FL - FSU Law Professor Dan Markel Murdered by Hitmen-Donna Adelson Upcoming Trial - *4 Guilty* #26

[arielilane]

@Angenette5


DONNA ADELSON NEWS: I am told that the State Attorney's Office did NOT offer Donna Adelson a plea deal in exchange for her giving up her daughter, Wendi. "No plea was offered and no plea was rejected" - that is what I was told.
@LawCrimeNetwork


8:47 PM · Aug 5, 2025

https://twitter.com/x/status/1952894248241774594

 

[arielilane]

Who is this Tally Criminal defense attorney Tim Jansen? Any connection to Donna's case, as I don't have him listed in my notes - or ?? TIA!

He's a criminal defense attorney in Tallahassee, FL. He is not directly involved in DA's case.

 

[Born2BWild]

Regardless of whether the plea rumor is true or false, maybe somebody leaked it to Jansen to see if he could keep a secret or be a useful distributor of misinformation?

Tim Jensen responded to a commenter from the episode of STS that no one should trust TJ with a secret. TJ quickly responded that his source is well placed and gave TJ explicit permission to publicly share the story. He is well known in Tallahassee and has his sources.

And that led the panel to wonder if the leak’s intent was to spook WA.

 

[Zedzded]

And that led the panel to wonder if the leak’s intent was to spook WA.

It worked for DA and HA. So I wouldn't necessarily rule it out.

 

[LetsSolvIt]

Tim Jensen responded to a commenter from the episode of STS that no one should trust TJ with a secret. TJ quickly responded that his source is well placed and gave TJ explicit permission to publicly share the story. He is well known in Tallahassee and has his sources.

And that led the panel to wonder if the leak’s intent was to spook WA.

If TJ is as reputable as he comes off, this is the only thing that makes sense to me — a “bump” of sorts.
OMO.

 

[Wishbone]

State Attorney Jack Campbell firmly denies rumors of plea deals for Donna Adelson​

• State Attorney Jack Campbell and Adelson's defense attorney are firmly denying rumors that the State has offered Donna Adelson a plea deal.
• Adelson's trial is set to begin on August 19. She is accused of orchestrating a murder-for-hire plot in Tallahassee.
• Watch the video to hear from Campbell

State Attorney Jack Campbell firmly denies rumors of plea deals for Donna Adelson

State Attorney Jack Campbell denies rumors that the State offered Donna Adelson a plea deal. Campbell confirms the trial is set to go ahead August 19.

www.wtxl.com

 

[Knitpicker]

Recently reviewing JL’s testimony at CA’s trial for about the 10th time—-and a Q arose in my mind for the first time- Maybe I missed this prior-Did we ever find out exactly when JL planned the trip to Tennessee? We know that JL had asked WA to spend that week with him first in Cali to visit the parents, and then when she cancelled, he tried St Augustine- that didn’t work either, so obviously he made the Tennessee plans.

What we don’t know is whether when she used her mothers phone to text Dan from Miami asking him whether he would be home the week of the 14-18, do we know if JL had already made those plans to go to Tennessee on the 18th, thus the murder was planned that day?
Also interesting that he decided to leave the day prior.

Also, was there something about WA’s “Interrogation” about what day and time he was leaving (especially since she cut off the relationship) that made him suspect of anything?

I don’t think Georgia ever addressed this. Not saying the day was solely planned to frame JL…

 

[Weki]

So basically we should believe that if someone told Tim that the state believes Donna Adelson is actually innocent and they are just going through with this trial becaue of the publicity and to save embarassment if they release her....he would just spread that information and say it was a "credible, well-placed source"??? OK well if that's the case, his judgement is highly suspect and no one should rely on any information he shares. JMO

 

[opt]

Before I stock up on popcorn, what's the over/under on whether the trial will start on August 19?

 

[geevee]

Before I stock up on popcorn, what's the over/under on whether the trial will start on August 19?

I think there's an extremely good chance jury selection will begin on the 19th. After all the delays with lawyer switching, the investigation that seems to have yielded no new charges against DA (or anyone else), Judge Everett would have a freaking cow if anything else occurred to derail the trial.

 

[BUF]

Judge Everett would have a freaking cow if anything else occurred to derail the trial.

I agree!

 

[IQuestion]

Before I stock up on popcorn, what's the over/under on whether the trial will start on August 19?

I had to small packs of Orville's last night just watching the TJ reveal on "possible offer of time served for DA."
I thought, "Ain't that lady a hoot?" So noble she won't talk or turn on her daughter (WA), but at the same time willing to suggest hurting her oldest son (RA) if he does talk!! She appears to be such a pain in the backside of the jail system, I'm sure they were all in agreement of her getting "time served" and moving out, too.
Been thinking long and hard about what it is that is so pitiful about HA, DA, WA, CA, The Feckless Four...they lack character, a strong moral compass, and most of all they act "entitled" instead of having gratitude. Especially that WA character.. many of us know someone close who has gone through a divorce or have gone through one ourselves, right? How many of you have ever sent out the details of your divorce/property settlements & details to 20 different people?????? WA loves to stir-the-pot and build consensus of being the hapless victim. It's all just so sophomoric...this psychopathic need to be seen as a victim if people are not singing her praises. (Wow, she really is just like DA in so many ways! Even the bad acting and scrunching up their faces as they add drama to their fairy tales.) JeffL nailed everything and I mean EVERYTHING in the police interviews...pretty amazing guy.

 

[apeXperience]

Plea deal?

“State attorneys: Give us the evidence of Wendi’s involvement in the murder of Dan Markel, and we acquiesce to time served at sentencing
Donna Adelson: No. But thanks.”

Wrong! A plea deal is never one shot in the dark like that!

• A plea deal is the result of a challenging plea bargain, described as complex and daunting recursive processes by most criminal defense lawyers
• In 99% of cases, a plea bargain is initiated by the lawyers of the defendant
• White collar criminal defense lawyers are the specialists of plea bargain
• While the State does not rebuke at arrival a plea bargain request, it would be absurd for the State to trade time served against one alleged co-conspirator Wendi for someone indicted by a secret Grand Jurors such as Donna Adelson
• Prosecutors and defense lawyers might agree on a plea deal but the Judge still could reject it

In sum

• The rumor peddled by bum attorney for click bait YT is absurd, and offensive to the State
• It gives the impression that the defendant is innocent like an angel such that she reject 21 months time served for a First Degree murder, plus conspiracy to commit murder, plus solicitation to commit murder
• The timing of this rumor in the days before jury selection benefits the defendant Donna Adelson
• “Suivez mon regard!”

 

[Zedzded]

• Prosecutors and defense lawyers might agree on a plea deal but the Judge still could reject it

If someone can confirm, but in US law, doesn't the family of the victim have a say in whether they want a plea deal to be offered?

 

[Niner]

Friday, August 8th:
*Final Pretrial Hearing (@ am ET) - FL - Daniel Eric Markel (41) (shot to death July 18, 2014, Tallahassee) - *Donna Sue Adelson (64 @ time of crime/73/now 75) arrested by FBI @ Miami Intl. Airport (11/13/23) on out-of-County warrant from Leon County arrest Warrant [#FW231o2353] & indicted (11/15/23), charged (11/21/23) & arraigned (12/11/23) with 1st degree murder, conspiracy to commit 1st degree murder & solicitation to commit 1st degree murder. No bond. Held at Miami-Dade County Jail (Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. Leon County has 15 days to extradite from Miami-Dade County). Transferred from Miami-Dade to Leon County on 11/20/23. Transferred to Wakulla Detention Facility on 6/6/25). Held without bond (murder), $25K (conspiracy) & $25K (solicitation) on 11/21/23. Plead not guilty. Leon County
Jury selection set to begin on 8/19/25. [thru 8/23/25]
Trial set to begin on 8/25/25. [thru 9/5/25]
Leon County Circuit Judge Stephen S. Everett presiding. Prosecutor Georgia Cappelman & Assistant State attorney Sarah Dugan. Defense attorney Adam J. Komisar, Jackie Fulford & Joshua D. Zelman.
Case & Court info from 11/13/23 thru 7/2/25 reference post #251 here:
https://websleuths.com/threads/fl-f...murdered-by-hitmen-4-guilty-26.739874/page-13
7/8/25 Docket updates: Witness list filed. Motion in Limine filed. Motion hearing set on 7/11/25 @ 1pm. Adelson will attend in person. This hearing is for 2 motions (Latin Kings? Change of Venue?). New deposition; Donna takes the deposition of her son Robert Adelson via Zoom on 7/14/25 @ 3:30pm. Motion for change of venue. Judge has not yet ruled about the motion for change of venue [see post #240, page 12]. Pretrial hearing on 8/8/25.
7/11/25 Update: The judge presiding over the murder trial of Adelson granted a defense motion to compel the state to provide raw cellphone data & other evidence & to extend some deadlines. However, during a hearing July 11, Leon Circuit Judge Stephen Everett expressed concerns that doing so could reopen the door to the same kind of conflict of interest that derailed her trial last year in the 2014 murder of Dan Markel. In other developments, Everett questioned the defense & state about upcoming motions they intend to file & whether Adelson’s trial was still on track for Aug. 19, when jury selection is set to begin. He said the deadlines he had set were “not arbitrary.” Zelman said the defense wasn't trying to delay the trial but that it had not received all the discovery from the state. He said he expected to file three additional motions. Judge Everett told both sides that their motions need to be filed by July 21. He set 8/8/25 for the final pretrial hearing.
7/14/25 Docket update: State's Motion to transcribe trial testimony [Donna Adelson]. See post #289, page 15 for document. 7/21/25 Update: Adelson’s attorneys filed new arguments Monday night, arguing certain evidence should not be allowed in her murder trial. Adelson’s lawyers are asking the judge to block prosecutors from using Adelson’s attempt to leave the country as evidence of guilt. Prosecutors say her intent to travel to a non-extradition country shows consciousness of guilt, but defense attorneys claim she did not know there was a warrant for her arrest & she would have otherwise been free to travel. The judge previously rejected this request, and it is unclear if or when he’ll reconsider.

 

[IQuestion]

If someone can confirm, but in US law, doesn't the family of the victim have a say in whether they want a plea deal to be offered?

The family of the Moscow , Idaho murders were angry the prosecutors settled a "plea deal" just before the trial was scheduled to begin. With that being said (and being a victim) I think prosecutors make deals 95% of the time and then try to talk the families into accepting the deal. It happens and other than extending the courtesy of keeping them in the loop, the prosecutors will do what their boss tells them to do. IMO

 

[Zedzded]

gotcha thanks.

 

[IQuestion]

ADDITIONAL INFO: Plea agreements are by far the most common way a criminal case is resolved — in fact, statistics show that 90-95% of criminal cases are resolved this way (by agreement).  Why might you ask? Usually because the facts or circumstances that brought about the charges are straightforward, evidence is overwhelming, and the defendant is easily proven to have committed the offense.

How Often Do Criminal Cases Go to Trial? - Free Consultation

Criminal trials are rare; only 2-5% reach court. Learn why pleas dominate and the value of an experienced trial attorney.

banksbrower.com

 

[BUF]

What was discussed and ruled on in this morning’s hearing….

UPDATE: Donna Adelson's trial officially set for August 19th, hundreds of jurors to be summoned for selection

The final pre-trial motion hearing has begun for accused murderer Donna Adelson. Adelson is accused of having her former son-in-law shot and killed in 2014.

www.wtxl.com

 

[nodamselindistress]

Her attorney made a statement about "when she testifies" - really looking forward to hearing her story!!