Latest news with #juryselection
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Yahoo
Judge in Donna Adelson murder trial defers ruling on change of venue but signals reticence
The judge presiding over the trial of Donna Adelson opted not to grant a defense motion to move the proceeding from Tallahassee, where all the defendants in the Dan Markel murder-for-hire have been tried, to Miami. However, Leon Circuit Judge Stephen Everett didn't deny the request outright either. In an order issued July 9, Everett said it was too soon to consider the request and that the defense can raise the issue again when jury selection starts next month. Everett did signal his reticence to move the trial, saying it would discard what the courts have called a "firmly embedded principle" that defendants be tried in the community where the crime occurred. "Moving jury selection from Leon County, based on the current record before the court, would reject the capability of all prospective jurors to set aside any preconceived opinions and assure that their verdict will be based solely on the evidence presented," Everett wrote in his seven-page order. Adelson's lawyers, Jackie Fulford and Josh Zelman, filed a motion in January seeking a change in venue. They wrote that pretrial publicity was 'so inflammatory, emotional and pervasive' that the local jury pool was tainted. In June, Everett presided over a lengthy hearing on the motion, which included testimony from a defense expert who said the average jury-age person had been exposed to the story so often they could retain information about it for the rest of their lives. 'Seating a fair and impartial jury in this venue is going to be impossible,' Zelman told Everett at the time. Assistant State Attorney Georgia Cappleman acknowledged that the case had received heavy media attention. But she said there was no evidence to show that the 'entire citizenry' of Leon County was incapable of giving Adelson a fair trial. Markel was fatally shot in the garage of his Betton Hills home on July 18, 2014. At the time, he was feuding in court with his ex-wife, Wendi Adelson, the mother of their two sons and the defendant's daughter. Four others have been convicted in the murder conspiracy, including Charlie Adelson, Donna Adelson's youngest son. The lawyers for Donna Adelson said they originally intended to raise the venue issue during trial but were forced to bring it up sooner after a sealed transcript was inadvertently posted online of a closed-door hearing about Rob Adelson, the defendant's oldest son. The transcript indicated Rob Adelson, a witness for the prosecution, had strong feelings about whether his mom was guilty. The defense labeled a Democrat news article about the leaked transcript as Exhibit A. Contact Jeff Burlew at jburlew@ or 850-599-2180. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Judge in Donna Adelson murder trial defers ruling on change of venue
Fox News
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Alabama violated constitutional rights of man sentenced to death, court rules
A federal appeals court ruled that Alabama prosecutors violated the constitutional rights of a Black man who was sentenced to death in 1990, noting that Black people were rejected from the jury during his trial. Michael Sockwell, 62, is now eligible for a retrial after ruling on Monday by a three-judge panel on the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. He was convicted of killing former Montgomery County Sheriff Isaiah Harris in 1988 when he was 26-years-old. In a 2-1 opinion, the panel ruled that Alabama prosecutors violated Sockwell's 14th Amendment rights by "repeatedly and purposefully" rejecting potential Black jurors who were believed to be more sympathetic since they shared the same race. Prosecutors argued that Harris' wife hired Sockwell to kill Harris because she wanted to cover up an affair she was having and collect her husband's insurance money. There were no witnesses to the shooting and Sockwell initially told officials in a videotaped confession that he killed Harris. During his trial, Sockwell testified that officers threatened to beat and kill him before his confession and that they deprived him of food and water. Sockwell then testified that the man who was having an affair with Harris' wife killed the former sheriff. Sockwell also denied ever receiving money to kill Harris. Attorneys for Sockwell say he has a low IQ that disqualifies him from the death penalty. The jury voted 7-5 to sentence Sockwell to life in prison, but the judge overruled the decision and sentenced him to death. Alabama no longer allows a judge to override a jury's sentence in capital cases. Sockwell's attorneys appealed the decision, arguing that the prosecutors unconstitutionally used race as the basis for jury selection and rejected 80% of the potential Black jurors who were eligible for his trial, compared to only 20% of White jurors who were rejected. The appeal pointed to notes from the prosecutor that rejected one juror who she described as "a Black male, approximately twenty-three years of age, which would put him very close to the same race, sex, and age of" Sockwell. Judge Robert J. Luck, an appointee of President Donald Trump, dissented, arguing that the prosecutor noted the race of potential White jurors too, which the judge said indicated race was not a disqualifying factor for jurors in Sockwell's case. The opinion written by Judge Charles Wilson, an appointee of former President Bill Clinton, also cited four other cases in the years leading up to Sockwell's case, in which the state prosecutor appeared to have illegally rejected Black jurors based solely on their race, demonstrating a "pattern" of choosing juries with "discriminatory intent." Luck pushed back on the claim that the prosecutor had a pattern of discrimination, saying 17% of the jury in Sockwell's trial was Black out of a jury pool that was 24% Black to begin with.
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Yahoo
New jury trial set for Kamas mother charged with killing her husband
A request for an appeal in Kouri Richins' case has caused a 10-month delay in her case. New jury trial dates were scheduled in a virtual hearing on Friday, with jury selection beginning on Feb. 10, 2026, and the trial beginning two weeks later on Feb. 23. Her April trial was delayed when her attorneys said they wished to appeal a decision to only allow jurors from Summit County, as the court declined Richins' request to also have jurors from Salt Lake County. Richins is a mother and real estate agent who is charged with murdering her husband and attempting to murder him a month earlier. She was charged over a year after his death. With the new trial, her attorneys asked for more time to select a jury — since now it will come from only residents of Summit County — and for the trial itself to be one week longer than initially planned because of the length of the witness list. Kathy Nester said Richins may testify, and if she does, it would be 'very lengthy.' Other witnesses will also need a lot of time, in addition to video and audio tapes, Nester said. In Friday's hearing, 3rd District Judge Richard Mrazik also set dates for additional hearings before the trial and asked attorneys to work together to decide when certain documents will be filed in order to have everything ready for the trial. There are currently four motions ready for oral argument and a decision, including requests to exclude the defense's expert witnesses, a motion from Richins' attorneys to not allow the 'Walk the Dog!!' letter into trial and prosecutor's request to bring evidence," Mrazik said. Kouri Richins' attorneys said they still wish to file at least one motion to ask for additional evidence to not be allowed in trial. Mrazik said the court will send jury questionnaires to 2,000 people, which is more than were sent for the previously scheduled trial. The court planned for six days to question jurors, with 40 potential jurors coming in each day. On March 4, 2022, Richins called dispatch to report her husband, Eric Richins, 39, was unresponsive in the early morning hours. She is accused of administering a fatal dose of fentanyl that night and has also been charged with giving a lethal dose of drugs to her husband on Valentine's Day, less than three weeks before. She was ordered to stand trial for aggravated murder and attempted murder, both first-degree felonies; two counts of distributing a controlled substance, two counts of insurance fraud and two counts of filing a fraudulent insurance claim, all second-degree felonies; and three counts of forgery, a third-degree felony. Richins will face a separate trial for two counts of mortgage fraud, a second-degree felony, and two additional counts of forgery, a third-degree felony. Her attorneys said in a statement after the hearing that they are relieved she has a trial date and are confident 'once the facts are heard it will be clear to all that Kouri is innocent.' 'She is ready for the truth to come out — and of the false narratives that have defined this case to be confronted in a court of law,' they said. Richins' next hearing will be on Aug. 1.
New York Times
12-05-2025
- New York Times
Live Updates: Jury Selected in Sean Combs Sex-Trafficking Trial
The jury was supposed to be selected on Friday, but the judge had concerns that jurors would get 'cold feet' over the weekend and drop out of the trial. Before opening statements on Monday, 12 jurors and six alternates were sworn in, selected after Judge Arun Subramanian grilled them on what they had already seen and heard about the allegations against Sean Combs. There are eight men and four women on the jury. Among the six alternates, two are women and four are men. The jurors range in age from their 30s to their 70s. They live in Manhattan, the Bronx and Westchester County. The panel includes a massage therapist, an investment analyst, a deli clerk at Gristedes, a dietary aide at a nursing home and a retiree who used to work for JPMorgan. The panel was supposed to be selected on Friday, but the judge had concerns that jurors would get 'cold feet' over the weekend and drop out of the trial, so he decided to delay the selection until Monday morning. Over three days of questioning from the judge overseeing the case, potential jurors described the extent of their exposure to the allegations of sexual abuse and violence that have trailed Mr. Combs over the past year and a half. Some were excused from the jury pool if they betrayed bias against Mr. Combs or the prosecution. But familiarity with the allegations against him was not disqualifying. Several jurors who were chosen said that they had seen footage of him assaulting his former girlfriend, Casandra Ventura, in an incident at the center of the government's sex-trafficking case. Judge Arun Subramanian ruled last month that some footage of the assault could be shown at trial. One juror who was selected declared that he would be a 'blank slate entering this courtroom.' Another juror said she knew very little about the case. 'I didn't hear nothing,' she said during jury selection. 'All I know was he was arrested.' The jurors are anonymous, meaning their names will not be disclosed in public court. They will not be sequestered, so it is entirely up to them to shield themselves from the media coverage and other chatter about the case.
Fox News
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Diddy faces life behind bars in sex trafficking, racketeering trial
incoming update… Sean 'Diddy' Combs' jury panel was not finalized Friday, despite the original trial schedule. Diddy's legal team was concerned about jurors getting cold feet over the weekend, and Judge Arun Subramanian agreed. The prosecution opposed this decision, wanting to narrow down the pool of 43 to 12 jurors, six alternates and three extras on Friday. 'This doesn't necessarily signal a struggle to seat the jury; it's more about being cautious and setting the trial up for a smooth start with minimal disruptions,' criminal defense lawyer Jo-Anna Nieves told Fox News Digital. 'It's a thoughtful and fairly common precaution.' Criminal defense attorney Eric Faddis added, 'It's normal for different phases of the trial to take longer than expected, but apparently at least one of the 45 potential jurors remaining has recently asked to be removed from this controversial, high-profile case.' The jury pool will be finalized before opening statements. Diddy's trial will likely last eight weeks. Sean 'Diddy' Combs arrived at court in New York City on Monday, May 12, for opening statements. Before they begin, the defense and prosecution will finalize the jury panel of 12 jurors and six alternates. Diddy walked into the courtroom at 8:52 am wearing a khaki sweater over a white shirt with khaki pants. He hugged each of his attorneys before making a heart with his hands and blowing a kiss towards his family seated in the courtroom. The rapper's mom, Janice Combs, along with his six kids are supporting Diddy from the 2nd row. Diddy was charged with racketeering conspiracy; sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; and transportation to engage in prostitution in a federal indictment unsealed Sept. 17. He has maintained his innocence. If found guilty, he faces a minimum of 15 years behind bars or a maximum sentence of life in prison. Authorities allege Diddy ran a criminal enterprise through his businesses, including Bad Boy Entertainment, Combs Enterprises and Combs Global, among others. He used "firearms, threats of violence, coercion and verbal, emotional, physical, and sexual abuse" to fulfill his sexual desires, according to prosecutors. The prosecution and defense have estimated the disgraced music mogul's trial to last eight weeks, ending around the 4th of July. Sean "Diddy" Combs' mother Janice Combs arrived at court to support the rapper amid his sex-trafficking trial. She was joined by his sons and daughters. The family has attended Diddy's court hearings leading up to trial. Janice previously defended Diddy in a statement shared with Fox News Digital. "It is heartbreaking to see my son judged not for the truth, but for a narrative created out of lies," Janice Combs wrote in October. "To bear witness what seems to be like a public lynching of my son before he has had the opportunity to prove his innocence is a pain too unbearable to put into words. Like every human being, my son deserves to have his day in court, to finally share his side, and to prove his innocence." She pleaded, "My son is not the monster they have painted him to be, and he deserves the chance to tell his side. I can only pray that I am alive to see him speak his truth and be vindicated." Jury selection is a completely private process, not available for the public to watch. The defense and prosecution are often looking for people who have little to no knowledge of what has gone on in the case so far, as to keep away biases. Combs appeared anxious on the opening day of jury selection. After requesting a bathroom break at one point, he told the judge, "I'm a little nervous today." While the public isn't allowed to watch the jury selection take place, court documents submitted ahead of trial shed light on what the defense and prosecution might be looking for in a potential juror. For Sean 'Diddy' Combs' case, his defense team submitted a proposed questionnaire ahead of his May 5 sex-trafficking trial. His lawyers want the potential jurors to be questioned on their views regarding sex, drugs and violence, according to a letter filed to Judge Arun Subramanian. The prosecution criticized Diddy's proposed 72-question survey, claiming it was too long and asked questions not relevant to the allegations. Prospective jurors received the questionnaire ahead of the May 5 start date so that jury selection could begin that day. Opening statements will begin on May 12. People interested in Sean 'Diddy' Combs' sex-trafficking trial and the day-to-day testimony will not be able to watch from home. Federal law prohibits cameras in the courtroom. "Except as otherwise provided by a statute or these rules, the court must not permit the taking of photographs in the courtroom during judicial proceedings or the broadcasting of judicial proceedings from the courtroom,' Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 53 reads. Diddy has appeared in court a handful of times since his September arrest on federal sex-trafficking crimes. However, only court sketches have been made available to the public following his hearings. These typically depict Diddy, his legal team and often the judge presiding over his case. Cameras are allowed outside of the courthouse, but it's unclear if Combs will be spotted since he will remain behind bars throughout the trial. However, Diddy's mom and children have been seen arriving and leaving from court in photographs and video. Live Coverage begins here
