, and LEWIS,
JJ., concur.
QUINCE, J., recused.
NOT FINAL UNTIL TIME EXPIRES TO FILE REHEARING MOTION, AND
IF FILED, DETERMINED.
An Appeal from the Circuit Court in and for Hillsborough County,
-3-
J. Rogers Padgett, Judge - Case No. 90-11832
James Marion Moorman, Public Defender, and Douglas S. Connor, Assistant Public
Defender, Tenth Judicial Circuit, Bartow, Florida,
for Appellant
Robert A. Butterworth, Attorney General, and Candance M. Sabella, Assistant
Attorney General, Tampa, Florida,
for Appellee