Sarah Boone Locks Down New Attorney After ‘Help Wanted’ Ad in Suitcase Killing Case

but Dr Brandon testified that battered. woman's experiences affect her. perception of imminent danger and that's. going to be a question in this case. whether or not Sarah Bo at the time of. her actions was facing human D the woman. accused of zipping her boyfriend into a. suitcase and leaving him to die during a. deadly game of hide and seek has filed. yet another motion with the court in. Orange County Florida but this time. she's hiring a lawyer instead of firing. one we're talking about the latest. developments with Palm Beach County.

State Attorney Dave aronburg welcome to. sidebar presented by lawn crime I'm. Elizabeth. Milner we told you just last week that. Boon had filed a motion to dismiss her. case saying her constitutional right to. a speedy trial had been violated that. motion was denied Boon was arrested for. her boyfriend's heinous murder back in. 2020 but four years later her case has. yet to go before a jury judges in Orange. County Florida say it's her own fault. Boon went through eight different.

attorneys before the Court ruled she. would have to go prosay whether she. liked it or not since that happened Boon. has done her best to represent herself. in court filings as well as in person. now it seems Boon will be getting some. help before we talk about the specific. motion filed Friday morning just before. the holiday weekend and the latest. hearing on Tuesday I want to bring you. up to speed on some background in. February of 2020 then 42-year-old Sarah. Boon was at the home she shared in. Winter Park Florida with her boyfriend. Jorge Torres Jr Boon told detectives. that that she and Jorge had been.

drinking and playing games like hide and. seek when he got into the rolling. suitcase she claimed she forgot about. him being in there and went to bed when. she woke up hours later he was dead I. didn't mean to leave him there that's. what I'm trying to tell you you got up. and walked away how is that not. intentionally leaving him there because. I'm looking at the hole knowing that. it's it's. there he'll get out and no because and. then he doesn't but you don't go check. on. him you say you're up for 30 minutes and.

he doesn't come up you don't go down and. check on him I'm in the bed but. investigators found a video on Boon's. phone that allegely shows her taunting. Jorge as he begs for help for everything. you've done to me Sarah for everything. you've done to me. Sarah. you. Sarah you. Sarah. stupid Sarah.

that's my name don't wear it up stories. like this one are obviously very tough. but they're important to tell and part. of the reason we're able to do so is. from our great sponsors like upside and. I want to take time to thank upside for. sponsoring this episode of sidebar so. what's upside it's a free yes free app. that gets you cash back on daily. Essentials like gas and groceries it's. actual real cash back too money appears. in your upside app that you can transfer. straight into your bank account so. here's what you do you download the. upside app then claim an offer for.

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during her interrogation Boon told the. detectives that Jorge was an alcoholic. and had been abusive toward her they. both had arrests on their record for. domestic violence incidents in fact a. little more than a year before Jorge was. found in the suitcase the couple got. into an argument after a night out. drinking Boon claimed Jorge dragged her. up the stairs inside the home and kicked. her in the face but Jorge said he was. going upstairs to get away from Boon. when she started strangling him so he. kicked to get away deputies couldn't. determine who the primary aggressor was. so they arrested both of them Jorge was.

charged with domestic battery meanwhile. Sarah Boon was charged with aggravated. battery by strangulation those charges. were eventually dropped investigators. charge Boon was second deegree murder in. connection to Jorge's 2020 death and. she's been locked up in an Orange County. Jail ever since since her arrest Sarah. Boon has been in and out of court with. hearings and appearances being delayed. or rescheduled or canceled all together. and throughout it all Boon has been. unable to work with anyone attorney for. too long she she's written hundreds of.

pages worth of letters to the judge. often complaining about the attorneys. assigned to her those attorneys who she. has called snotty Liars Duds and. buffoons all requested to withdraw from. her case because Boon was declared. Indigent meaning she can't afford a. private defense attorney she's entitled. to a public defender but the judge says. she was out of chances and that this. seemed to be a ployed to delay the trial. after Boon filed a motion to dismiss. just last week the court received a. defense motion for continuance so I want. to go through that motion right now with.

Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave. aronburg Now Dave here's how the motion. reads the defendant is set for trial by. jury on October 7 2024 the defendant has. just retained defense Council and a. notice of appearance was filed on Friday. August 30th 2024 38 days remain before. trial defense Council has met with a. defendant four times at the Orange. County Jail August 20th 21st 26th and. 27th then the notice of appearance lists. her new defense counsil as James Owens. he's a criminal defense attorney with a.

law firm based out of Milton Florida. hours away from Orange County now Boon. filed a motion on August 22nd looking. for her case to be thrown out but lists. herself as the attorney so it seems she. met with Owens a couple of times filed. that motion then met with Owens again. and let the court know she'd retain. councel after all Now Dave we went from. eight different attorneys to prosay now. to attorney number nine what are your. thoughts on that portion of the motion. and just your reaction in general to. Sarah Boon actually getting an attorney. now well it looks like her want ad paid.

off she had a really uh unusual way of. getting a lawyer she did an ad an. excellent penmanship great calligraphy. good grammar she said you want publicity. with a are you uh somewhat like. adventuresome with a side of keen I'm. paraphrasing but the side of keen stuck. out in my mind and yet yeah she found a. lawyer and when the judge in this case. said no more lawyers what he meant was. no more court appointed lawyers if you.

want to get some lawyer on your own. who'll agree to do this who's crazy. enough to do this go ahead uh but the. date for the trial is set October 7th. now she's saying okay I got a lawyer uh. I'm probably going to ask the court to. pay for it at some point but right now. I've got the lawyer on my own and the. lawyer needs time to repare let's move. it from October 7th and Dave I want to. continue reading this motion for you it. goes on to State during these meetings. the defendant disclosed potential.

exculpatory evidence on her phone in the. possession of the Orange County. Sheriff's Office evidence includes. photographs videotapes calendars text. messages notes and witness names and. numbers this evidence will potentially. corroborate her anticipated battered. spouse syndrome defense now before we go. on to the next part what are your. thoughts about the battered spouse. syndrome. defense I think it's smart to go there. because there are really only two people. who know exactly the extent of their. their relationship and one of them is.

dead so she'll get on the stand and. she'll say that he was abusive and yes. they were drunk that night but you know. she was in fear of her life from this. guy and could it sway a juror or two. possibly but she's not walking free the. only issue here is whether or not she's. convicted of murder she's being charged. with with murder here and so that's why. uh you have to have a requisite mental. intent the men's Rea if you can show. that you were the victim of spousal. abuse and you had battered spouse.

syndrome then that could eliminate that. requisite men's Rea you need for a. murder conviction and it could become a. manslaughter conviction and that is her. best offense not that she'll be. acquitted of all charges but that she. could be found guilty of a lesser charge. I'm actually qu kind of surprised that. she's going forward with this because. the sense I got from the other eight. lawyers who bailed on her was that she. wanted meaning Sarah Boon wanted to. claim she was not guilty she was.

innocent in this but the videos that she. recorded herself show she's not and I. got the sense that the judge the uh the. other lawyers wanted her to do this kind. of Defense so to me what's going to. happen next is either she has. capitulated after not getting a lawyer. and said okay to the ninth lawyer I'll. listen to you for once or this A. combustible situation where she's going. to force another lawyer to walk away and. then there's no way the judge uh gives. her any forbearance uh for for a tenth.

lawyer that would be it and continuing. with this motion because of course it's. pretty lengthy um it says quote. undersigned Council has spoken with. numerous potential expert Witnesses. covering a range of possible defenses. council is also actively vetting several. additional experts from directives from. interested parties now it is the. professional opinion of council that the. retention of one or more of these. experts and the development of the. aforementioned defenses is a crucial and. necessary component of the defendant. receiving full competent representation.

and due process under the law Now Dave. the defense says I need more time to go. over all of this and prepare a case. what's your reaction to this motion I. think it's a sound motion this is what a. defense law is supposed to do it would. be an easy motion I think to get. approved by the court to get granted by. the court if it wasn't the ninth lawyer. and she hasn't been told previously that. that's it but he says he's got. exculpatory evidence on her phone and he. needs all this time now the exculpatory. evidence is apparently evidence that.

provides some proof that they had a. combustable relationship that there was. battered spouse syndrome it's not what. you can normally consider exculpatory. meaning evidence that would acquit her. that would clear her it would just to me. just be evidence that would reduce the. the conviction from murder to. manslaughter and allow her to get out of. prison before she dies and so how do you. think Sarah Boon was able to even retain. counsel after all this time especially. if she was indent and has no money. essentially well remember she retained.

the first lawyer according to reports of. the the eight prior lawyers one of them. was retained by her so she has been. adjudicated Indigent or ruled Indigent. by the court and for the last seven. lawyers she's had court appointed. lawyers and the judge and the judge said. no more but yeah maybe she you know. found some um some money under the. cushions or maybe there's money out. there that she didn't have access to. before that allowed this her to this guy.

or maybe it was just the want ad she put. out that attracted this lawyer who wants. this National publicity and is willing. to work for free for now hoping that the. court will approve for him to be paid by. taxpayers that can happen where they. sign on originally as yeah I'm going to. be your lawyer and then we'll petition. the court for taxpayers to fund me that. is going to be an interesting question. for this judge who said no more lawyers. um whether or not he gets paid but you. know for some lawyers it's the publicity.

that can get you more business out of. this he's a lawyer in Milton Florida. that's outside Pensacola it's a small. community in Santa Rosa County otherwise. known as the Garden of Eden mil Milton I. bet you didn't know that Elizabeth but. uh he probably is thinking this is the. biggest high profile case I'll ever have. and it could generate a lot of attention. and business for me in the future and. let's get into that help wanted ad back. in June when the court first ruled that. Boon would have to represent herself and. wouldn't be granted any more public. defenders she cast her net out to the. General Public this help wanted ad is a.

part of Sarah Boon's court record she. drew it up herself riding across the top. inmate seeking attorney looking for a. prosperous challenge ready for your. closeup on National Television are you. zealous with the side of keen show the. world who you are with your original. creativity extraordinary expertise and. confident Ingenuity a list of required. qualifications also came with that. client inclusion at all times extreme. efficiency in listening communicating. understanding and maintaining faith in.

the client and then at the very bottom. she wrote invest in the oppressed. believe let's just kind of break that. down a little bit I mean which is to. your point earlier you did mention that. this new lawyer that Sarah Boon now has. will have national attention will be. kind of in Center Stage a little bit. when it comes to the trial that'll be. happening just next month but what are. your thoughts on this help wanted ad do. you think that when Sarah Boon wrote. this up and her cell that someone would.

actually answer the call no I did not. considering she went through eight other. lawyers it's like someone saying hey who. wants to be my new boyfriend uh the. other eight others bailed on me in a. short period of time and yet you had oh. there's always a ninth who's ready to. walk through that door the one thing. I'll say about that wanad it was very. well done it it was uh in like. calligraphy I mean she writes very well. uh the zealous with a side of keen. that's the line that stuck out the most.

and it attracted this this uh this Lord. now I think it was more the national. attention than onean at itself but that. Juan had got the national attention so. you know here's someone who's referring. to herself as the oppressed she is going. to be a handful as a client and I am not. jealous of him that he gets the. representative because who would want. this this situation uh but really I mean. there's nowhere to go but up because no. other lawyers want to represent her it. looks like they've got her dead to right. because she recorded her own crime uh.

just a matter of whether she can he can. tolerate her client his client because. she seems to be so difficult that. everything will be a fight so if he can. hang on and stay with her until the end. of the trial yeah I do think he'll get. some business out of this he'll look. like a saint and with Owens responding. to that call like you had just mentioned. she had gone through so many different. attorneys to the point where I kind of. feel like this has been unheard of in a. way but what are your thoughts on say. for instance Owens can't even work with.

Sarah Boon you have a month until trial. do you think it's possible that that. could also happen he knew what he was. getting into I mean there's no secret of. Sarah Boon you know I mean she's clearly. uh not all there I mean normal people. don't you know zipper their boyfriends. into a suitcase and then laugh at them. while they suffocate to death and then. afterwards you lose eight lawyers. because of irreconcilable differences. they fire you to the point where the. judge has had enough and said you're.

going to trial regardless so you put out. this bizarre one ad very well written. but bizarre and so you know what you're. getting into at this point uh anything. can happen you you know also that she's. locked up pre-trial there are certain. visiting hours you can't just you know. call her in the middle of the night and. and say you know what's up let's talk. about your case you've got to work. within these parameters so it's going to. be difficult but the expectations are. low and I what my belief is the key to. happiness in this world is low. expectations so maybe this guy is doing.

the right thing by stepping into this. it's going to be the most high-profile. case I'll ever have and the motion. continues to go on by saying the. defendant has the right to be. represented by Council of her choice the. defendant attempted to solicit private. councel after the Court's order dated. June 28 2024 the defense Council. responded to her advertisement and was. retained the defendant is not trying to. delay the proceedings or abuse the. process by retaining councel at this. late date the defense certifies this. motion is m in good faith Now Dave let's.

just break down that part right there as. well too especially the part of not. trying to delay the proceedings or abuse. the process do you think Sarah has. abused the system in a way yes because. the Sixth Amendment right to a lawyer is. not unlimited you don't get to have. issues with your lawyer get fired for. them over and over and over again and. just get unlimited delays that's what. she wanted she just wanted to have an. unlimited amount of lawyers an unlimited. amount of delays that's not how this. works because the people in the.

community they have a right to have this. trial go and especially the victim's. families have a right to have this trial. go the system does not subsist on. defendants getting to choose the date of. their trial because if that were the. case then they would choose half pass. never that's what she wanted she wanted. this trial never to happen and. eventually the judge said enough you've. had eight lawyers we're not going to. defer this any longer we're not going to. delay this any longer and you're going. to trial on October 7th and let's talk.

about Tuesday's hearing where we heard. for the first time from James Owens. himself in the investigation he's doing. into Boon's history I would like uh. Billy Lane who's seated in the audience. he is the uh investigator on the case U. because of the claims that we're making. uh that she's a battered woman um we. need evidence to cooperate that so. there's a lot of history between her and. Mr Torres uh in ining the apartment.

complex which is in Winter Park that was. 4 years ago the ownership of that. apartment complex has changed hands so. it's going to be somewhat problematic. trying to get information about who all. the tenants were that may have witnessed. uh some of the violence involved in. these two as well as we're trying to get. together the 911 calls that Sarah made. and others made about the disturbances. between that. couple um um so he he's got a lot of.

work to do as it relates to running down. Witnesses in addition we're trying to. get arrest reports of the prior domestic. violence arrests of Mr Torres as well as. the officers involved in their body cams. to see if there's any evidence on the. body cams that would show injuries to. miss boo so we've got a lot of work to. do but I believe it's. necessary for us to prove a viable. defense of B spous syndome again Owens. wanted to push back the trial start date.

so he'd have more time to gather. information and go over all of it but. the judge denied that request Mr it. seems like you've already started to. dive into the case and what the court. file has reflected so clearly you've. reviewed what is in the court file in. the history of this case yes I'm sure. you've read the Court's June 28th order. which was extensive as to the history of. this case multiple lawyers that Miss. Boon has gone through the reasons for. the non-conflict out lawyers basis is. for withdraw and why the court. ultimately made a decision that Miss.

Boone had forfeited her right to court. appointed counsel by her actions or. alternatively waved her right to court. apped counsel by virtue of her. actions. um this case has been pending for some. time. the you advised in your motion continued. that You' met with Miss Boon on four. different occasions you just met with. her yesterday for 2 and a half hours you. were aware of what the order identified. which was in paragraph 6 of the order.

judge portion that trial specially we. set for October 7th um 2024 and it would. be not continued for any reason abset. extraordinarily good cause and such. extraordinarily good cause would not. include the retention of council you. haven't been appointed in this case when. you undertook this assignment you. undertook this assignment knowing that. you were not being appointed and that by. your own representation you're doing. this free of charge on a proon basis and. not seeking recompensation for any.

lodging or travel you knew what the um. uh deadlines were for the court this. case has already been continued 16 times. as of the date of your filing your. notice of appearance on August 30th this. case has been pending for four years 6. months and 4 days on June 7th this case. was specifically set for trial on. October 7th and the June 28th order by. the court specifically speaks for itself. and evidences how this Bo played a. prominent role and shortening the time. for preparation for trial when her eth.

attorney Miss casman withdrew Miss Boon. reached the point where her right to. adequate time for preparation of trial. is counterbalanced by the right to the. effective administration of justice and. considering all the factors that set. forth in term of the state 31173 185 at. pinpoint 189 42 DCA 2020 your motion for. continuance is denied matter of this. trial is still set for October 7th Now. Dave do you think that Sarah Boon's. attorney should have been given more. more time um to prepare for trial since.

it's starting just next month as a. prosecutor I'm glad it's going uh. justice delayed is just is denied she's. had so many other delays and the Sixth. Amendment right to a lawyer is not. absolute you don't get unlimited delays. because the people and victims families. have a right to get this thing done but. on the other hand I worry that since her. latest request for delay was denied that. there's now a chance that a conviction. could be overturned on appeal based on a. viol a of the sixth amendment generally.

courts will defer to the defendant on. Sixth Amendment questions so I hope that. this is not fatal to a future conviction. um so I think if I were the judge I. probably would have granted one more. extension just to be sure uh even though. you said previously you would not do it. again I do understand though why the. judge be frustrated I mean this is all. because of Sarah Boon's own doing. because of her intransigence she was. unable to get along with her lawyers. that's why they kept having reconcilable. differences and kept firing her so she.

only has to look in the mirror which she. won't because she blames everyone else. for all of her problems uh but this. means that this case will be a lot. tougher for her new lawyer than he. expected because he's got to get ready. for October 7th and it's not easy when. you have a client like this in a. situation like this where she's behind. bars where you don't have 247 access to. her so good luck to him but you know he. took this job because of that one ad. where he was zealous with a side of keen.

and um Dave with Boon's trial still. slated for just next month what are your. thoughts on what the trial could. actually look like and do you see any. potential issues seating a jury in this. trial because of the um media coverage. that's gone on so far I don't see any. real issues seating a jury I've had. high-profile cases in my jurisdiction. and even in the most high-profile cases. you can always find a jury you don't. need a jury to be a blank slate they can. hear things about the case they can even. have formed opinions the big question is.

can they set them all aside can they. just follow the evidence and the law can. they set aside their biases all the. things that they know and just focus on. what's in front of them and so yes you. can get a jury in just about any case. including this one I think the biggest. challenge for prosecutors is to. establish the requisite mental intent. for murder as opposed to a lesser count. of manslaughter because she does have a. legitimate claim that she was blasted. drunk the two of them and so yeah that. could eliminate one of the elements of.

murder where you intentionally tried to. kill someone it could have been just a. drunken episode also involving someone. who she was in fear of that's where the. battered spouse syndrome comes into play. so she's not walking free from this she. will be convicted of something the. question is will it be murder or. manslaughter for the prosecutors they. want the top penalty and don't want her. to get out of prison anytime soon and. Sarah Boon's a very animated character.

we've seen from hearing she makes a lot. of faces at the judge obviously she's. gone through several different attorneys. to the point where they argue obviously. that she's hard to work with what are. your thoughts on kind of how her. demeanor will be and how it'll play in. front of a jury once the jury is seated. and once this case goes to trial jurors. has notice everything and so if she's. going to act the fool at her trial then. she'll be punished for that I know there. are some who may say well she'll act. like the crazy person she is and maybe. that will help her with the jury no jury.

doesn't like to reward uh people who are. ruled mentally uh capable of of. attending the trial who are not claiming. an insanity defense but just are off I. mean PE normal people don't commit this. kind of crime normal people don't zipper. their boyfriends up in a suitcase and. laugh while they die and so of course. it's going to be unusual and weird and. that will work against her because when. she says no no I I'm actually quite. normal but I was just drunk at that time. they'll be like nah you this is who you.

really are what we saw in that video is. really who you are and I'd be scared to. have you back on the streets so she acts. up uh she'll be doing so against her. lawyers instructions and it will hurt. her in the end and that um suitcase. video that we've all seen very much. coupled with her interrogation where she. denied denied denied even swore on her. son's life that she had nothing to do. with Jorge torres's death what are your. thoughts on how that'll even play in. front of a jury oh yeah those those. videos where she's lying about her.

involvement where she denied it from. beginning to end she's been denying this. until they found those videos on her. phone that is devastating against her. that that's that's really bad because. people hate murders but they also hate. liars and as opposed to someone who just. felt really bad about it was an accident. no she was trying to cover it up so that. shows a lot of things about her and her. character her her men's rehea at at the. time and I think that will be a big part.

of the prosecution's case you know her. best offense is just to take the stand. and say how regretful she was and how. drunk she was and this something got out. of hand and just hoped for a lesser. verdict but it seems like she wants to. claim her innocence that's a reason. according to reports that other lawyers. dropped her as a client they knew that. there'd be no chance of an acquittal on. all the charges once that video was. shown to the jury but she seems to be. living in an alternate universe and.

that's why good for her that she found a. lawyer who either she has finally agreed. to listen to or is going to you know. allow her to testify as part of this. alternate universe which will surely. lead to a guilty verdict all right Dave. aronberg always a pleasure to have you. on especially here on sidebar we really. appreciate your time before we sign you. off is there anything else about this. case you would like to add no it's just. another Florida case and you know I as a. Floridian as a fellow Florida maner I. call myself the Florida law man it you.

just roll your eyes when you see a case. like this in Florida shown to the world. all right Dave arenburg again thank you. so much for your time today we really. appreciate it thank you for now it seems. Sarah Boon's trial is still scheduled to. start October 7th of course we'll keep. you posted and updated right here on law. crime and right here on sidebar but for. now that's all the time we have on this. episode of sidebar you can check out. more episodes and subscribe to us. anywhere you listen to your podcast. whether it's Apple podcast Spotify or. YouTube I'm Elizabeth Milner and this. has been sidebar presented by law crime.

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