FL - Sarah Boone, 42, charged with murdering boyfriend Jorge Torres, 42, by leaving him locked in suitcase, Winter Park, Feb 2020

[legalmomma]

Sarah Boone Status Hearing docket entry:

 

[Observe_dont_Absorb]

TWICE in the 911 call, SB says she PUT HIM in the suitcase.

That's not how Hide-n-Seek works. I hide you, then I find you where I put you, then I leave you there where I hid-n-found you and go to bed. No 'tag, you're it'. She didn't hide.

But then, we all know it was never a game.

Are her motions published yet?

My sympathy to the judge and, in time, the jury.

JMO

Agree with your points and wonder how did she coerce / coax / trick him into a suitcase and then him not bust out whilst she zipped it all around? I guess at the moment he heard those zips going around him he must have known he was done for. Did she sit on top of him with her full body weight whilst he desperately tried to prevent her fully fastening the case?

Perhaps he had passed out drunk and wasn't awake when she put him in there? She accused him of 'rag dolling' her in one of the police arrest body cams for one of their prior incidents. Perhaps that's what she did to him when he was passed out and malleable - shoved him around like a rag doll?

JMO MOO

 

[Observe_dont_Absorb]

In answer to question, yes her motions were filed and are public info, I saw them on a youtube video discussion. She filed five motions.

 

[Seattle1]

Agree with your points and wonder how did she coerce / coax / trick him into a suitcase and then him not bust out whilst she zipped it all around? I guess at the moment he heard those zips going around him he must have known he was done for. Did she sit on top of him with her full body weight whilst he desperately tried to prevent her fully fastening the case?

Perhaps he had passed out drunk and wasn't awake when she put him in there? She accused him of 'rag dolling' her in one of the police arrest body cams for one of their prior incidents. Perhaps that's what she did to him when he was passed out and malleable - shoved him around like a rag doll?

JMO MOO

The victim is conscious, talking to Boone from inside the suitcase. It's not clear how long he's been inside the suitcase when Boone is filming him:

 

[I am not Sherlock H.]

IMO she's not trying to avoid or delay trial. She wants out and believes she's innocent. She's impossible to work with and her attorneys are probably unable to convey the information about the severity of her situation to her as she wants to control the narrative. When she can't, or they don't do what she expects, then she becomes abusive and difficult.

I believe she's very much looking forward to her time in the spotlight and being vindicated in court because she's literally delusional.

Yes, and some interesting theory here too.

I wonder if maybe this SB defendant is playing another game as well. IANAL. Looks like in FL one can only be tried in absentia for a misdemeanor. So doubt any exception or case to be made for that. But the behavior reminds me of the Ira Einhorn case in Philadelphia, PA some years back. IIRC he was first tried and convicted in absentia for the death of Holly Maddux as he had fled the US. And then he was later found in France IIRC and ultimately returned and retried and convicted once the death penalty was removed from consideration.

From what information has been observed in this case thus far, the misbelief that ‘but I didn’t do it intentionally’ seems to weigh prominently in her ‘mind’. But I remain convinced from that same information that everything she did was intentional. Every. Single. Thing. The only thing that was not intentional and planned on her part was the victim having died.

I also hope that maybe there is some evidence of premeditation found. (Phone and electronic information; were they first upstairs and then wound up downstairs; touch DNA on which surfaces of the suitcase; when she called 911 (after first calling her ex husband IIUC?); what time of disturbance the neighbor heard; were there time delays in reporting the crime; had she done CPR?). Then maybe that would allow the FL death penalty to be imposed for the case? And imposing that might change someone’s mind and get their attention. MOO

 

[tlcya]

IMO she's not trying to avoid or delay trial. She wants out and believes she's innocent. She's impossible to work with and her attorneys are probably unable to convey the information about the severity of her situation to her as she wants to control the narrative. When she can't, or they don't do what she expects, then she becomes abusive and difficult.

I believe she's very much looking forward to her time in the spotlight and being vindicated in court because she's literally delusional.

This actually makes sense to me. She is a very unusual individual and I hope one day a case study is done on her because wowsa, she's quite something. Quite literally delusional.

 

[Seattle1]

I wonder if maybe this SB defendant is playing another game as well. IANAL. Looks like in FL one can only be tried in absentia for a misdemeanor. So doubt any exception or case to be made for that. But the behavior reminds me of the Ira Einhorn case in Philadelphia, PA some years back. IIRC he was first tried and convicted in absentia for the death of Holly Maddux as he had fled the US. And then he was later found in France IIRC and ultimately returned and retried and convicted once the death penalty was removed from consideration.

^^rsbm

I don't understand? What does trial by absentia have to do with Sarah Boone? She's present and being held in custody. Einhorn was tried in absentia after he skipped bail and fled to EU days before his trial. Einhorn was a fugitive for more than 20 years!

SB had a Motions hearing today -- she was sworn in as pro-se (and also wants standby counsel) but still seemed to be very much enjoying this circus she created. She previously received 8 attorneys by the court.

Ira Einhorn - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[sasha17]

Sarah Boone Status Hearing docket entry:

Thanks for sharing these. Trying to make sense of it... The PI (Billy Lane) took custody of the two boxes of discovery during the last hearing and was instructed by the judge to put the documents on a thumb drive for Sarah to use on the computer in jail for her trial prep. Today during court, he returned the two boxes of discovery to the clerk and gave the thumb drive to the Sergeant. Got it. But then Sarah wanted him to have the boxes of discovery back in his custody and the court approved it? What for?

 

[I am not Sherlock H.]

See this is a pity that Judge Wooten is no longer on the case as he did state he'd take a personal interest and scrutinise what's going on with SB and her attorneys.

She wants to conduct her own trial and tell everyone she's innocent etc but she doesn't have any stories that stack up so it wouldn't be possible, the prosecution would just slaughter her and she'd end up with what's probably considered an unfair trial with a far harsher sentence than usual.

It is legal / ethical to allow the defendant to represent themselves if they're going to damage their own (already poor) prospects, which it's clear she would.

How can this case proceed when she's unworkable with? She clearly doesn't care about getting out of prison any longer, not bothered about her son any more? Maybe it's all part of her own psychological denial and obfuscation mechanisms - the longer she doesn't have a trial the longer it is before she's found culpable of the thing she's in denial about - so it serves a purpose for it not to happen. JMO MOO

IANAL. Wonder why this defendant hasn’t been requested to undergo suitable psychiatric, psychological, and mental health evaluation? Or maybe that has already happened and I am unaware. And with her now representing herself, might that be grounds for some future ruling or appeal? For example, ineffective counsel….. although SB has plowed through the effective counsel offered to her.

I suggest the court have her sign a written stipulation too that she has waived her right to be represented and lost the actions that resulted in such. Make he sign some court-ordered documents. IMO SB needs to ‘own’ the chaos and process she has dictated by her actions.

Perhaps shortly it will become apparent from one of the many attorneys that tried with this defendant - just what was recommended to this ‘fine’ client as a course for this case? MOO

 

[Seattle1]

Thanks for sharing these. Trying to make sense of it... The PI (Billy Lane) took custody of the two boxes of discovery during the last hearing and was instructed by the judge to put the documents on a thumb drive for Sarah to use on the computer in jail for her trial prep. Today during court, he returned the two boxes of discovery to the clerk and gave the thumb drive to the Sergeant. Got it. But then Sarah wanted him to have the boxes of discovery back in his custody and the court approved it? What for?

From other cases, I know that Docs/Exhibits inside the cell are deemed contraband so the thumb drive makes sense. Jail personnel will give TD to her during the hours she's allowed access to a laptop.

I believe she wants the PI/Investigator to have custody of the discovery for convenience since she can easily contact him. I imagine SB just received thousands of scanned pages and probably hasn't viewed them yet to know if all are legible, and may need some data re-scanned. JMO

 

[I am not Sherlock H.]

^^rsbm

I don't understand? What does trial by absentia have to do with Sarah Boone? She's present and being held in custody. Einhorn was tried in absentia after he skipped bail and fled to EU days before his trial. Einhorn was a fugitive for more than 20 years!

SB had a Motions hearing today -- she was sworn in as pro-se (and also wants standby counsel) but still seemed to be very much enjoying this circus she created. She previously received 8 attorneys by the court.

Ira Einhorn - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

My suggestion IANAL…. Take her out of the courtroom since she does not conduct her behavior in such a manner to deserve or allow her to be present. She has removed that right. MOO

And the circus she has created underscores the point. Let her watch it remotely if allowed under FL law. MOO

 

[Seattle1]

My suggestion IANAL…. Take her out of the courtroom since she does not conduct her behavior in such a manner to deserve or allow her to be present. She has removed that right. MOO

And the circus she has created underscores the point. Let her watch it remotely if allowed under FL law. MOO

Thanks. Admittedly, I've not followed closely but haven't viewed any unsafe/disruptive/illegal conduct by the defendant inside the courtroom to ban her from her own proceedings, a clear violation of her civil rights.

More recently, I've watched trials where the defendant refused to attend their own trial (i.e., Adam Armstrong) but I can't think of a case where a defendant-- especially representing oneself, was barred from their trial.

I recall when WI, Darrell Brooks, was out of control, the trial Judge would send him to another room to view the proceeding by webcam which again is not the equivalent of trial in absentia. JMO

 

[sasha17]

From other cases, I know that Docs/Exhibits inside the cell are deemed contraband so the thumb drive makes sense. Jail personnel will give TD to her during the hours she's allowed access to a laptop.

I believe she wants the PI/Investigator to have custody of the discovery for convenience since she can easily contact him. I imagine SB just received thousands of scanned pages and probably hasn't viewed them yet to know if all are legible, and may need some data re-scanned. JMO

Yes, during the last hearing, the judge read out loud the conditions that Sarah has to follow for access to the laptop and thumb drive in jail (it'll be charged in a security office, she can't have the cord, only access during certain hours, etc.). Sarah said she wanted paper copies so she could write on them and also work on things at 3am, when she wouldn't have access to the laptop and thumb drive but the judge said no.

It makes sense that she could want the PI to keep them in case she needs something re-scanned or has questions about them. She did ask for permission to have visits from the PI so perhaps she wants to talk to him about the documents after she reviews them on the laptop.

 

[Observe_dont_Absorb]

The victim is conscious, talking to Boone from inside the suitcase. It's not clear how long he's been inside the suitcase when Boone is filming him:

I know, I'm aware, but had he lost consciousness maybe? If so, at what point did he come around to consciousness? He could have been passed out when she dragged and pushed him in there? he's only a very small built and slender man

 

[arielilane]

SB's status hearing was earlier today. It wasn't live streamed this morning, but it is available now.


-- SB does not want to be pro se... she should have thought about that before zipping up the suitcase with Jorge inside and ignoring all his cries for help.

Additionally, she should have thought of the importance a defense attorney role is in defending her rights - knowing the laws. Instead she whined and cried like a b.... about everything and she is now left with herself.

jmo

'I don't want to be pro se': Sarah Boone argues with judge

Accused killer Sarah Boone argued with a judge over access to evidence and whether she had a right to standby counsel at a hearing on Monday.

www.courttv.com

Posted at 4:58 PM, August 5, 2024 and last updated 9:36 AM, August 5, 2024

ORLANDO, Fla. (Court TV) — Accused killer Sarah Boone appeared in court on Monday, where she failed to convince a judge to give her another chance to have a lawyer represent her.

 

[Observe_dont_Absorb]

If I understand correctly from most recent court hearing:

Deadline for SB to review the physical and digital evidence is 3rd Sept 2024.

Following which she will be allowed time to lodge objections to anything that has been viewed that is intended to be submitted, deadline for objections 17th Sept 2024.

Pre-trial case management meeting, the following week 26th Sept 2024.

7th October 2024 is the trial date start.

 

[Observe_dont_Absorb]

SB's request for a stand-by attorney was refused as not applicable in her circumstances.

 

[sasha17]

SB's status hearing was earlier today. It wasn't live streamed this morning, but it is available now.


-- SB does not want to be pro se... she should have thought about that before zipping up the suitcase with Jorge inside and ignoring all his cries for help.

Additionally, she should have thought of the importance a defense attorney role is in defending her rights - knowing the laws. Instead she whined and cried like a b.... about everything and she is now left with herself.

jmo

'I don't want to be pro se': Sarah Boone argues with judge

Accused killer Sarah Boone argued with a judge over access to evidence and whether she had a right to standby counsel at a hearing on Monday.

www.courttv.com

Posted at 4:58 PM, August 5, 2024 and last updated 9:36 AM, August 5, 2024

ORLANDO, Fla. (Court TV) — Accused killer Sarah Boone appeared in court on Monday, where she failed to convince a judge to give her another chance to have a lawyer represent her.

She's very good at digging herself into a hole even further.

 

[Trebor5591]

I want to see this...any link?

Or could you sum up what defense attorneys said?...thanks

All attorneys interviewed by Court TV said they would not want to represent Sarah Boone. One said the video tape Sarah took of Jorge Torres begging for his life from within the suitcase would be very difficult to overcome. Another said he would not touch this case with a ten-foot pole!

 

[Weki]

Sounds like state is eager to talk to her for a potential plea negotiation. Very interesting development. The prosecutor said that she has indicated to lawyers she’s spoken to recently that she wants to speak to the state.

I think she has legitimate concerns and is overwhelmed by having to rep herself. But she did this to herself by being a prima Donna. For example, she doesn’t have access to a phone or internet to be able to contact potential trial witnesses etc. These are legit concerns but no one can help her now. I’m liking the judge. He’s sticking by his decision and not coddling her. He’s like “yup you have 62 days to get ready for trial!” Yeeeeeesh! That’s not enough for a lawyer let alone a pro se defendant.

She may actually come out OK in all this if the state pleas her out just to not go through a painful trial! I don’t know if the victim has family that’s breathing down the state’s neck! But I see a voluntary manslaughter plea deal in her future. The state has leverage now because she clearly will be convicted if she goes to trial as pro se. It’s a forgone conclusion!

JMO