Barthel v. State

163 So. 3d 1224, 2015 Fla. App. LEXIS 7241, 2015 WL 2261467

Opinion

NORTHCUTT, Judge.

Lolita Barthel was convicted of first-degree murder and other crimes in Hills-borough County Circuit Court case number 95-011397. She was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder conviction and for her convictions for armed burglary of a dwelling with battery and armed robbery. Barthel sought resentencing under Miller v. Alabama, — U.S. -, 132 S.Ct. 2455, 183 L.Ed.2d 407 (2012). The court denied her motion, opining that Miller did not apply retroactively to cases that were final before it was decided.

The Florida Supreme Court has now determined that Miller indeed does apply to convictions and sentences that were final before it issued. Falcon v. State, 162 So.3d 954 (Fla.2015); see also Toye v. State, 133 So.3d 540 (Fla. 2d DCA 2014). Therefore, we reverse the circuit court’s order and we remand with directions that it conduct a resentencing proceeding for Barthel’s homicide conviction, applying the principles of chapter 2014-220, Laws of Florida. See Horsley v. State, 160 So.3d 393 (Fla.2015).

The circuit court’s ruling addressed only Barthel’s sentence for the homicide conviction. As we noted above, she was also sentenced to life imprisonment for other crimes in the same case. She asks us to order resentencing proceedings for those convictions as well, relying on Graham v. Florida, 560 U.S. 48, 130 S.Ct. 2011, 176 L.Ed.2d 825 (2010). But we must decline that request because we find no record indication that she moved for resentencing under Graham. However, on remand Barthel is free to file a motion seeking Graham resentencing for her nonhomicide life sentences. We offer no opinion on the merits of such a motion.

Reversed and remanded with directions.

SILBERMAN and MORRIS, JJ„ Concur.