Search results for: markeith loyd

This week, there was an Orlando Sentinel op-ed on police excessive force in the arrest of Markeith Loyd that is of interest.
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Entitled “The uncomfortable truth about the capture of Markeith Loyd,“ it is written by Rhetta Peoples, guest columnist for the Orlando Sentinel,  and a “… journalist for the Black Press, activist and the owner of a boutique marketing firm in Orlando.”

What Do You Think?  Watch the Video that Ms. Peoples Describes as Police Excessive Force

To see the force used by law enforcement on Markeith Loyd, check out the video shown during Terence Lenamon’s interview by the Law & Crime Network, beginning at 11:11 of the 15:11 video as Terry explains things:

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Terence Lenamon was victorious in his fight against capital punishment for Markeith Loyd (see our earlier posts for details about the case).  What was the jury thinking when jurors returned to the courtroom, announcing a decision against the death penalty?

Death Penalty Closing Argument by Terence Lenamon (Result: Jury Nixes Death Penalty)

Here’s the defense closing argument, shared by the Law & Crime Network in a live feed saved on its YouTube channel:

Terence Lenamon presented the defense’s opening statement in the death penalty trial of State of Florida v. Markeith Loyd today, and you can watch Terry’s opening via this YouTube capture of the live courtroom proceedings (Terry begins at the 14:33 mark, immediately after the state’s opening statement):

Yesterday, the Law & Crime Network announced on Twitter that it will be covering the Death Penalty Trial of Florida v. Markeith Loyd.

Twitter Announcement of Live Coverage

The October 8, 2019, tweet:

THIRD LIVE TRIAL on Law&Crime: FL v. #MarkeithLoyd. We could see a jury seated on Thursday. Loyd on trial for the murder of his pregnant ex-girlfriend Sade Dixon. He’ll face a separate trial for the murder of Lt. Debra Clayton who was shot & killed while Loyd was on the run.

Where Loyd Trial Can Be Seen Live

Here where the live trial can be seen via the Law&Crime Network — note it’s available on phones (iPhones and android), as well as ROKU, Amazon FireTV, and other streaming devices as well as on Amazon’s Video on Demand and the REV cable network: 

 

This week, Terry Lenamon continues work in the courtroom as jury selection continues in the Markeith Loyd trial.  It’s reported that picking a jury will take several weeks. Part of the reason it will take so long is because the judge has ruled that the jury will be sequestered during the trial.

What is Jury Sequestration?

Jury sequestration involves the trial judge ordering that the jurors (once selected) be protected from things that might impact their decision-making outside of what they will hear as evidence in the courtroom as the trial proceeds, or after both sides have rested and the case is sent to the jury for deliberations.  The jurors do not pay for this; the government underwrites the expense.  This can involve not only their stay in a private hotel room, but providing protection at all times, and periodic field trips to help morale as time passes.  Jurors are allowed limited visits or conversations with their loved ones, and they do not get unlimited access to the internet since that might reveal something outside of trial evidence which could influence their decision.  Potential jurors who would be harmed by being sequestered (hardship) are not required to be sequestered (this is the judge’s decision).

Examples of Sequestered Juries

Three well-known past criminal cases involving sequestered juries include the O.J. Simpson criminal trial; the Casey Anthony trial; and the Bill Cosby case.  It is said the Simpson trial involved the longest time for a jury to be sequestered, at 265 days.

For those following the ongoing death penalty trial of Markeith Loyd in Florida, the following four court filings by Terence Lenamon, attorney for the defense, have been uploaded into Terry Lenamon’s Online Library as a public service:

 

Death Penalty Trial: Motion Regarding Metal Detectors; read the full text of the motion as filed of record here:

 

 

Other court filings by the defense for Markeith Loyd include:

Click on the above links to read these filings in their entirety.

Terry Lenamon continues his death penalty defense in the capital case involving Markeith Loyd, a case that is being followed closely by the Florida news media.  Markeith Loyd stands accused of two homicides, one his ex-girlfriend (Sade Dixon) and the other, Orlando police officer Debra Clayton.   The State of Florida is seeking the death penalty in both cases.

It is a case that has been a media focus since December 2016 when there was a nine day “manhunt” by Central Florida law enforcement for Markeith Loyd.  See, “Timeline: How the hunt and capture of Markeith Loyd unfolded: Search began with pregnant woman’s murder,” written by Adrienne Cutway and published by WKMG Click Orlando.

Markeith Loyd Trial Dates

The trial regarding the Sade Dixon homicide is set to begin soon (in September 2019).  The Debra Clayton trial is set for May 2020.

The defense motion that the two trials be combined into a single trial has been denied.  For more, read “Lawyers for Markeith Loyd want to combine killings of Debra Clayton, Sade Dixon into 1 case,” written by Jeff Weiner and published by the Orlando Sentinel on August 5, 2019.

Judge Leticia Marques has set a pre-trial hearing for September 3, 2019, where attorneys for both sides must present a full witness list.

Markeith Loyd Competency Hearing

Terry Lenamon moved for Markeith Loyd to have a mental health evaluation because of concerns regarding his competency to stand trial.  This motion was denied by the trial judge.

For more, see “Judge denies request to combine Markeith Loyd murder trials: Accused killer recently completed mental evaluation” wirtten by Adrienne Cutway and Emilee Speck and published by WKMG ClickOrlando on  August 23, 2019.

Also see:

Terence Lenamon has filed the following three motions in the Markeith Loyd death penalty trial.  No hearing date as yet. For more information, see “Markeith Loyd seeks to combine murder trials, delay trial start to April,” written by Emelee Speck and published by ClickOrlando on August 2, 2019:

 

 

 

 

Today, Terence Lenamon argued his motion that  Florida State Attorney Aramis Ayala be allowed to testify as part of the defense for Markeith Loyd.  Back in 2017, Ms. Ayala declined to seek the death penalty as prosecutor in the Loyd case; as a result, Governor Rick Scott replaced her at the state’s trial table.  (Watch an excerpt of the hearing here.)

Trial Court Judge Leticia Marques denied the motion.

The Loyd case is set for trial in September.

Read the Motion Presented in Loyd Defense, Asking for Ayala’s Testimony

The motion, as filed of record, is shown below for those interested in the arguments that were made today.