*Editor's Note: During this process, there will be portions that we will not be able to air, and the video will remain on the seal until court resumes.
DAY 3:
Jury selection is expected to wrap up today in the Donna Adelson trial, with 12 jurors seated and three alternates. 110 potential jurors will be screened to narrow it down to the final jury pool.
WATCH JURY SELECTION DAY 3 BELOW:
10:30 a.m.:
Judge Stephen Everett, the State, and the Defense have arrived in the courtroom for group jury selection expected to begin at 11 am. Judge Everett immediately calls the state and the defense into the "jury room" — a side chamber off the side of the courtroom.
Important to note that Harvey Adelson is also sitting in the front row of the pews, behind the defense.
Following the completion of jury selection, it is possible that opening statements could begin Thursday afternoon.
A new addition from the first two days of jury selection, Donna Adelson has an audio device to assist her hearing while the jurors are beign screened. She is wearing a pair of wired headphones.
Midday update:
Questioning of potential jurors is underway. 60 jurors are seated in the courtroom.
Judge Everett has individually asked 21 jurors questions so far. There are another 39 sitting the pews in the courtroom that will go through the same process.
Questions have included what is their occupation, do they have any children, how long have their lived in Leon County, what is their marital status. Other questions have included if the juror has any affiliation with law enforcement and if they have ever been charged with, or the victim of, a crime.
Group jury selection has been a mix of light-hearted and more somber moments, particularly when one juror held up his padel and remarked "I said I was single, but I'm actually divorced, I don't know why I said that." Judge Everett responded: "I'll forgive you."
Other moments have included jurors recaping previous crimes they have been involved with or victims of, including a non-fatal stabbing.
5 jurors of the 60 jurors have been excused so far. Questions are only being directed at the 21 jurors in the jury box. When one of those jurors is excused, they are being replaced by the potential jurors sitting in the pews in the courtroom.
One key piece of information, Judge Everett provided firm dates for the trial to one juror: Friday, through September 5. The Defense remarked he thought it was through September 9. The Judge replied that the September 5 timeline is are the "firm dates".
End of Day Recap:
A 14-person jury has been seated and sworn in for the Donna Adelson trial, consisting of 8 men and 6 women. Group jury selection lasted all day, 60 jurors walking in to the courtroom Thursday morning, 21 being the focus of questioning. Some were excused throughout the day, and replaced with potential jurors sitting in the courtroom.
Ultimately, at around 6:30pm Thursday evening, a jury was selected and approved by the State, Defense, and Mrs. Adelson who spoke an audible "Yes" in the courtroom when asked if she accepts this jury for her trial.
Judge Stephen Everett instructed jurors they must return at 8:45 am to the courthouse when opening statements will get underway, followed by the State's first witnesses.
One juror asked Judge Everett when the trial could be over so he could tell his employer, the Judge said "we're anticipating the trial ending by September 5th."
ABC 27 will be back in the courtroom Friday morning to bring you continued coverage as the trial gets underway.
DAY 2:
Jury selection continues on Wednesday in the Donna Adeleson trial. Jury selection is expected to wrap up on Thursday with 12 jurors seated and three alternates.
WATCH JURY SELECTION DAY 2 BELOW:
LIVE BLOG:
August 20th:
8:20 a.m.:
We’re back in the courtroom for day 2 of jury selection in the Donna Adelson Trial. Tuesday, 64 jurors qualified for group jury selection, which will take place on Thursday at 11am.
Judge Everertt again stated on Wednesday that his goal is to get to 100 jurors by Thursday. He believes we will likely hit that number today, if not more.
Before 50 more jurors are brought into the courtroom on Wednesday to be screened, Assistant State Attorney Georgia Cappleman asked Judge Everertt about her motion to allow communication between Donna and her daughter, Wendi, into evidence, regarding changing her son’s last name from Markel to Adelson.
The Defense argues that this name change does not have any relevance in this case.
Judge Everett said he will review the motion during the lunchtime recess.
Before screening of jurors begins Wednesday, Judge Everett lays out the timeline for the trial noting he expects the trial to start Thursday afternoon, following the completion of jury selection.
Midday Update:
So far, on day two of jury selection in the Donna Adelson trial, 49 jurors have been screened, with 16 excused, and 33 instructed to report back to the courthouse at 11am on Thursday for group jury selection.
Judge Everett, the Defense, and the State are questioning each juror individually in a side chamber off the side of the courtroom.
Questions remain the same as Tuesday and include:
- Have you ever heard of the name Donna Adelson before?
- Can you be fair and impartial to both the State and Mrs Adelson?
50 more jurors are expected to be screened Wednesday afternoon.
In total right now, we have a group of 97 potential jurors for group jury selection. Judge Everett it seems remains committed to reaching that group of 100-110.
The Judge has ordered a recess until 1:45pm.
Following recess, 59 more potential jurors have entered the courtroom to be screened Wednesday afternoon.
End of Day Recap:
110 potential jurors have been selected as day two of jury selection wraps up in the Donna Adelson trial. These potential jurors have been instructed to return to the courthouse at 11am Thursday for group jury selection. We expecting finalize the jury Thursday with 12 jurors selected and 3 alternates.
Judge Stephen Everett also remarked that trial will be Thursday as well. Therefore, we could see opening remarks on Thursday as well.
ABC 27 will be in the courtroom and will continue to bring you updates throughout the day.
WTXL is in court and will provide updates throughout the day.
DAY 1:
Today begins the high-profile murder trial of Donna Adelson. Adelson was arrested in November of 2023, accused of orchestrating the death of her former son-in-law Dan Markel, in 2014. Markel was shot at his home in Tallahassee and died the next day at the hospital.
Adelson is charged with first-degree murder, solicitation and conspiracy to commit murder. Jury selection is expected to take three days, as 300 people were summoned. 12 people will be selected with 3 alternates.
WATCH JURY SELECTION DAY 1 BELOW:
LIVE BLOG:
August 19th:
8:30 a.m.: Judge Everett gave some brief remarks this morning and said jurors will go through 5 rounds of questioning. The judge said he believes jury selection could go through Thursday. The state thinks it will not take that long. Now, the Judge has ordered a brief recess while we wait for potential jurors to be seated.
At a previous pre-trial hearing, Judge Everett said 50 potential jurors will be screened in the morning, and 50 potential jurors will be screened in the afternoon, until we have a pool of 100 potential jurors.
Judge Everett started asking the pool of potential jurors basic questions, including whether jurors are 18 years of age and residents of Leon County. Also asking if jurors are full-time students, or are they the full-time caregivers of a child under the age of 6.
Judge Everett states the five questions potential jurors will be asked:
- What do you know about this case?
- What sources have you obtained this knowledge from?
- Based on what you know, do you have an opinion about Mrs Adelson’s guilt or innocence?
- Can you set aside your present knowledge, disregard it, and use the evidence shown in the courtroom? Can you be fair?
- Is there any reason you can’t serve on this jury for potentially up to 3 weeks?
Midday Update:
Tuesday morning saw 50 potential jurors going through a screening process to see if they qualify to serve as one of 12 jurors for Donna Adelson's trial.
For this pool, 26 remain as potential jurors, 24 jurors were excused.
Each juror was questioned individually in a private room with the Judge, defense, and State present. Donna Adelson was also in this room as well.
Reporters were allowed one-on-one into the room to listen to some of the conversations.
Questions included if the juror had any prior knowledge of the case, if they could only use the evidence provided in the courtroom to determine an opinion, and if they could weigh both parties up fairly.
Judge Everett informed the remaining 26 jurors that they must report back to the courthouse at 11am on Thursday.
The second pool of jurors for Tuesday are reporting at 1:45pm.
End of day Recap:
At the end of day 1 of jury selection, 102 jurors were screened for the Donna Adelson trial, 64 of those qualified for further questioning. That will take place on Thursday, when these jurors have been told to return.
On Wednesday, 100 more potential jurors will be screened. Judge Everett's goal is to get to 100 to 110 jurors by Thursday. We will continue to bring you coverage of day 2 of jury selection on Wednesday from 8:30am.
WTXL will be in court daily and will provide updates throughout the day.
Want to see more local news? Visit the WTXL ABC 27 Website.
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