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One of four motions filed by Aiden Fucci’s defense team seek to exclude cameras from jury selection at his first-degree murder trial
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Attorneys for a St. Johns County teen accused of stabbing his 13-year-old classmate to death filed four motions in the case this week.
Aiden Fucci is charged with first-degree murder for allegedly stabbing Tristyn Bailey 114 times on the morning of Mother’s Day in 2021. He was 14 at the time.
RELATED: One year later: Remembering Tristyn Bailey
Fucci has pleaded not guilty, and his defense team filed several motions ahead of his scheduled November trial. The motions aim to prohibit prejudicial emotional outbursts in court, exclude court cameras during jury selection, and block jurors from seeing either Bailey’s autopsy photos or the original indictment.
1. Motion to prohibit prejudicial emotional outbursts This motion seeks to prevent emotional displays in front of the jury or courtroom spectators. If granted, this rule would apply to the family of the “decedent,” i.e. Tristyn Bailey’s relatives. It would also apply to other courtroom spectators.
2. Motion to exclude video cameras from being present in the courtroom during jury selection This case has already been extensively covered and so far, cameras have been present during all of Fucci’s pre-trial hearings. According to the Rule of Florida Judicial Administration, “at least 1 portable television camera, operated by not more than 1 camera person, shall be permitted in any trial or appellate court proceeding.” This rule includes jury selection. The defense motion claims cameras might prevent jurors from openly expressing their biases or prejudices. If recording is allowed, the motion seeks to block livestreaming. Local media outlets plan to challenge this motion. Finally, the motion seeks to have jurors identified by numbers, not names, to ensure anonymity, something that is already standard in most high-profile trials.
3. Motion in Limine — autopsy or other defined photographs Laypeople can substitute the words “to limit” when they see the phrase “in Limine.” Basically, the defense argues autopsy photos should be excluded on the grounds that that they are unnecessary, inflammatory and prejudicial.
4. Motion to preclude submission of the indictment to the jury The final motion asks that the indictment not be read from or referenced in front of jurors. Fucci’s defense team argues that the indictment could lead the jury to “prejudge” him, impeding a fair and impartial trial. The motion says that an indictment is not proof that a person committed a crime and is therefore irrelevant to the jury’s examination of evidence presented during the trial.
Fucci’s trial is scheduled to begin in early November.
