CLAY COUNTY, Fla. – Jarred Harrell will not be seen at any more pretrial court hearings leading up to his trial, according to court documents.
Harrell's defense team has waived his right to attend pretrial conferences, along with his right to a speedy trial.
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Harrell's attorneys are also trying to save Harrell from the possibility of being on death row. Public defender Matt Shirk is asking the judge to eliminate death as a possible penalty, according to the documents.
The request said the Fourth Judicial Circuit too often seeks the death penalty in an erratic manner. It said the prosecutor's "decision to seek death is governed seemingly by nothing more than the day to day whimsy of the elected state attorney."
The defense pointed out that the Fourth Judicial Circuit leads the state in number of death row inmates. The judge has not ruled on this request.
Attorney's for 7-year-old Somer Thompson's accused killer are also requesting video from WJXT, according to the documents. A motion was filed asking for all the stories, video and audio that Channel 4 has aired regarding the case. A judge has not ruled on this motion either.
The judge did deny Harrell's motion for a protective order, according to the documents. The issue was brought up by his attorneys on April 28. It's unclear what the protective order was for and what Harrell's attorneys were trying to protect Harrell from.
Attorneys will next meet in late September.