XXXTentacion judge slams prosecutor over facial expressions
Judge Michael Usan criticizes the prosecutor for scheduling problems in the murder trial of murdered rapper XXXTentacion on March 16, 2023 in Broward County, Florida. (Law & Crime Network)
The murder trial of three Florida men accused of killing rapper Jahseh Onfroy, better known as XXXTentacion, during a 2018 robbery outside the RIVA Motorsports motorcycle shop continues Monday morning after a Broward County jury ruled the deliberations on Friday had skipped.
On Thursday afternoon, the panel of seven women and five men asked District Judge Michael Usan if they could leave a little early and take Friday entirely to attend to some personal issues.
“You are moving to be released at 4:00 p.m. today,” the judge noted, explaining the first of the jury’s two late motions. “And the second says that due to previously scheduled appointments, they’re asking not to meet tomorrow and would like to meet on Monday at 10:30 a.m. instead.”
When her application was made, the jury had deliberated for most of seven days and just over 26 hours in total.
That request was eventually granted, but appeared to elicit a negative response from prosecutors. The judge addressed these concerns.
“You know, state, I see a reaction from you,” Usan began.
“But when you had witnesses who had a house closure, you asked that the court be suspended for…” the judge continued before being interrupted.
Prosecutor Pascale Achille waved him off and interjected: “Judge, I haven’t said anything now. I did not say anything.”
“I’m making a record,” Usan said. “I make a record like you like to make records. I look at your facial expressions. If you had witnesses doing personal business, we closed court for a day. More than once.”
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After briefly criticizing the prosecutor, the judge explained his reasons for granting the jury a 3-day weekend from their civic duty.
“When hundreds of jurors – potential jurors – came in, most of whom said they were in no way interested in being involved in a case that was going to last more than a couple of weeks, I discussed it with the jury that we would.” give them a reasonable time in the morning to drop off the kids and make arrangements for them to pick up the kids, okay?” Usan reminded the courtroom. “So I don’t find anything unusual in a case where we have asked them to come in for almost two months of their schedule so they are unable to attend previously scheduled doctor’s appointments or to pick up their children if they need to do so. So I have no difficulty in complying with these requests.”
The judge added that the defendants had requested housing planning and that such “concessions” had been granted.
“It’s not just the state,” he said, “I find it a bit disingenuous that the parties are now ranting about their scheduling. Judgment is an important matter that cannot and should not be rushed. It doesn’t help either side.”
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Michael Boatwright, 27, Trayvon Newsome, 24, and Dedrick Williams, 26, are all charged with first-degree murder because the rapper was killed in June 2018 during a robbery in broad daylight in which the defendants and another man, who killed a concluded a plea agreement is said to have made $50,000. Boatwright and Williams each face additional charges of robbery with a gun; Newsome is charged with a one-time robbery with a deadly weapon.
The questions of the jury and the decision of the jury can be viewed below:
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https://lawandcrime.com/live-trials/live-trials-current/xxxtentacion-murder/xxxtentacion-judge-blasts-prosecutor-for-facial-expressions-after-jury-deliberating-over-26-hours-is-given-a-3-day-weekend/ XXXTentacion judge slams prosecutor over facial expressions
