Donna Adelson trial Day 2 live updates: Court makes strides in jury selection
Roughly 300 people have been summoned for jury duty. Leon Circuit Judge Stephen Everett and lawyers for the state and defense are questioning each of the jurors individually behind closed doors as part of a pre-screening to find out how much media they have consumed about the case and whether that has affected their ability to serve as fair and impartial jurors.
Jurors who have passed that test have been asked to return to the Leon County Courthouse at 11 a.m. Thursday for group jury selection, the last step before a final panel is picked. Just like the first day of jury selection, 50 potential jurors will be questioned in the morning and another 50 in the afternoon.
On Aug. 19, 64 out of 102 potential jurors were asked to come back for group jury selection.
Pretrial publicity has been a major issue raised by the defense in previous Markel trials. The defendant's son, Charlie Adelson, who was convicted in Markel's murder in 2023, claimed in his appellate brief filed in May that Everett erred by not granting a defense motion for a change of venue.
Donna Adelson's attorneys also asked Everett to move the trial out of town, though he has declined so far to do so.
Markel was shot in the head on July 18, 2014, after pulling into his garage of his Betton Hills home ― a shocking crime that happened as he and his ex-wife, Wendi Adelson, the defendant's daughter, were feuding in court over custody of their two sons. Prosecutors have long alleged the Adelson family wanted Markel out of the picture so Wendi Adelson and the boys could relocate to South Florida.
Prosecutor asks to allow evidence about changing last name of Markel's sons
Assistant State Attorney Georgia Cappleman asked Judge Stephen Everett this morning, Aug. 20, about whether communication between Donna Adelson and her daughter, Wendi Adelson, about changing her two sons' last name from Markel to Adelson can be admitted into evidence.
Everett asked Cappleman about the purpose of the evidence.
She replied that it was "part of the motive to erase the father' from the lives of Wendi Adelson and Dan Markel's sons.
Everett asked whether there were any communications or other evidence that would show a connection between mother and daughter as it pertains to the name change.
Cappleman said there are communications between Donna and Wendi Adelson about their last names before the name change occurred. Everett asked Cappleman to provide a copy of the communication.
Contact Jeff Burlew at jburlew@tallahassee.com or 850-599-2180.
GAVEL-TO-GAVEL COVERAGE:
The Tallahassee Democrat will livestream each day of the trial of Donna Adelson from the courthouse in Tallahassee. Watch on Tallahassee.com and the Tallahassee Democrat's Facebook and YouTube pages. For best viewing experience: Download the Tallahassee Democrat app to watch and receive text alerts on when to watch – from opening arguments to the verdict.
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