On Tuesday, September 16, 2025, Court TV reported that Donna Adelson, recently convicted in the 2014 murder-for-hire of Dan Markel, filed a motion seeking a new trial, alleging misconduct by both the judge and jurors. Adelson’s legal team is also requesting permission to interview two jurors involved in the case.

The motion, filed on Monday, targets Juror 5 and Juror 7, who spoke publicly about their experiences following the verdict. Juror 7, who identified herself on TikTok as the jury foreperson, is of particular interest to Adelson’s attorneys, who wish to question her about her social media activity during the trial. Juror 5’s comments on the “Surviving the Survivor” podcast, where he admitted considering Adelson’s reactions to evidence despite instructions not to, are also cited as grounds for potential juror misconduct.

The motion highlights that Judge Stephen Everett had instructed Adelson to refrain from displaying emotion in the jury’s presence, warning that appearing indifferent could prejudice the jury. Adelson’s lawyers aim to investigate whether the jurors can confirm any misconduct that would warrant a new trial.

Beyond the juror issues, Adelson’s attorneys are challenging the guilty verdict based on several factors, including the credibility of jailhouse informants and the alleged lack of direct evidence linking Adelson to the murder plot before Markel’s death. They argue that the prosecution’s case relied heavily on speculation and inferences, without proving Adelson took concrete actions to facilitate the crime. According to the defense, the evidence suggests, at most, that Adelson might have been an accessory after the fact, rather than a principal in the first-degree murder.

Furthermore, the motion criticizes the courtroom environment, citing instances where the gallery laughed at the judge’s rulings and made distracting gestures toward the jurors, captured by the live videocasting.

The motion specifically accuses Judge Everett of bias towards the prosecution, alleging that he granted them preferential treatment, such as extra time for setting up electronics, while denying similar requests from the defense. The motion also notes that other defense attorneys commented on Judge Everett’s apparent disdain for Adelson and her counsel.

Adelson is scheduled to appear in court for a status conference on October 14, but her sentencing date has not yet been determined.

 

 

Source: Court TV