Jury Deliberations Begin in Donna Adelson Murder Trial
TALLAHASSEE, FL – After a tense day marked by uncertainty, Donna Adelson has declined to testify in her own defense in the murder trial stemming from the 2014 death of Florida State University law professor Dan Markel. The defense rested its case Tuesday,September 3,leaving the fate of Adelson in the hands of the jury,which began deliberations Wednesday.
The trial centers around allegations that Adelson conspired with her son, Charlie Adelson, and others to orchestrate Markel’s murder. Charlie Adelson was convicted in 2022 and is currently serving a life sentence for his role in the plot.Prosecutors argue Donna Adelson was a key figure in arranging the hit, motivated by a contentious custody battle over her grandchildren with markel.
Throughout Tuesday, Leon Circuit Judge stephen Everett repeatedly asked Adelson and her legal team if she would take the stand. “At this time, I don’t want to testify,” Adelson ultimately stated. Her decision mirrors that of her son, whose testimony during his trial was seen as detrimental to his defense. Jurors in his case reached a guilty verdict after just three hours of deliberation.
The tallahassee Democrat is livestreaming the trial from the courthouse, with coverage available on Tallahassee.com, as well as the Tallahassee Democrat’s Facebook and YouTube pages. Viewers can also download the Tallahassee Democrat app to receive text alerts regarding key moments in the trial, including the verdict.
