Legal Justice
After 2 timeouts and contempt menace, Donna Adelson protection rests with out her taking stand
September 4, 2025, 10:43 am CDT
Florida Second Judicial Circuit Decide Stephen Everett is presiding over Donna Adelson’s homicide trial. (Photograph by Alicia Devine/The Tallahassee Democrat through the Related Press)
The 75-year-old lady on trial within the 2014 homicide of Florida State College regulation professor Dan Markel introduced she wouldn’t testify on Wednesday, however it took her some time to determine.
Decide Stephen Everett of Leon County, Florida, inspired Donna Adelson to make up her thoughts with two timeouts to consider it after which a menace of contempt if she didn’t determine, the Tallahassee Democrat reviews. Donna Adelson is Markel’s former mother-in-law.
The protection wrapped up its case Wednesday with testimony downplaying the contentiousness of the custody battle between Markel and his ex-wife, Wendi Adelson, the Tallahassee Democrat reviews in a separate story. Prosecutors have alleged the motive for the homicide was the Adelson household’s “determined want” to maneuver Wendi Adelson from Tallahassee to South Florida.
Donna Adelson’s son, Charlie Adelson, was convicted of homicide, conspiracy to commit homicide and solicitation of homicide in November 2023 after testifying he was the sufferer of an extortion try somewhat than a perpetrator who employed two hit males to kill Markel. Wendi Adelson has not been charged.
Her former divorce legal professional, Kristin Adamson, testified Wednesday that the divorce was “routine” and “amicable,” in accordance with the Tallahassee Democrat protection. Moderately than characterizing the custody dispute as a “battle,” Adamson stated it was “a relocation case” with a “run of the mill” parenting subject.
Adamson stated she stepped down from the case after Markel’s post-divorce court docket filings grew to become private, Courtroom TV reviews. Markel had claimed his ex-wife dedicated fraud by failing to reveal retirement accounts and that each Wendi Adelson and Adamson needs to be disbarred. Adamson defined she withdrew as a result of she may very well be a future witness on Wendi Adelson’s behalf, however she has withdrawn from instances on that floor earlier than.
Assistant State Legal professional Sarah Kathryn Dugan requested Adamson whether or not the homicide of a divorce litigant occurs fairly often.
“We’ve had a couple of folks get murdered,” Adamson stated. “And I’ve had a couple of suicides. But it surely’s uncommon, and I keep in mind all of them.”
The protection started presenting its case on Tuesday. The primary witness, Anne Elizabeth Cunningham, stated she spoke with Donna Adelson on the day Markel was killed.
“Donna was fairly hysterical” and anxious in regards to the security of Wendi Adelson and her grandsons, Cunningham stated.
In earlier testimony for the prosecution, two jailhouse informants testified that Donna Adelson supplied them a grand piano, a trailer and different presents in change for testimony that Charlie Adelson was the sufferer of extortion.
Additionally in earlier testimony, Donna Adelson’s estranged son, New York doctor Robert Adelson, testified that Donna Adelson prevented any dialogue of the arrest of two alleged hit males in a cellphone name that occurred two days later. “That was the final time I spoke together with her,” he stated.
Closing arguments had been scheduled to start on Thursday.
See additionally:
Prosecutors’ Pursuit: A timeline of the Dan Markel homicide trials and convictions
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