After the 2014 homicide of legislation professor Dan Markel, gunned down by a pair of hitmen, suspicions rapidly fell upon Markel’s former in-laws. One of many hit males infamously advised authorities that they did it as a result of “the woman desires her two children again,” seemingly referring to Markel’s ex-wife. The wheels turned comparatively slowly, however prosecutors labored their means up the tree, from the gunmen, to one of the assassins’ former girlfriends, Katherine Magbanua, who hired them, to Markel’s former brother-in-law Charlie Adelson, who additionally dated Magbanua. Lastly, earlier this month, a jury convicted Markel’s mother-in-law Donna Adelson for her role in arranging the plot.
Adelson then launched a Hail Mary effort to get a brand new trial, citing juror media use. The decide has now rejected that bid:
Juror No. 7 had posted on TikTok throughout the trial that she had been chosen as a juror, Adelson’s attorneys said in a new trial motion. However Everett stated the juror didn’t reveal the events within the case, the attorneys, the alleged crimes, whether or not it was prison or civil, and even the situation of the trial. Consequently, she didn’t talk “about this case” as banned by jury directions, he concluded.
The textual content displayed over juror No. 7’s video had stated, “After I advised God I wanted a break, and he makes it so I’m chosen to serve on a jury for a two week trial… received’t he do it,” and included a contented face. A caption learn, “No work, no children (for many of the day) yk what… heaven yeah.”
Sing it, sister.
Whereas maybe betraying an absence of appreciation for the gravity of the civic obligation at hand to explain it as a state-sponsored trip, there’s nothing explicitly improper with indicating that you simply’re on jury obligation. The extra nuanced argument contends that this description supplied sufficient for somebody to work out what trial the juror would hear, however that proved a stretch with out another data.
Adelson additionally complained of the juror speaking in regards to the expertise after the trial — which is definitely nice — and one other juror who advised a podcast after the truth that he’d paid consideration to the defendant’s response to testimony regardless that he’d stated he hadn’t executed that in different feedback. The decide brushed away that concern too, explaining that there’s nothing improper with observing the defendant.
With Adelson not getting a brand new trial, the case will transfer ahead to sentencing.
Earlier: Jury Reaches Verdict In Donna Adelson Trial
Joe Patrice is a senior editor at Above the Regulation and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. Be happy to email any suggestions, questions, or feedback. Observe him on Twitter or Bluesky should you’re eager about legislation, politics, and a wholesome dose of school sports activities information. Joe additionally serves as a Managing Director at RPN Executive Search.
