TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The head of a South Florida family, now facing a life sentence for orchestrating the murder of her former son-in-law, is petitioning a judge to grant her a retrial.
Attorneys for Donna Adelson argued that alleged juror misconduct and errors by the court should warrant their client another hearing of her case.
Earlier this month, a jury found Adelson guilty on charges of first-degree murder, conspiracy, and solicitation in connection with the 2014 assassination of Florida State University law professor Daniel Markel, in Tallahassee, where he taught.
Attorneys Joshua Zelman and Jackie Fulford filed a motion on Tuesday requesting a new trial, citing the actions of two jurors who publicly shared their experiences. One juror posted about her jury duty on TikTok, while another appeared on a true crime podcast titled “Surviving the Survivor.”
The defense team also contended that the verdicts contradicted legal standards or the weight of the presented evidence. They claimed that the prosecution relied on assumptions and speculations to substantiate their case, and accused Circuit Judge Stephen Everett of showing bias in favor of the prosecution throughout the proceedings.
“Where is the evidence indicating Mrs. Adelson agreed, conspired, collaborated, or schemed with anyone to kill Mr. Markel? There is none,” the attorneys stated.
This case has captivated Florida’s capital for over a decade, involving the scandalous intricacies of a turbulent divorce, clashes with affluent in-laws, and custody disputes culminating in the tragic killing.
Markel had been locked in a bitter custody battle with his ex-wife and Adelson’s daughter, Wendi Adelson, with whom he had two children.
Prosecutors argued at the trial that Donna Adelson helped orchestrate Markel’s killing after he stood in the way of letting her daughter and two young grandsons make the move from Tallahassee to South Florida to be closer to the rest of the family.
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Kate Payne is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
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