Defendant
Donna Adelson
Mother of Charlie and Wendi Adelson, discussed across three earlier Dan Markel murder proceedings and convicted on all three counts as the defendant in the 2025 Donna Adelson trial.
Defendant Donna Adelson
27 lines · 177 mentions · 4 trials
About
Donna Adelson is a figure who links every prosecution arising from Dan Markel's murder, and the transcripts show the same body of evidence — the pre-murder emails, the Adelson Institute checks, the April 2016 undercover approach, and the call chain that followed — being introduced, tested, and re-tested across four separate juries over six years. Because she was discussed at length in three trials before facing one of her own, the record allows a reader to follow how an uncharged third party's conduct was characterized by prosecutors, challenged in the earlier trials, and finally litigated with her own liberty at issue. Her 2025 proceeding also documents multiple on-the-record defendant colloquies — demeanor warnings, a privilege waiver, the decision not to testify, and consent to the all-or-nothing instruction structure — that make the procedural posture of the case legible.
Trial Record (177)
GM Garcia–Magbanua Sep 26, 2019 – Oct 11, 2019
Trial Summary
Named throughout the Garcia/Magbanua trial as an uncharged third party — Wendi Adelson's mother and Charlie Adelson's mother — whose emails were used as motive evidence, who was the recipient of the FBI's April 2016 "bump" flyer, and who signed the 44 Adelson Institute paychecks issued to Katherine Magbanua.
Mentioned (40)
Opening
Opening Statement - Georgia Cappleman
Day 1 Opening Opening Statement - Saam Zangeneh
Day 1 Opening Opening Statement - Tara Kawass Charlie's mother; mentioned as uncharged Adelson family member; subject of the FBI 'bump' note operation; phone not tapped
Day 1 Direct Craig Isom - Direct
Day 2 Cross Craig Isom - Cross (Part 2) No communication with Garcia found in any form; left Tallahassee without being interviewed
Day 2 Cross Craig Isom - Cross
Day 2 Direct Wendi Adelson - Direct
Day 2 Cross Wendi Adelson - Cross
Day 2 Direct Christopher Corbitt - Direct
Day 3 Direct Clariza Lebredo - Direct
Day 5 Direct Erika Johnson - Direct
Day 5 Cross Erika Johnson - Cross Described as the office manager who came and went on her own flexible schedule, married to the owner; wrote employee paychecks
Day 5 Direct Christopher Corbitt - Direct (Recall, Part 2)
Day 5 Direct Mary Hull - Direct Signed all 44 Adelson Institute paychecks issued to Magbanua; her bank records were reviewed.
Day 6 Procedural Magbanua Employment-Record Exhibit and Privacy Rulings
Day 6 Direct Mary Hull - Direct (Part 2)
Day 6 Cross Mary Hull - Cross
Day 6 Cross Mary Hull - Cross
Day 6 Redirect Mary Hull - Redirect
Day 6 Direct Oscar Jimenez Jr. - Direct Primary target of the bump operation; approached by Jimenez in South Beach on April 19, 2016; appeared in published video; her institute received the follow-up call on April 28
Day 6 Cross Oscar Jimenez Jr. - Cross
Day 6 Cross Oscar Jimenez Jr. - Cross
Day 6 Procedural Gang-Expert, Wiretap, and Dolce Vita Rulings Subject of an anticipated wiretap call between Donna and Charlie Adelson that the State sought to introduce; Kawass argued Magbanua was not present and could not confront them
Day 6 Procedural Wiretap and Dolce Vita Transcript Rulings
Day 7 Cross Christopher Corbitt - Cross Approached by bump operative posing as a Latin King; document delivered to her was designed to initiate wiretap-relevant chatter
Day 7 Cross Christopher Corbitt - Cross
Day 7 Redirect Christopher Corbitt - Redirect Named as someone whose calls to Charlie Adelson would have been captured by the Charlie Adelson wiretap
Day 7 Direct Patrick Sanford - Direct
Day 7 Direct Patrick Sanford - Direct (Part 2)
Day 7 Cross Patrick Sanford - Cross
Day 7 Cross Patrick Sanford - Cross
Day 8 Redirect Patrick Sanford - Redirect
Day 8 Jury Questions Patrick Sanford - Juror Questions
Day 8 Direct Louis Bronstein - Direct
Day 8 Cross Louis Bronstein - Cross Referenced as the person to whom a piece of paper was given in connection with Exhibit 120 and the bump operation.
Day 8 Direct Katherine Magbanua - Direct
Day 9 Closing Closing Argument - Georgia Cappleman
Day 10 Closing Closing Argument - Saam Zangeneh
Day 10 Closing Closing Argument - Christopher DeCoste
Day 10 Rebuttal Rebuttal Closing - Georgia Cappleman
Day 10 KM Magbanua Retrial May 18, 2022 – May 27, 2022
Trial Summary
Discussed throughout the 2022 Magbanua retrial as a non-testifying third party: the target of the FBI's April 2016 undercover "bump," the signer of the Adelson Institute checks to Magbanua, and a link in the call pattern the State traced from the Adelson family to the defendant.
Mentioned (39)
Opening
Opening Statement - Sarah Kathryn Dugan
Day 1 Opening Opening Statement - Tara Kawass
Day 1 Procedural Recess — Crawford Objection Flagged on Adelson Wiretap Calls
Day 1 Direct Craig Isom - Direct
Day 1 Cross Craig Isom - Cross
Day 1 Direct Wendi Adelson - Direct
Day 2 Cross Wendi Adelson - Cross
Day 2 Direct Jeffrey Lacasse - Direct
Day 2 Direct Luis Rivera - Direct
Day 2 Direct Christopher Corbitt - Direct
Day 3 Direct Christopher Corbitt - Direct (Continued)
Day 3 Cross Christopher Corbitt - Cross
Day 4 Redirect Christopher Corbitt - Redirect
Day 4 Direct Yindra Velazquez Mascaro - Direct
Day 4 Direct June Umchinda - Direct
Day 4 Direct Clariza Lebredo - Direct
Day 4 Cross Clariza Lebredo - Cross
Day 4 Direct Erika Johnson - Direct
Day 4 Cross Erika Johnson - Cross
Day 4 Procedural End of Day — Jail Call Admissibility Rulings and Scheduling Recorded calls with Charlie Adelson subject to pending Crawford hearing
Day 4 Procedural Pre-Testimony Motions: Exhibit 100 Ruling and Crawford Challenge to Adelson Wiretaps Party to the FBI bump wiretap calls; Wheeler notes her statements in those calls form part of the prior non-hearsay ruling being reaffirmed
Day 5 Direct Mary Hull - Direct
Day 5 Cross Mary Hull - Cross
Day 5 Redirect Mary Hull - Redirect
Day 5 Direct Oscar Jimenez Jr. - Direct
Day 5 Cross Oscar Jimenez Jr. - Cross
Day 5 Direct Patrick Sanford - Direct (Part 1)
Day 5 Procedural Pre-session ruling: FBI undercover bump calls (Exhibits 128 and 134) admitted over defense hearsay objection
Day 6 Direct Patrick Sanford - Direct (Part 2)
Day 6 Direct Patrick Sanford - Direct (Part 3)
Day 6 Cross Patrick Sanford - Cross
Day 6 Cross Patrick Sanford - Cross (Continued)
Day 6 Redirect Patrick Sanford - Redirect
Day 6 Direct Ryan Fitzpatrick - Direct
Day 7 Direct Katherine Magbanua - Direct
Day 7 Cross Katherine Magbanua - Cross
Day 7 Closing Closing Argument - Georgia Cappleman
Day 8 Closing Closing Argument - Tara Kawass
Day 8 Rebuttal Rebuttal Closing - Georgia Cappleman Told June Umchinda she feels Dan is haunting her from the grave; invoked by Cappleman as corroborating consciousness of guilt among the Adelson circle
Day 8 CA Charlie Adelson Oct 26, 2023 – Nov 6, 2023
Trial Summary
Discussed throughout the Charlie Adelson trial as the defendant's mother and Adelson Institute office manager, and as the person FBI agents approached in the April 2016 undercover "bump" that opened the wiretap evidence. She did not testify in this trial; she appeared through emails, phone and call-detail records, and recorded calls introduced by both sides.
Mentioned (41)
Opening
Opening Statement - Sarah Kathryn Dugan
Day 1 Opening Opening Statement - Dan Rashbaum
Day 1 Direct Patrick Sanford - Direct
Day 1 Cross Patrick Sanford - Cross
Day 1 Direct Wendi Adelson - Direct
Day 1 Cross Wendi Adelson - Cross (Part 1)
Day 1 Cross Wendi Adelson - Cross (Part 2)
Day 2 Redirect Wendi Adelson - Redirect
Day 2 Direct Jeffrey Lacasse - Direct
Day 2 Direct Stephen Webster - Direct
Day 2 Cross Stephen Webster - Cross Referenced through prior testimony context on parental-alienation conduct; not named explicitly in this cross
Day 2 Direct June Umchinda - Direct
Day 2 Cross June Umchinda - Cross
Day 2 Direct Ryan Fitzpatrick - Direct
Day 2 Cross Luis Rivera - Cross
Day 3 Direct Katherine Magbanua - Direct
Day 3 Cross Katherine Magbanua - Cross
Day 3 Direct Clariza Lebredo - Direct
Day 3 Direct Erika Johnson - Direct
Day 3 Cross Erika Johnson - Cross
Day 3 Direct Mary Hull - Direct Signed all 44 Adelson Institute checks to Magbanua; iCloud message confirmed moving $25,000 cash between personal piles in a safe
Day 3 Direct Christopher Corbitt - Direct
Day 3 Cross Christopher Corbitt - Cross
Day 4 Cross Christopher Corbitt - Cross (Continued)
Day 4 Redirect Christopher Corbitt - Redirect
Day 4 Recross Christopher Corbitt - Recross
Day 4 Direct Oscar Jimenez Jr. - Direct
Day 4 Cross Oscar Jimenez Jr. - Cross
Day 4 Direct Louis Bronstein - Direct
Day 4 Direct Patrick Sanford - Direct (Recall)
Day 4 Direct Patrick Sanford - Direct (Recall, Continued)
Day 5 Cross Patrick Sanford - Cross (Recall) Discussed as co-conspirator: her calls after the bump, her directing the undercover caller to go to police for the reward, and her conversation with Charlie in the wire call played by defense.
Day 5 Direct Charlie Adelson - Direct (Part 1)
Day 6 Direct Charlie Adelson - Direct (Part 2)
Day 6 Direct Charlie Adelson - Direct (Part 3)
Day 6 Direct Charlie Adelson - Direct (Part 4)
Day 6 Direct Charlie Adelson - Direct (Part 5)
Day 6 Direct Charlie Adelson - Direct (Continued)
Day 7 Cross Charlie Adelson - Cross
Day 7 Closing Closing Argument - Georgia Cappleman
Day 8 Closing Closing Argument - Dan Rashbaum
Day 8 DA Donna Adelson Aug 22, 2025 – Sep 4, 2025
Trial Summary
Tried as the sole defendant on three counts arising from Dan Markel's 2014 killing, appearing throughout as a non-testifying party while the State built its case around family emails, Adelson Institute payroll checks, and a 2016 undercover approach.
Mentioned (57)
Jury Instruction
Preliminary Jury Instructions — Charges, Trial Procedure, and Juror Conduct
Day 1 Opening Opening Statement - Sarah Kathryn Dugan
Day 1 Procedural Judge Everett Warns Donna Adelson to Control Emotional Reactions
Day 1 Direct Craig Isom - Direct
Day 1 Direct Craig Isom - Direct (Continued)
Day 1 Redirect Craig Isom - Redirect
Day 1 Cross Luis Rivera - Cross
Day 1 Procedural Foundation Hearing: 'Grandma Motion' (State's Ex. 60-JJ) and Wendi Adelson Proffer Procedure
Day 2 Cross Jason Newlin - Cross
Day 2 Redirect Jason Newlin - Redirect
Day 2 Direct Wendi Adelson - Direct
Day 2 Redirect Wendi Adelson - Redirect
Day 2 Direct Robert Adelson - Direct
Day 2 Cross Robert Adelson - Cross
Day 2 Direct Jeffrey Lacasse - Direct
Day 3 Cross Jeffrey Lacasse - Cross
Day 3 Direct June Umchinda - Direct
Day 3 Cross June Umchinda - Cross
Day 3 Direct Mary Hull - Direct
Day 3 Direct Clariza Lebredo - Direct
Day 3 Cross Clariza Lebredo - Cross
Day 3 Redirect Clariza Lebredo - Redirect
Day 3 Procedural Transition — Magbanua Called; Judge Admonishes Donna Adelson on Courtroom Conduct
Day 3 Direct Katherine Magbanua - Direct
Day 3 Cross Katherine Magbanua - Cross
Day 3 Direct Christopher Corbitt - Direct
Day 3 Direct Christopher Corbitt - Direct (Continued)
Day 4 Cross Christopher Corbitt - Cross
Day 4 Redirect Christopher Corbitt - Redirect
Day 4 Direct Oscar Jimenez Jr. - Direct
Day 4 Cross Oscar Jimenez Jr. - Cross
Day 4 Redirect Oscar Jimenez Jr. - Redirect
Day 4 Direct Jonathan Grossman - Direct
Day 6 Direct Patricia Byrd - Direct
Day 6 Cross Patricia Byrd - Cross
Day 6 Direct Drina Bernhardt - Direct
Day 6 Cross Drina Bernhardt - Cross
Day 6 Direct Kate Butler - Direct
Day 6 Redirect Christopher Corbitt - Redirect (Recall)
Day 6 Redirect Patrick Sanford - Redirect
Day 6 Direct Ron Gutterson - Direct
Day 7 Cross Ron Gutterson - Cross
Day 7 Direct Kelsey Guay - Direct
Day 7 Redirect Kelsey Guay - Re-redirect
Day 7 Cross Richard Shagran - Cross
Day 7 Direct Tarana Khan - Direct
Day 7 Direct Eddie Varnes - Direct
Day 7 Cross Eddie Varnes - Cross
Day 7 Direct Josh Turner - Direct
Day 7 Procedural Franklin Witness Dispute and Defendant Testimony Deadline Defendant; whether she will take the stand is the subject of a court-ordered lunchtime decision deadline
Day 8 Direct Kristin Adamson - Direct
Day 8 Cross Kristin Adamson - Cross
Day 8 Redirect Kristin Adamson - Redirect
Day 8 Cross Linda Bailey - Cross
Day 8 Cross Sara Newhouse - Cross
Day 8 Closing Closing Argument - Jackie L. Fulford
Day 9 Rebuttal Rebuttal Closing - Georgia Cappleman
Day 9