Case Name: STATE of Florida, Petitioner, v. James L. SMITH, Respondent
Court: Florida Supreme Court
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 1986-07-17
Citations: 491 So. 2d 1140
Docket Number: No. 67039
Parties: STATE of Florida, Petitioner, v. James L. SMITH, Respondent.
Judges: BOYD, OVERTON and SHAW, JJ., concur.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 491
Pages: 1140–1141

Head Matter:
STATE of Florida, Petitioner, v. James L. SMITH, Respondent.
No. 67039.
Supreme Court of Florida.
July 17, 1986.
Jim Smith, Atty. Gen., and Joan Fowler Rossin, Asst. Atty. Gen., West Palm Beach, for petitioner.
Richard L. Jorandby, Public Defender and Tatjana Ostapoff, Asst. Public Defender, Fifteenth Judicial Circuit, West Palm Beach, for respondent.

Opinion:
McDONALD, Chief Justice.
The following question has been certified as being of great public importance:
May the harmless error rule be applied in a case involving an impermissible comment on the defendant's right to remain silent?
Smith v. State, 467 So.2d 501, 501 (Fla. 4th DCA 1985). We have jurisdiction pursuant to article V, section 3(b)(4), Florida Constitution. In State v. DiGuilio, 491 So.2d 1129 (Fla.1986), we answered virtually the identical question in the affirmative. We therefore quash the instant decision and remand to the district court for reconsideration in light of DiGuilio.
It is so ordered.
BOYD, OVERTON and SHAW, JJ., concur.
ADKINS and EHRLICH, JJ., dissent.