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Spousal Privilege - Will I have to testify?
July 2nd, 2016
Spousal Privilege
Does the Spousal Privilege apply in the case of the Orlando Pulse shooter? Can the police get the wife's testimony of what she knew of the shooting? Maybe. It depends on whether or not those communications she made with her husband were meant to be confidential. We often get this question from victims of domestic violence. They may not want to testify against their husbands in a criminal trial. They want to claim Spousal Privilege against their testimony. Sometimes they are even willing to marry, after the crime, to make sure the spousal privilege will apply. This right is embodied in the Florida Rules of Evidence under Florida Statute section 90.504. But in order to use the privilege in a pending case, certain criteria need to be satisfied.- The communication must have occurred during or after the marital relationship. (Marrying after the event won't work)
- The communication must have been made with an intent to be confidential.
- If it applies, one spouse may prevent the other from disclosing the confidential communication
- The privilege can't be claimed in Florida for all communications during the marriage and the State can compel the wife or husband to testify about non-confidential facts
- The privilege does not apply when one spouse sues another (like in a divorce)
- The privilege does not apply when one spouse is charged with a crime against the other (or their child)