FL v. Franklin Tyrone Tucker - "Treehouse Murder Trial"

[arielilane]

Combative sidebar is going on at this time.
I believe TTF wants to show some video which will impeach TJ's testimony.

moo

 

[arielilane]

Judge is leaving his bench to take a break and went to his chambers.

 

[arielilane]

TTF wants to show that TJ (who has a deal with the state) wasn't fully truthful with his testimony.

 

[arielilane]

Judge is back, and jury is returning too. However, TTF tells the judge he does not have copy of full video. Another sidebar.

 

[arielilane]

Judge doesn't want to keep the jury waiting. Sidebar over. Bring in the jury.
Defendant will continue with cross - Back on the stand: TJ

Note: Jury present from 1-1:30 (30 minutes) during yesterday's trial.

 

[arielilane]

I believe all the men involved with the robbery, knew each other prior to the robbery. I will never understand why having a witness on the stand for so long is necessary. TJ is not on trial. moo

 

[arielilane]

Recess for the day. Judge dealing with other dockets tomorrow morning.

Trial will resume @1:00 p.m. tomorrow and TJ will be back on the stand to continue testimony.

 

[arielilane]

TJ refusing to be truthful at times, but he wants to keep his deal with the state. So that is a bit confusing. I am sure he does not want to risk going back to jail.

TTF did rather well with the video evidence. However, he is NOT an attorney and desperately in need of representation. His line of questioning is often irrelevant.

moo

 

[Weki]

I’m at the impeachment argument outside the presence of the jury. So far Tucker has done well. I agree he did well on the video part about the reflection etc. Minor point but he did well. I’m certain he’s had help from attorneys on this because this is obviously a huge witness for the state.

Travis Johnson has remained unflappable. He comes across as truthful to me but @arielilane you felt otherwise it sounds like?

JMO

 

[Weki]

Ohhhh OK I’m at the impeachment by video part now. I see what you mean about Johnson’s inconsistencies. He’s also getting very defensive now. Wow. Tucker is killing it here. I have to hand it to him. He’s being calm and collected as Johnson gets more and more agitated. Ultimately, I don’t believe Johnson is falsely implicating Tucker. I hope the state can clean this up on redirect. But cross has been effective for sure.

 

[arielilane]

@cathyrusson

Treehouse murder trial not in session until 1pm ET today. Judge has another docket this morning.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1747998073685717179

 

[Weki]

Starting off the afternoon late again because Tucker says he can’t tell the traffic in Key West anymore. Judge told him next time he’ll be taken into custody so they’ll know where he is at all times. Ha! Jury is called out and immediately Tucker asks for sidebar. *sigh*

He is straining the courts patience as well as the prosecution. His strategy here is clearly to appear meek in the face of a 2 man prosecution. I think he’s an extremely manipulative person. There was no reason for him to kill that man. He did it just cause and that makes him extremely dangerous. He needs to be locked up for good.

JMO

 

[Weki]

The remainder of cross exam was not eventful today. On redirect Prosecutor Mansfield is doing a good job rehab’ing the witness. Makes it clear that Johnson is the one who told detectives about the kind of knife Tucker had in his hand and Johnson is the one who brought up Tucker’s name as the second assailant. So he wasn’t fed a narrative that he just agreed to as implied by Tucker.

Johnson says Tucker had missing teeth and a long goatee back then. We’ve seen the picture. He looks completely diff now. His suga mama has fixed him up real good!

Tucker is on his phone a lot today I’m noticing. I think he’s getting live feedback from lawyers to help him along.

 

[arielilane]

@cathyrusson

Judge: "So I see you've graced us with your presence, Mr. Tucker."AGAIN pro se defendant #FranklinTucker was late for court today. That's been pretty much every day of trial. Judge will issue a warrant for his arrest if it happens one more time and keep him in custody so he knows he'll be on time to court.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1748053438989271456

 

[arielilane]

DAILY TRIAL HIGHLIGHTS

DAY 4 – 1/17/24

• Travis Johnson, one of the prosecution’s star witnesses, said he agreed to act as a getaway driver for Tucker and Rory Wilson in an armed robbery at the Treehouse for $50 in gas money, but ended up leaving the pair behind when he saw someone flee the Treehouse yelling for police.
  • Johnson said he accepted a plea deal in 2022 that dropped his murder charge and gave him a sentence of time served (5 years) plus five years of probation that would end after he testifies.
  • Johnson described himself as an “outsider” to the plot who went along hoping to score drugs or money for drugs.
  • Johnson admitted to hiding Paula Belmonte’s backpack in the closet of a home he was fixing up.
  • Johnson said that Tucker snatched the backpack from the Treehouse, but could not explain how it ended up in his truck.
  • Johnson agreed with the prosecution that he “vacillated” before admitting to his role, saying he was weighing the consequences of coming clean.
• On cross, Tucker played Johnson’s police interview/confession in an attempt to suggest that Johnson adopted police’s version that cast him as the would-be getaway driver instead of a principal perpetrator.
  • Tucker went through the interview line-by-line trying to catch “major inconsistencies.” Johnson agreed there were some inconsistencies but insisted he told the truth eventually.
  • Judge Jones expressed surprise the Tucker wanted to show the video and questioned the “wisdom of playing a damaging statement over and over again,” but let Tucker show them to the jury.
  • WATCH: Treehouse Murder Defendant to Co-Defendant: ‘You Ever Kill Anybody?’
  • WATCH: Treehouse Murder Trial: Defendant Cross-Examines Co-Defendant
• WATCH: Treehouse Murder Trial: Recap Day 4

FL v. Franklin Tyrone Tucker: Treehouse Murder Trial

Franklin Tucker is representing himself on charges of robbery and homicide in the death of Matthew Bonnett at a home known for drug sales.

www.courttv.com

 

[Chelly]

I find Tucker's fake, soft-spoken humility act, as well as his passive aggressively really, really annoying.

 

[Weki]

I find Tucker's fake, soft-spoken humility act, as well as his passive aggressively really, really annoying.

Yes! What an act!! We’ve seen bursts of rage at times and then he quickly tamps it down. Even the judge said to him at one point ‘don’t give me all this fluff just state what you want.’ I’ve encountered people like Tucker & as soon as you don’t acquiesce to them, watch out! This is all an act to get compliance and he thinks he will get that from the jury. Smh. I hope they don’t fall for it!

 

[Weki]

ME and DNA expert testify. Tucker’s DNA wasn’t found in anything. Many items were inconclusive. ME says Tucker’s knife is consistent with victim’s wounds.

State rests.

Trial won’t start with the jury until 1 pm tomorrow because judge correctly anticipates delays on Tucker’s side in getting Paula Belamonte set up for her Zoom testimony. Tucker also expected to do an oral JOA motion in the morning before jurors arrive. He wanted to do it in writing tomorrow afternoon and judge said nope you will do it in the morning orally. Not clear what other witnesses Tucker will be calling.

I wonder if Tucker will testify? I think, yes.

 

[arielilane]

I find Tucker's fake, soft-spoken humility act, as well as his passive aggressively really, really annoying.

He's on my last nerve, goodness! I feel for the judge.

 

[arielilane]

ME and DNA expert testify. Tucker’s DNA wasn’t found in anything. Many items were inconclusive. ME says Tucker’s knife is consistent with victim’s wounds.

State rests.

Trial won’t start with the jury until 1 pm tomorrow because judge correctly anticipates delays on Tucker’s side in getting Paula Belamonte set up for her Zoom testimony. Tucker also expected to do an oral JOA motion in the morning before jurors arrive. He wanted to do it in writing tomorrow afternoon and judge said nope you will do it in the morning orally. Not clear what other witnesses Tucker will be calling.

I wonder if Tucker will testify? I think, yes.

Thank you so much for the update. I didnt watch the trial today.

100% TTF will testify, this man loves to talk, is enjoying the spotlight, and loves himself so much he would never deprive himself of the opportunity. lol

moo