By now, you’ve all heard of Charlie Adelson, the man accused of taking part in a conspiracy to kill Florida State law professor Dan Markel. And that could be part of the problem. After being sentenced to life in prison back in 2023, Adelson has attempted to get his time in prison reduced. Now, he’s moving for a whole new trial. WTXL has coverage:
Michael Ufferman, representing Adelson, along with Laurel Cornell Niles, told the appellate court that 40% of potential jurors screened already had preconceived notions about his client’s guilt. He argued this level of bias made it impossible to select an impartial jury.
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Ufferman pointed to specific instances where potential jurors allegedly lied about their knowledge of the case. He cited two examples where jurors denied forming opinions about guilt or posting on social media, despite evidence showing they had made posts about the case.
You can hear Ufferman here:
Assuming he is right about the two jurors, is that enough to give Adelson a new trial? The state argued that this doesn’t do enough to prove that the entire jury pool was tainted. That said, who is to say that the two known jurors were the only ones who formed opinions prior to seeing the evidence in court?
The panel of judges has 180 days to decide whether to grant the request. Due process is a foundational pillar to the rule of law; if it turns out that there was actual bias on the jury, Charlie Adelson deserves a fail trial just as much as everyone else.
Charlie Adelson’s Attorneys Argue For New Trial, Citing Jury Bias Concerns [WTXL]
Earlier: Judge Answers Charlie Adelson’s Request For Resentencing
9 Years After Law Professor Murdered, Jury Finds Charlie Adelson Guilty
Chris Williams became a social media manager and assistant editor for Above the Law in June 2021. Prior to joining the staff, he moonlighted as a minor Memelord™ in the Facebook group Law School Memes for Edgy T14s . He endured Missouri long enough to graduate from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law. He is a former boatbuilder who is learning to swim, is interested in critical race theory, philosophy, and humor, and has a love for cycling that occasionally annoys his peers. You can reach him by email at cwilliams@abovethelaw.com and by tweet at @WritesForRent.
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