Witness· Adelson Institute for Aesthetics

Clariza Lebredo

Longtime dental assistant at the Adelson Institute who testified for the prosecution in four Markel-related trials that she knew Katherine Magbanua as a dental patient and never saw her work at the practice.

AppearedGarcia–Magbanua Magbanua Retrial Charlie Adelson Donna Adelson

375 lines·19 proceedings·7 mentions·4 trials

About

Her repeated testimony supplies a consistent witness-based account of Adelson Institute operations, payroll practices, office access, and the limits of her firsthand knowledge across four trials.

Clariza Lebredo was a longtime dental assistant at the Adelson Institute who testified about the office's personnel, hours, employee records, payroll, voicemail practices, and workplace access. She identified Donna Adelson as office manager and described Katherine Magbanua as a patient whom she had not seen working at the office or as part of its cleaning team. Her testimony included regular payroll and vacation-related advance checks, as well as her lack of knowledge of employees working exclusively by phone or remotely. Questioning across the trials also examined the boundaries of what she knew about attendance, financial arrangements, work arrangements, and office communications. In donna-adelson-2025, she also recognized voices connected to State's 100 and described the office's answering-machine and voicemail practices.

Trial Record (19)

GMGarcia–MagbanuaSep 26, 2019 – Oct 11, 2019Called by prosecution

On Day 5, Clariza Lebredo described Adelson Institute staffing, office operations, employee records, and vacation-related advance-pay practices. Questioning also addressed the limits of her recollection and knowledge of remote work and the office voice-mail system.

Day 5

Oct 3, 2019

DirectClariza Lebredo - DirectClariza LebredoAnna Norris3highlights94lines spoken

Summary

Lebredo described Adelson Institute staffing and payroll practices and said Magbanua was known to her only as a patient.

Highlights (3)

Quote“I would say that sometimes. I say different -- the office manager, she's the boss.”— Clariza LebredoLebredo qualified her earlier uncertainty while identifying Donna Adelson as the office manager.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶

Quote“If they're going to go away on vacation, then that's when I would get maybe two extra checks. The weeks they were going to be away, then I got -- because I'll be in the office while they're away.”— Clariza LebredoLebredo explained the circumstances in which she received multiple checks at once.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶

rulingAfter defense objections, the court overruled the objections and permitted questioning about Lebredo's prior deposition description of Donna Adelson as the office manager.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶

CrossClariza Lebredo - CrossClariza LebredoChristopher DeCoste1highlight9lines spoken

Summary

Lebredo said she did not know of any Adelson Institute employees working by phone.

Highlights (1)

testimony highlightLebredo said she did not know whether anyone had worked by phone for the Adelson Institute and had never heard of it.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶

Jury QuestionsClariza Lebredo - Juror Questions (Resumed)Clariza LebredoJames C. Hankinson5lines spoken

Summary

Lebredo said Erika might also check voice mail, though Lebredo usually checked it first.

Jury QuestionsClariza Lebredo - Juror Question Follow-up by GarciaClariza LebredoSaam Zangeneh2highlights18lines spoken

Summary

Lebredo described limits on access to the earlier office voice-mail system and said she did not know whether calls could be forwarded to Dr. Harvey Adelson.

Highlights (2)

testimony highlightLebredo said that before the answering service was installed, others could not retrieve the office messages; she later said she did not know whether calls could be forwarded to Dr. Adelson's cell phone.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶

Quote“Yes. So they couldn't retrieve the messages.”— Clariza LebredoLebredo distinguished the earlier office phone setup from the later answering system.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶

DirectErika Johnson - DirectErika JohnsonAnna NorrisMentioned

Summary

Erika Johnson described Adelson Institute operations and a recorded call with Charlie Adelson after law enforcement sought Katherine Magbanua's personnel records.

Mentioned in this proceeding.

Day 6

Oct 4, 2019

ProceduralGarcia Traffic Citation Richardson RulingMentioned

Summary

The court denied exclusion of Garcia's traffic citation after finding a discovery violation but no willful violation or prejudice.

Mentioned in this proceeding.

Day 8

Oct 8, 2019

RedirectPatrick Sanford - Redirect (Resumed)Patrick SanfordGeorgia CapplemanMentioned

Summary

Sanford addressed cash records and Magbanua's claimed employment; after a sidebar ruling, the court admitted a text-message exhibit.

Mentioned in this proceeding.

KMMagbanua RetrialMay 18, 2022 – May 27, 2022Called by prosecution

On Day 4, Clariza Lebredo described Adelson Institute office and payroll practices, then acknowledged on cross-examination limits on her knowledge of attendance and family financial arrangements.

Day 4

May 23, 2022

DirectClariza Lebredo - DirectClariza LebredoSarah Kathryn Dugan3highlights63lines spoken

Summary

Lebredo described Adelson Institute operations and said Magbanua was a one-time dental patient, not someone she saw working there.

Highlights (3)

testimony highlightLebredo described nearly 40 years as a dental assistant at the Adelson Institute and identified its staffing and operating practices during 2014 through 2016.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶

Quote“From being a patient. I saw her.”— Clariza LebredoLebredo described the basis of her familiarity with Magbanua.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶

Quote“If they were going to go away, they'd pay me before they left.”— Clariza LebredoLebredo gave the reason she had received advance paychecks.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶

CrossClariza Lebredo - CrossClariza LebredoTara Kawass1highlight14lines spoken

Summary

Lebredo said she lacked knowledge of the Adelsons' check-writing practices and any arrangement involving Magbanua's paychecks.

Highlights (1)

testimony highlightDefense cross-examination established that Lebredo worked Monday through Thursday and lacked knowledge of who might visit the office on other days.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶

RedirectClariza Lebredo - RedirectClariza LebredoSarah Kathryn Dugan1highlight8lines spoken

Summary

Lebredo said multiple sequential paychecks occurred once a year and that Magbanua was not part of the office cleaning team.

Highlights (1)

rulingThe court overruled a defense scope objection and allowed Lebredo to answer how often employees received multiple paychecks in a row.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶

DirectErika Johnson - DirectErika JohnsonSarah Kathryn DuganMentioned3lines spoken

Summary

Johnson said she never saw Magbanua work at the Adelson Institute and described its staffing, payroll, and a recorded 2016 call to Charlie Adelson after agents requested records.

Mentioned in this proceeding.

Day 5

May 24, 2022

CrossMary Hull - CrossMary HullChristopher DeCosteMentioned

Summary

Hull said her bank-record analysis could not identify cash sources; the court allowed Lexus-message questioning and admitted a defense bank-statement exhibit.

Mentioned in this proceeding.

RedirectMary Hull - RedirectMary HullSarah Kathryn DuganMentioned

Summary

Hull clarified revisions to her financial timeline and tax-record review; the court barred a proposed question about Donna Adelson's Fifth Amendment rights.

Mentioned in this proceeding.

CACharlie AdelsonOct 26, 2023 – Nov 6, 2023Called by prosecution

On Day 3, Clariza Lebredo testified about Adelson Institute staffing, hours, payroll practices, and her knowledge of Katherine Magbanua's connection to the office. Defense counsel waived cross-examination.

Day 3

Oct 30, 2023

DirectClariza Lebredo - DirectClariza LebredoSarah Kathryn Dugan2highlights75lines spoken

Summary

Lebredo described Adelson Institute staffing and payroll practices and said she knew Magbanua only as a patient.

Highlights (2)

testimony highlightLebredo described her nearly 40 years at the Adelson Institute, identified its dentists, office manager, and staff roles, and described the office's regular business hours.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶

testimony highlightLebredo said she knew Katherine Magbanua only as a patient, not as an employee, and directed investigators to Erika when they asked about Magbanua's possible employment.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶

Cross WaivedClariza Lebredo - Cross (Waived)Clariza LebredoDan Rashbaum1highlight1line spoken

Summary

Defense waived cross-examination of Lebredo, who was excused before the State called Erika Johnson.

Highlights (1)

procedural actionDefense waived cross-examination, and the court excused Clariza Lebredo after the State confirmed she would not be recalled.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶

Day 6

Nov 2, 2023

DirectCharlie Adelson - Direct (Part 1)Charlie AdelsonDan RashbaumMentioned

Summary

Charlie Adelson denied arranging Dan Markel's death and testified about family relocation disputes, cash, and his relationship with Katherine Magbanua.

Mentioned in this proceeding.

DADonna AdelsonAug 22, 2025 – Sep 4, 2025Called by prosecution

Testified on Day 3 about her long employment at the Adelson Institute, its personnel, voice recognition connected to State's 100, and the office's answering-machine and voicemail practices.

Day 3

Aug 26, 2025

DirectClariza Lebredo - DirectClariza LebredoSarah Kathryn Dugan5highlights70lines spoken

Summary

Lebredo described Adelson Institute operations, said Magbanua was a patient rather than an employee, and identified voices on State's 100.

Highlights (5)

testimony highlightLebredo described the Adelson Institute's staffing and management, including Donna Adelson's office-manager role and Charlie Adelson's role as a periodontist.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶

testimony highlightLebredo said Katherine Magbanua had been a patient at the office but that she never saw Magbanua work there.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶

Quote“I know her from the office. She was a patient there.”— Clariza LebredoLebredo distinguished Magbanua's connection to the office from employment there.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶

Quote“If they were going away on vacation, then we would get the checks before.”— Clariza LebredoLebredo described the stated circumstance in which employees received paychecks before completing the work period.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶

Show all 5 highlights

evidence eventLebredo identified Erika Johnson and Charlie Adelson as the voices on State's 100; the State said it was laying foundation and would seek admission through another witness later.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶

CrossClariza Lebredo - CrossClariza LebredoJoshua D. Zelman2highlights6lines spoken

Summary

Lebredo said she never heard Donna Adelson speak badly about Dan Markel and described Donna and Harvey Adelson as hard-working.

Highlights (2)

testimony highlightLebredo testified that, during the 40 years she knew Donna Adelson, she never heard her speak badly about Dan Markel.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶

testimony highlightLebredo agreed with defense counsel's description of Donna and Harvey Adelson as a hard-working family.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶

RedirectClariza Lebredo - RedirectClariza LebredoSarah Kathryn Dugan1highlight9lines spoken

Summary

Lebredo clarified voicemail practices and said her relationship with Donna Adelson was primarily work-based.

Highlights (1)

testimony highlightLebredo said she did not know who else had access to the Adelson Institute voicemail, which she said would be checked at the office on Monday morning after a weekend closure.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶