The Brief
- A judge denied Stephan Sterns’ request to delay his suppression hearing, rejecting his defense’s claim of needing more time to review undisclosed “confidential information.”
- The hearing will proceed Wednesday, focusing on whether evidence from Sterns’ phone and Google account was lawfully obtained in the case involving the murder of 13-year-old Madeline Soto.
ORLANDO, Fla. – A judge has denied Stephan Sterns’ motion to push Wednesday’s suppression hearing during a hearing Tuesday.
‘Confidential information’?
What they’re saying:
Stephan Sterns, the man accused of sexually assaulting and killing 13-year-old Madeline Soto, filed a motion to delay his upcoming court hearing due to “confidential information” his attorneys recently obtained.
In the motion, the defense claimed:
- “The Defense will not have time to develop this evidence before the currently scheduled Motion to Suppress scheduled for hearing on April 23, 2025.”
- “As such, Defense is requesting to continue these hearings to be reset for a later date.”
However, in Tuesday’s hearing, the motion was denied. The “confidential information” the defense claims to have was never revealed to the court. The judge stated that there has been plenty of time to prepare for these hearings. Citing that the case began over a year ago in February 2024 and there has been nothing presented to the court that would prove the defense’s claim.
Suppression hearing set for Wednesday
What we know:…