Donna Adelson announced in open court Sept. 3 that she will not take the stand to testify in her own defense.
“At this time, I don’t want to testify,” Donna Adelson said.
Adelson, 75, is charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy and solicitation in the 2014 contract killing of Dan Markel, a Florida State University law professor and the defendant’s former son-in-law.
She is being tried before Leon Circuit Judge Stephen Everett in Courtroom 3G at the Leon County Courthouse. Her son, Charlie Adelson, a former traveling periodontist, was convicted of the same three crimes in the same courtroom before the same judge nearly two years ago, in November 2013. He is serving a life sentence in a South Dakota prison.
Charlie Adelson opted to testify during his trial, a fateful decision that didn’t end well. Jurors deliberated only three hours before returning guilty verdicts on all counts. He is serving a life sentence in a South Dakota prison.
Her decision against testifying came after Everett granted her two separate five-minute breaks to consider her options
“Do you understand you have the right to remain silent?” he asked at one point.
“I do understand,” she replied.
Check back with Tallahassee.com for more on this breaking story.
Contact Jeff Burlew at jburlew@tallahassee.com or 850-599-2180.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Breaking: Donna Adelson won’t testify in her own defense in Dan Markel murder trial
Reporting by Jeff Burlew, Tallahassee Democrat / Tallahassee Democrat
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