Law&Crime Sidebar - Sarah Boone Judge Forces Accused Suitcase Killer to Represent Herself in Murder Trial

Episode Date: August 5, 2024

The Florida woman accused of suffocating her boyfriend to death in a suitcase and recording him crying out for help while locked inside is set to represent herself at her upcoming murder trial. Boone has gone through eight public defenders since her arrest in 2020. The judge overseeing the accused suitcase killer’s case has rejected her request to have standby counsel to assist her at trial, effectively forcing her to represent herself. Law&Crime’s Jesse Weber breaks down the latest development in Boone’s legal saga.PLEASE SUPPORT THE SHOW: Get 50% off of confidential background reports at https://www.truthfinder.com/lcsidebarHOST:Jesse Weber: https://twitter.com/jessecordweberLAW&CRIME SIDEBAR PRODUCTION:YouTube Management - Bobby SzokeVideo Editing - Michael Deininger and Christina FalconeScript Writing & Producing - Savannah WilliamsonGuest Booking - Alyssa Fisher & Diane KayeSocial Media Management - Vanessa BeinSTAY UP-TO-DATE WITH THE LAW&CRIME NETWORK:Watch Law&Crime Network on YouTubeTV: https://bit.ly/3td2e3yWhere To Watch Law&Crime Network: https://bit.ly/3akxLK5Sign Up For Law&Crime's Daily Newsletter: https://bit.ly/LawandCrimeNewsletterRead Fascinating Articles From Law&Crime Network: https://bit.ly/3td2IqoLAW&CRIME NETWORK SOCIAL MEDIA:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lawandcrime/Twitter: https://twitter.com/LawCrimeNetworkFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/lawandcrimeTwitch: https://www.twitch.tv/lawandcrimenetworkTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lawandcrimeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Wonderly Plus subscribers can binge all episodes of this Law and Crimes series ad-free right now. Join Wonderly Plus in the Wondery app Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Agent Nate Russo returns in Oracle 3, Murder at the Grandview, the latest installment of the gripping Audible Original series. When a reunion at an abandoned island hotel turns deadly, Russo must untangle accident from murder. But beware, something sinister lurks in the grand. View Shadows. Joshua Jackson delivers a bone-chilling performance in this supernatural thriller that

will keep you on the edge of your seat. Don't let your fears take hold of you as you dive into this addictive series. Love thrillers with a paranormal twist? The entire Oracle trilogy is available on Audible. Listen now on Audible. You have 62 days to prepare for trial. Wow. So in over four years, it comes down to me representing myself in 62 days? I'm not going to answer that question. The Florida woman accused of zipping her boyfriend up in a small suitcase and leaving him in there to suffocate appeared in court Monday, representing herself. This, after a judge ruled that her repeated clashes with public defenders, means now she's on her own. We've got the biggest updates from Boone's latest appearance and what the court recently granted her as she tries to navigate going pro se. Welcome to Sidebar, presented by law and crime.

I'm Jesse Weber. Boone may be making a name for herself as a difficult defendant. It's probably a kind way to say it. And what a day in court she just had. And we're going to get into that. But I got to give you some context on what's happening here. So since her arrest in 2020 for the murder of her boyfriend George Torres Jr., she has gone through eight public defenders, eight attorneys, with several of them stepping away from her case due to, quote, irreconcilable differences. And Boone has made no secret of her feelings about her attorneys. In her correspondence with the court, she is called various attorneys, snotty, duds, buffoons. One attorney wrote in his motion to withdraw that,

quote, no attorney can satisfy her. In June, the latest, Patricia Cashman, who has been described by the court as being widely known to be able and willing to deal with and manage difficult clients, she asked to withdraw. So what did Sarah Boone do? Well, I got to tell you, this is a first for I don't think I've ever seen anything like this happened because she put her creative skills to the test and she drafted, I'm not kidding you, a help wanted ad. If this story weren't so horrific, it would almost be comical. Because in this ad, she says the candidate to be her attorney, what a great job that will be, should have, quote, original creativity, extraordinary expertise and confident ingenuity. It reads, looking for a prosperous challenge. Ready for your close-up on national television?

Are you zealous with the side of keen? Show the world who you are. So far, no takers. Shocker, right? Shocker. Who, I can't imagine. Not everybody wants to jump on this case. Now, Boone, she is charged in the second-degree murder of George out in Winter Park, Florida.

This is north of Orlando. And according to police, she and George had been dating for several years when Boone admitted that she intentionally zipped George into the suitcase, claiming they had been drinking and playing a game of hide and seek. She says she went to bed, forgetting he was in there, found him the next morning. The problem with that for her? The investigation uncovered a cell phone video, allegedly recorded by Boone, that shows her seemingly taunting George in the suitcase as he begs for help.

For everything you've done to me. For everything you've done to me. So, fuck you. Sarah. F*** you. Sarah. Stupid. Sarah.

That's my name. Don't wear it up. Honestly, it is so disturbing to watch and hear that, but it's going to be an incredibly powerful piece of evidence for the jury. Now, during her interrogation, Boone told the detectives that George was an alcoholic, that he had been abusive towards her. They both had arrests on the record for domestic violence incident, she claims. In fact, we looked up Sarah. Barboon and her legal history on truthfinder.com. That's our sponsor. It's one of the largest public records search services in the United States. And by the way, TruthFinder is so easy

to use. You type in a name within minutes and a paid subscription purchase. You can access unlimited reports that can include information like phone numbers, location history, criminal and traffic records. Also, if you type in an address within a report, it shows you registered sex offenders in that area, which is just kind of wild to see. And you can use Truthfinder and research new dates, friends, maybe just reconnect with people. It's really a great tool. And right now, you can get 50% off of your first month of confidential background reports. Just go to truthfinder.com slash LC sidebar. But going back to Sarah Boone, Boone insisted that while she might have made a horrible mistake

when it came to George, she didn't kill him on purpose. Nobody knew George better than I did. I say that I knew George better than himself. And I tried in every way, shape, and form. Ask everyone. I helped him. I took care of him. I miss him a lot, and I didn't even sleep last night.

I miss him a lot. I mean, is there any chance it got to be too much for you, and you couldn't handle taking care of him? I never stopped. I never stop. That's what I'm here for. I never stopped. I'm here now, and I'm still trying to help him.

But why is he saying I can't breathe and why is he pushing on it as if he can't get out? And it doesn't show a hole. There's no hole. There's no fingers. I don't see his fingers. There's no hole. I don't know what you want me to tell you. Like, I don't know.

By the way, since 2020, Boone has been locked up in jail. And despite being there for four years, Boone doesn't appear to have had a hearing on whether she can be let out on bond. She's previously suggested that even though she expects that the bond would be high, her quote, fans would be willing to donate to the cause. So with all that, now let's talk about what happened on Monday this hearing. So Judge Michael Kranick addressed four motions that Boone filed via mail, which we're also going to be able to take a look at. Now, in her loopy handwriting, the first set of correspondence with the court is titled, motion requesting immediate relief to the defendant by appointing effective standby counsel to aid and support in preparation for her criminal

case for trial. Now, Boone names herself as a judge. a pro se indigent defendant, indigent meaning she can't pay for her own outside counsel. That's why the court had granted her public defenders. So she's representing herself pro se. Now she goes on to list several legal precedents that grant her the right to stand by counsel and says, quote, by the court rejecting professional educated experienced aid and assistance of effective standby counsel to and for the defendant in preparation and production of her rightful defense, results may be adverse from the unfair disadvantage depressed circumstances to properly

thrive in her forced position by the court of pro se attorney and representation of self. Wow, that's a mouthful. So on the one hand, she apparently hasn't liked or worked well with any of her public defenders. And remember, there's eight of them. But on the other hand, she wants to know why the court is forcing her to go pro se. While also president in court on Monday was a member of the Justice Administrative Commission or JAC, Christian Lake.

And he pointed out that standby counsel won't actually be there to help Boone along the way. I think Ms. Boone misunderstands the role of standby counsel. Standby counsel is not co-counsel or assistant counsel to a defendant. Stand-by counsel is there for when, in the situation where a pro se defendant, who is elected to represent herself, decide at some point they want a lawyer that allows support to put a lawyer back into play at that point in time. In other words, it's a safety mechanism so that if a defendant who is asserted to represent themselves decides at some point they do no longer want to represent.

represent themselves. The court has a lawyer already in place so that the providence is not delayed. It is not an assistant or a I and a council. It is someone who's a role is consenting not to get involved until the defendant says I no longer want to represent myself. Ma'am, the courts had the opportunity to review the case law on this issue. There is no constitutional right to stand by counsel as decided by Paul v. State 152, Southern 3rd, 635 at pinpoint 641 by the Florida 4th District Court of Appeal in 2014, citing to the Florida Supreme Court case in Jones v. State 449 Southern 2nd, 253 at pinpoint 258 from 1984.

As the court has determined that you have forfeited and alternatively waived by your conduct, the right to court applying a counsel, the court is. not required to appoint standby counsel. That's Brown v. State 45, 7.3rd, 110 at Pinpoint 114 through 115. Florida 1st DCA 2010, citing to again Jones v. State by the Florida Supreme Court in 1984. There is no Sixth Amendment right

to simultaneously proceeding pro se and with legal representation by the Florida Supreme Court in 2009 in Sheppard v. State, 17.7.3, 275 at 279. the reasons that the court identified in its 16-page order previously entered, your request for standby counsel is denied. Do you have any other questions, ma'am, as to the court's rulings this morning? First off, I do not forget my rights. That was your judgment. And also, I feel that I should have had some type of evidentiary hearing prior to your decision, so I could have better explain myself and you could have had a better understanding.

So by you denying my standby counsel, which thank you to him for explaining to me what specifically it is, I don't want to be pro se longer, so I didn't want to be pro se in the first place. And again, you, in my opinion, unlawfully denied me or didn't even suggest an evident to your hearing or deferred me to avoid or try to go about a solution or remedy so you wouldn't understand. So I don't know if it's me either wasting your time or anybody else's time, if it's even an opportunity or if it's just something that is denied period. The judge let Sarah Boone know that this trial is scheduled to begin October 7th and that the court will be extending the time frame for trial from two weeks to three weeks. It seems that Boone will have a chance to review the evidence that the state wants to admit next month, but the defendant took issue with how quickly things would be moving and how much time she would have to prepare.

Forgive me. So today being August 5th, I'm supposed to expeditiously complete my case that in every way she's informed by September 26th in order to go to trial for October 7th. The dates are what the dates are. September 26th is the trial case management date, and October 7th is the trial date. So why not even seeing my discovery yet two days and only being restricted to a laptop from 8 to 4

and not having my hard copy evidence? You have 62 days to prepare for trial. Not including today. And you're going to get your discovery today. discovery today. Wow. So in over four years, it comes down to me representing myself in 62 days? I'm not going to answer that question.

Okay. Am I supposed? What now we're addressing, ma'am, is September 17th. Right. The deadline, which is two weeks after having the physical view of any of the physical evidence, evidence, it sounds like Mr. Jay is going to try to meet with you pretty promptly regarding the digital evidence. So you'll have plenty of time to review that in two weeks, at a minimum, or two weeks

at most rather, to lodge any objections to the physical evidence. I understand. I just don't understand how to file objections. I cannot answer that for you. That would be me providing you legal advice, which I'm prohibited from doing. All I can tell you is that if you have objections to any of the exhibits that the state may seek to move into evidence, you will have to lodge those objections by the close of business on September 17th.

I don't know what I'm doing. I don't know. I do not know what I'm doing. So I'm trying to learn as I go, which is why I'm grateful for everyone to its patients. But at the same time, though, for me to accept this date and then not be able to meet What is what happens when that happens if it should happen? I can't answer that question. Again, that would be me providing you legal advice as to what to do if something happens.

I simply cannot answer that question. I'm not allowed to. Well, she admits that she doesn't know what she's doing. Now, the judge said repeatedly during the hearing that the reasons why Boone forfeited her right to counsel, they were laid out in a document already filed, and that was sent to her. That 16-page order lays out all the problems that Boone has happened. with her attorneys and all the times those public defenders have asked to withdraw from the case and he then cited precedent for why a defendant might have to go

pro se well in her letter Sarah Boone talked about her rights and for example she writes quote waiver of counsel is a criminal defendant's refusal of counsel at any stage in the criminal process I have never refused it is made by a person with full capacity unprepared that is knowing and voluntary forced and that clearly and unequivocally rejects representation of assistance by an attorney at law during the pending proceedings. And Boone is continually saying that she was forced by the court to represent herself. But here's the problem. Here's a little legal primer here. Yes, criminal defendants have a right to counsel. It is in the Sixth Amendment that says that in all

criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to have the assistance of counsel for his defense. But in terms of a right to counsel, while a defendant can certainly have a choice at times on who he or she wants to represent them, this is not an absolute right. If the defendant engages in misconduct, they can forfeit that right to counsel. You can't engage in conduct, for example, that deliberately delays the trial or obstructs the proceedings. And here, this is what has happened. Boone has forfeited her right to counsel.

The judge has written, quote, forfeiture is an extreme measure that flows from the defendant's abuse or manipulation of and results in the defendant being required to represent himself even though he is not waived counsel and may still want legal representation. The judge continued. It has become apparent to the court the defendant will not permit herself to be represented by anyone. Now another issue that the court addressed is how Boone can represent herself when she's currently incarcerated and may not have access to everything she needs.

In her letter, she points out that she quote, does not have access to a a computer and does not have access to the internet. Defendant does not have access to organization supplies or production equipment. Then in parentheses, it says copy or printer, et cetera. Defendant does not have access to a meeting place for privacy and case review preparation. Boone even lists in examples of some of the hardships she's facing. First, the defendant has not received from the court to date of this motion any of her promised discovery or case-related materials submitted by former attorney to the court during the unannounced hearing on 62824. Boone has contended that she didn't even know her last court hearing was happening and was unexpectedly dragged to the courthouse.

So that means, of course, she also hasn't had a chance to review that discovery. She reiterated these concerns to Judge Kranick, and let's see how that went. I'm going to go with to be determined because I just explained also, please, that I do not have access to a regular phone. I need to locate anyone. I need to do research. I don't know if I have internet access to anyone. I don't have a phone book. There's no way that I know how to do any of this without essentials and fundamental equipment in order for me to be able to provide you with those answers.

I cannot promise anything because I do not know how I would be able to do any of that at this moment. I would like please to propose your understanding of a meeting that I would like to have with the captain so I can see if I can have access to a regular phone if I can have access to an internet right now I have a tablet that is used for text messaging and movies and the law library that I utilize I don't have access to the phone I don't have access to the internet you can certainly have those conversations with the jail representatives but ma'am we were on notice today to address those deadlines and I cannot set a to be determined deadline at this time I understand that there's been some delays

with regard to the discovery, as I told you at the last hearing, moving as expeditiously as possible to get you that, and it took some time for that process to be created. That process is going to start today. Mr. Lanes here, representative from the Orange County Jail will be here. That handoff will take place. You'll have access to that laptop with all the information today. All right, I just want to highlight some other interesting tidbits

from Sarah Boone's correspondence with the court, because in another letter, she makes out all these other requirements. For example, it says, comes now Saraboon, pro se indigent defendant, respectfully requests from this court the reservation of proposed costs to acquire investigator for defense's defense in trial. She writes out, investigator, TBD, meaning to be determined, total amount requesting TBD, how to calculate unknown by defendant, reason, no discovery or case materials provided to defendant from the judge. And she reiterates a lot of what she said in the first correspondent. to the court, mainly that she's been forced to represent herself and that the court is hiding information from her. Boone also requests money to pay for expert witnesses, saying that once again, the costs

are to be determined. She filed another motion requesting reservation of any and all costs proposed to be incurred to acquire all witnesses needed for the defendant's defense in trial of her criminal case. She also wants to be able to depose witnesses. So what was the response to all these requests? Well, the Justice Administrative Commission filed a response. And it said, quote, as for cost to take deposition, the defendant is authorized to incur costs to take depositions for those deposition authorized under the Florida rules of criminal procedures. As for service of process, service must be through the sheriff unless the sheriff is unable or unavailable to provide service of process.

In those instances where private service of process is necessary, a separate motion to incur costs for a private process server will be required. The sheriff must be used to serve in county law enforcement. The document goes on to say that private investigators cannot be paid more than the rate of $50 per hour and that they have to be licensed in Florida. Well, what about witnesses to testify in Moon's defense? The response says, based on JAC's records, the court previously approved $3,000 at a rate of $200 per hour for a defense mental health expert. JAC does not object to the court continuing this authorization now that the defendant is representing herself. As to the other requests for these, as to other requests for other experts, the defendant will need to file an appropriate motion delineating the following.

One, identify or type of expert. Two, amount authorized cap for the expert services. And three, rates authorized for the expert services. As for just regular witnesses, the commission says Boone would need to submit a more detailed motion about why there would be costs associated with each of them. This is why you have an attorney represent you. This is why it gets complicated. simply, okay? Well, for now, Boone's trial, it's scheduled to begin in October, and Judge

Kranick has said, and he's indicated that this trial will not be delayed any further unless there is extraordinary good cause to do so, and that doesn't mean if Sarah Boone decides to retain new counsel. This trial will move forward at the same pace. Later this week, a hearing is scheduled to determine if Sarah Boone will be allowed to be unshackled during trial. We will see what happens, and we will continue to follow this case for you right here on Sidebar. That's all we have for you right now, everybody. Thank you so much for joining us. And as always, please subscribe on Apple Podcast, Spotify, YouTube, wherever you get your podcasts.

I'm Jesse Weber. I'll speak to you next time. Add free right now on Wondery Plus. Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.