BUNNELL, Fla. (Court TV) — An attorney representing a Florida woman accused of drowning her newborn in a toilet claimed he was left in an embarrassing position as he asked a judge to grant his client bond.
Anne Mae Demegillo walks into court for a bond hearing on April 21, 2026. (Court TV)
Anne Demegillo, 21, pleaded not guilty on Tuesday at her formal arraignment on charges of first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse and failure to report a death with intent to conceal or alter evidence. Investigators say Demegillo gave birth to an infant in the bathroom and then allowed the child to drown in the toilet before she buried its body in her backyard.
Judge Dawn Nichols heard arguments from Demegillo’s attorneys on Tuesday, who asked that their client be released on bond despite her current charges. “Nothing has really changed, other than the first-degree murder indictment,” Demegillo’s attorney, Michael Politis, said in court. Prior to her indictment, Demegillo had been out on a $250,000 bond on charges of aggravated manslaughter. While manslaughter is a bondable offense in Florida, first-degree murder is not.
Politis argued that his client posed no danger to the community and no flight risk. He not only asked that Nichols offer Demegillo bond, but also asked if the same money the defendant’s family previously paid for bond could be re-applied. “I’m a little frustrated,” Politis said. “We had to pay [the bondsman] $25,000. Had we known that the state was going to go in front of the jury seeking the first-degree murder, I would never have filed a motion. It would have been a no-brainer. I really was caught in a very embarassing situation with my client and her family.”
While Politis repeatedly emphasized that nothing had changed with his client or her circumstances, Assistant District Attorney Andrew Urbanak disagreed. “Things have changed,” he said. “Indictments were returned by a grand jury charging her with first-degree murder under the theory of both felony murder and premeditated murder, and that’s a capital offense.”
Nichols agreed with the prosecution. “If, in fact, she’s ultimately found guilty if she goes to trial, she’s looking at spending the rest of her life in prison,” Nichols said. “I mean, this changes things. The indictment certainly changes things.” Nichols denied the motion for bond, ruling that Demegillo will remain behind bars until her trial.
Before the hearing ended, Politis asked to withdraw from Demegillo’s legal team; he asked a judge to turn the case over to his co-counsel, Aaron Delgado. “Two alpha males in this courtroom? We’re going to drive you nuts,” Politis joked.
Demegillo is due back in court for a status hearing in May.
