Donna Adelson, whose previous attorneys had to withdraw or were disqualified because of conflicts of interest , has hired a former prosecutor turned judge and a well-known local lawyer to represent her.
Court documents filed Wednesday show Adelson hired Jackie Fulford, a former circuit judge and chief assistant state attorney in the 2nd Judicial Circuit, and Josh Zelman, a Tallahassee criminal defense and DUI lawyer.
Fulford and Zelman, who each have their own firms, filed notice that Adelson is pleading not guilty to charges of first-degree murder, conspiracy and solicitation in the 2014 contract killing of Dan Markel .
The defense also demanded a jury trial and asked the state to hand over discovery, which it did earlier with her previous lawyers.
Last month, on the first day of jury selection, Adelson’s lead attorney, Dan Rashbaum of Miami, abruptly withdrew – a move that derailed the trial before it could begin.
Earlier this month, Leon Circuit Judge Stephen Everett disqualified Robert “Alex” Morris, who was part of her defense with Rashbaum and had planned to continue representing her, and Adam Komisar, a well-known local defense lawyer.