MIAMI (Court TV) — A judge tossed an attorney representing a former University of Miami football player from her courtroom on Thursday after the attorney continued speaking despite the judge’s instructions to stay silent.
While Thursday’s hearing was scheduled to discuss Rashaun Jones‘ upcoming murder trial, the hearing unraveled when Jones’ three defense attorneys appeared in court without their own attorney — one they had retained just two days earlier.
Jones, 40, has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in the death of his teammate, Bryan Pata, 22, who was shot and killed outside his Miami apartment on Nov. 7, 2006. Jones’ first trial, held earlier this year, ended in a mistrial when the jury failed to reach a unanimous verdict.
Sara Alvarez, Bonita Jones-Peabody and Christian Maroni all represent Jones; days after Judge Cristina Miranda filed an order limiting statements the attorneys could make to the media, the trio hired attorney Jude Faccidomo to represent them. Alvarez, Jones-Peabody and Maroni appeared at Thursday morning’s status hearing, but Faccidomo was unavailable, leaving the trio legally muzzled in open court.
Every time Jones’ attorneys tried to speak, Miranda cut them off, explaining that because they were represented by counsel, she could not speak to them.
Maroni: “Your Honor, I’m just asking for access to the record. Two sentences.”
Miranda: “Denied. You have representation. I have to treat you like any other defendant. I don’t really know why he’s filed a notice of appearance on Rashaun Jones.”
Maroni: “It’s related to personal matters. The language of the notice says personal representative.”
Miranda: “I understand he’s personally representing the three attorneys. It’s very unusual that we haven’t been able to get an understanding from the Florida Bar about how that’s going to affect the representation of Rashaun Jones. Right now, what it has done, is it has caused a continuance. So I guess we’ll take it up next week when [Faccidomo] is available again.”
Maroni: “Understood. Just for the record, defense —”
Miranda: “Not for the record! I cannot have you speak on the record for Rashaun Jones when you are represented by counsel.”
Miranda became frustrated when both Maroni and Jones-Peabody repeatedly tried to interject. “How is it that counsel doesn’t understand, if you’re represented by an attorney, I cannot listen to the person who’s represented without the attorney being present. I’m not having this discussion.”
When Jones-Peabody continued to defy Miranda’s order, Miranda tossed her from the courtroom. “Out of the courtroom! Out of the courtroom. You have violated my rule. I said I do not want to hear from you, and you keep interrupting and you keep speaking. And I think it’s all for show for the camera. Out of the courtroom. That means get your stuff and out now. I don’t want to have to have the bailiff take you out.”
Jones’ retrial was initially scheduled to begin on Sept. 14; Miranda delayed it until Nov. 9.
