Donna Adelson, mother of convicted murderer Charlie Adelson, faced the court for her own alleged involvement in a chilling murder-for-hire plot that took the life of Florida State University law professor Dan Markel. While she sat in Leon County Jail, Adelson appeared via Zoom for her first case management hearing yesterday, laying out legal intricacies rather than the sordid details of the case itself.
Adelson had attempted to leave the country on a one-way flight to Vietnam, however was nabbed by authorities just days after her son's conviction, as NBC News reported. Her lawyer, Dan Rashbaum, labeled her as "absolutely innocent" rejecting notions of her fleeing from justice, and stressing her right to travel as a "free citizen like you and me."
During the heated case management hearing, questions arose about potential legal conflicts, as reported by Florida Politics. Judge Stephen Everett pressed Adelson on her understanding of her right to conflict-free counsel. This comes into the spotlight as Rashbaum had previously worked for both Donna and her son, Charlie. Adelson acknowledged the potential for conflict yet affirmed her desire to retain Rashbaum as her lawyer.
Everett sought to ensure Adelson was cognizant of the "waivable" nature of her situation, meaning she could allow Rashbaum to represent her despite his past associations, and she did just that. Rashbaum's strange connection to the case painted him as oddly devoted, once calling Adelson "the nicest client" and comparing her to his own mother. In a dialogue that raises eyebrows, Rashbaum even told Surviving the Survivor host Joel Waldman he wouldn't involve police if faced with a deadly extortion threat, a stance he admitted places him "in the minority."
With a trial date still pending, Rashbaum and Assistant State Attorney Sarah Kathryn Dugan are in ongoing discussions, signaling that a date may be finalized during the next management hearing, scheduled for February 12. Adelson, once a part of her family's dental practice operations, remains ensnared in the aftermath of a legal storm that has seen her son condemned to life imprisonment following the tragic and orchestrated end of Markel's life.
