Just three weeks after Donna Adelson’s murder trial unexpectedly unraveled when her lead lawyer withdrew, the judge presiding over the case ordered that her two new attorneys can’t represent her either.
Leon Circuit Judge Stephen Everett on Monday issued an order disqualifying Robert “Alex” Morris and Adam Komisar over actual and potential conflicts of interest.
The order marked another twist in the murder of Dan Markel , the 41-year-old Florida State law professor and father of two who was fatally shot at his home on July 18, 2014. The two hired killers, an accomplice and Adelson’s son, Charlie Adelson , have all been convicted on murder charges in the years since.
It also likely means further delay in Donna Adelson’s trial as her new lawyers will have to spend time getting up to speed on the evidence. After her trial was postponed last month, the court was eyeing a window between November through early 2025, though even that seemed optimistic.
The conflicts stem from the same unusual situation that derailed Adelson’s trial last month: her initial decision to hire the same lawyer, Dan Rashbaum of Miami, who represented her son last year, to also represent her.