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After 2 timeouts and contempt menace, Donna…
Felony Justice
After 2 timeouts and contempt menace, Donna Adelson protection rests with out her taking stand
By Debra Cassens Weiss
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 legislation professor Dan Markel introduced she wouldn’t testify on Wednesday, but it surely took her some time to resolve.
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 resolve, 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 lawyer, Kristin Adamson, testified Wednesday that the divorce was “routine” and “amicable,” in line with the Tallahassee Democrat protection. Quite than characterizing the custody dispute as a “battle,” Adamson mentioned it was “a relocation case” with a “run of the mill” parenting concern.
Adamson mentioned 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 must 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defined she withdrew as a result of she may very well be a future witness on Wendi Adelson’s behalf, however she has withdrawn from instances on that floor earlier than.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 Lawyer Sarah Kathryn Dugan requested Adamson whether or not the homicide of a divorce litigant occurs fairly often.
“We’ve had a number of individuals get murdered,” Adamson mentioned. “And I’ve had a number of suicides. However it’s uncommon, and I keep in mind all of them.”
The protection started presenting its case on Tuesday. The primary witness, Anne Elizabeth Cunningham, mentioned she spoke with Donna Adelson on the day Markel was killed.
“Donna was fairly hysterical” and anxious concerning the security of Wendi Adelson and her grandsons, Cunningham mentioned.
In earlier testimony for the prosecution, two jailhouse informants testified that Donna Adelson provided them a grand piano, a trailer and different presents in alternate 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 averted any dialogue of the arrest of two alleged hit males in a telephone name that occurred two days later. “That was the final time I spoke along with her,” he mentioned.
Closing arguments have been scheduled to start on Thursday.
See additionally:
Prosecutors’ Pursuit: A timeline of the Dan Markel homicide trials and convictions
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