Stephan Sterns trial: Plea hearing scheduled for next week

Plea hearing set for man accused in Maddie Soto murder

The man accused of raping and killing 13-year-old Maddie Soto may avoid trial after an unexpected plea hearing was scheduled in both criminal cases against him. Stephan Sterns, who has pleaded not guilty to sexually assaulting and murdering the teen, is set to appear in court Monday

OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. - Days before Stephan Sterns was set to go to trial in one of two cases connected to the disappearance and death of 13-year-old Madeline Soto, an unanticipated plea hearing has been scheduled for early next week.

Late Friday afternoon, a "plea hearing" was scheduled for Monday afternoon, July 21, 2025, in the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida.

FOX 35 plans to stream that court hearing live in the FOX Local app, on FOX35Orlando.com, and on YouTube. Click here to download the FOX Local app.

What we know:

Stephan Sterns allowed to wear suit during trial

A judge ruled that Stephan Sterns, the Florida man accused of abusing and killing Madeline Soto, 30, in 2024, will be allowed to wear a suit during his sexual abuse trial, and be allowed to use a felt tip pen. He will have to wear stun-cuffs on his ankles, however. Sterns' trial on the sexual abuse charges is set to begin in July, while the trial for Soto's alleged murder is set to begin in the fall.

The one-page document – a "Notice of Hearing" – simply lists the date, time, and courtroom for the upcoming hearing. It also references "Plea."

The document was filed at 4:46 p.m. on Friday in the docket connected to Sterns' first-degree murder case. No other details were listed in the document.

It was not immediately clear if a plea agreement had been reached or not. FOX 35 has reached out to the State Attorney's Office and attorneys for Sterns for comment.

Stephan Sterns has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of Soto. Prosecutors have indicated their intention to seek the death penalty in that case.

Sterns also faces 60 counts of sexual abuse and other charges after explicit photos of him and Soto were allegedly found on his phone. That trial is scheduled to begin next week.

Soto was reported missing in late February 2024, days after her 13th birthday. Her body was found in a shallow grave five days later in Osceola County.

Sterns was the live-in boyfriend of Soto's mom, Jennifer Soto.

What we don't know:

It remains unclear what plea Sterns intends to enter, and whether it would apply to one or both criminal cases. It's also unknown whether prosecutors are formally offering a plea deal, or what terms it might include — such as life imprisonment in exchange for avoiding trial and the death penalty.

Timeline:

After nearly 18 months of legal preparation, Sterns’ defense attorneys abruptly filed for a plea hearing late Friday. His trial for sexual battery was scheduled to begin Tuesday, with a separate murder trial expected later. Now, both cases could be resolved in a single hearing on Monday.

Big picture view:

The case has drawn national media attention and prompted policy changes within Orange County Public Schools, particularly regarding how schools track and report student absences. The long-delayed trials have left both the legal system and the community seeking resolution.

What they're saying:

Defense attorney Geoffrey Golub, who isn’t part of this case, says the timing is intentional.

"Once they start one trial, they’re not going to give him the deal in either case," Golub said.

Sterns remains the only person ever criminally charged with Maddie’s murder.

"They would probably have a deal for life, and the reason for the deal would be to avoid the death penalty," Golub explained. "It is anticlimactic, but it’s really good for the family. They don’t want to go through that. They don’t want to hear that."