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So remember the stand your ground shooting of Markeis McGlockton in July? Well, alongside this major manslaughter case that sparked a national debate about self-defense, a series of sideshows has been playing out outside the courtroom. Strap in. It's a wild ride. @TB_Times
Up first, a former lawyer on the case, Lysa Clifton, is under Florida Bar investigation for possible solicitation based on a cold call jail visit to Drejka in jail. She withdrew from the case in October & was arrested on a DUI charge weeks later. tampabay.com/news/publicsaf…
Then, last month, the head lawyer, John Trevena, aired his personal drama in salacious court documents. He wrote that a prominent TV anchor introduced him to a woman who stole from him & got his wife hooked on drugs. Yesterday, he took it all back. tampabay.com/pinellas/micha…
The docs also revealed a close friendship b/t Trevena & the anchor, Reginald Roundtree. That lead to ethical ?s about Roundtree's Drejka coverage. The station fired him last week. (Roundtree & his lawyer say it's related to age discrimination, not ethics.) tampabay.com/news/publicsaf…
Last week, William Flores, a young lawyer & Stetson grad, entered the fray. He said he joined the defense team to learn from Trevena & help out where he can. Flores also has a recent DUI arrest and was convicted in December. tampabay.com/news/publicsaf…
On top of all of that, a lead @SheriffPinellas detective on the case was fired last month after deputies said he showed up to a death investigation scene drunk. He was also arrested on a DUI charge. tampabay.com/news/publicsaf…
So anyway, that will get you caught up on the various spectacles outside the courtroom. But keep in mind the case could have major implications for the debate around self-defense. There are way bigger reasons to keep following this case than the sideshows. tampabay.com/data/2018/08/1…
The trial is slated to start Aug. 19. Here's the latest on the legal strategy. Whether the defense team argues self-defense (as George Zimmerman's attorneys did), or the subset of self-defense known as stand your ground, will be something to watch. tampabay.com/news/publicsaf…
