Sarah Boone murder trial: Florida woman representing herself wins request to remove handcuffs in court
Sarah Boone wins request to remove handcuffs
A Florida woman, Sarah Boone, who is representing herself in her murder trial, will not be required to wear handcuffs in the courtroom. Boone is accused of zipping her boyfriend into a suitcase and leaving him to die. On Monday, Boone filed a handwritten motion requesting "reasonable freedom in movement," asking to be "unshackled and unhandcuffed" to function more effectively during the trial.
ORLANDO, Fla. - A Florida woman who is representing herself in her murder trial will not be required to wear handcuffs in the courtroom. Boone is accused of zipping her boyfriend into a suitcase and leaving him to die.
On Monday, 46-year-old Sarah Boone filed a handwritten motion requesting "reasonable freedom in movement," asking to be "unshackled and unhandcuffed" to function more effectively during the trial.
The state opposed the motion, with courtroom security expressing concerns over Boone's history of violence and incidents of non-compliance at the jail. Two deputies were called to testify against the motion.
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Boone cross-examined the deputies for the first time since taking on her own defense, though her questioning got off to a rocky start. Despite initial objections, both sides eventually reached an agreement.
Sarah Boone gets court motion win; will be uncuffed during trial
Sarah Boone, the Florida woman charged with second-degree murder in the death of her boyfriend inside their Winter Park home, was granted her first motion after she was ordered to represent herself at her upcoming trial. Boone requested thats she not be shackled during future hearings and trial.
The court granted Boone’s request to be unhandcuffed during hearings, allowing her to sit at the counsel’s table instead of the jury box. However, she will still be required to wear leg restraints during hearings, and during the trial, she will wear a "stun cuff" on her leg to prevent any escape attempts.