Prosecution · State Attorney's Office

Sarah Kathryn Dugan

Second-chair prosecutor across the Markel conspiracy trials, handling opening statements and key evidentiary examinations.

Appeared Magbanua Retrial Charlie Adelson Donna Adelson

6,016 lines · 50 appearances · 3 trials

About

Dugan's consistent presence as second-chair prosecutor across all three trials makes her examinations and arguments a throughline for tracking how the state's financial and cell-site evidence arguments were presented and refined against each successive defendant in the case.

Across Trials

Dugan's core function — opening statement plus financial and cell-site evidence examinations — remained constant across the Magbanua, Charlie Adelson, and Donna Adelson trials, but her role broadened with each successive proceeding. In the Magbanua retrial she also cross-examined the defendant directly using prior transcript impeachment, while in the Charlie Adelson trial her direct examinations concentrated more narrowly on the landline call pattern and Adelson Institute employment witnesses. By the Donna Adelson trial her role had expanded furthest, encompassing an extended list of defense-witness cross-examinations covering the custody relocation dispute, post-verdict flight conduct, and Donna Adelson's family communications, alongside continued direct examination of financial and cell-site witnesses. Across the trials, the Corbitt examinations moved from call-record presentation to include self-reported locations and post-verdict conduct that the State characterized as consciousness-of-guilt evidence.

Trial Record (50)

KM Magbanua Retrial May 18, 2022 – May 27, 2022

Trial Summary

Second-chair prosecutor for the State, delivering the opening statement, examining the cell-site, rental-car, financial and Adelson Institute witnesses, and conducting the cross-examination of the testifying defendant.

Appearances (21)

Opening

Opening Statement - Sarah Kathryn Dugan

Day 1 Direct

Waldo Mesa Nunez - Direct

Day 3 Redirect

Waldo Mesa Nunez - Redirect

Day 3 Direct

Christopher Corbitt - Direct

Day 3 Direct

Christopher Corbitt - Direct (Continued)

Day 3 Direct

Christopher Corbitt - Direct (Continued)

Day 3 Redirect

Christopher Corbitt - Redirect

Day 4 Direct

Yindra Velazquez Mascaro - Direct

Day 4 Redirect

Yindra Velazquez Mascaro - Redirect

Day 4 Direct

Yindra Velazquez Mascaro - Direct (Recall)

Day 4 Direct

Ramzi Naber - Direct

Day 4 Redirect

Ramzi Naber - Redirect

Day 4 Direct

Clariza Lebredo - Direct

Day 4 Redirect

Clariza Lebredo - Redirect

Day 4 Direct

Erika Johnson - Direct

Day 4 Redirect

Erika Johnson - Redirect

Michael Dillmore - Cross (Waived)

Day 7 Cross

Ryan Fitzpatrick - Cross

Day 7 Cross

Katherine Magbanua - Cross

Day 7

CA Charlie Adelson Oct 26, 2023 – Nov 6, 2023

Trial Summary

Second-chair Assistant State Attorney for the prosecution, Sarah Kathryn Dugan delivered the State's opening statement on Day 1 and handled several of the State's witnesses, including the direct examination of TPD cell-site analyst Christopher Corbitt and redirect after his two-session cross.

Appearances (8)

Opening

Opening Statement - Sarah Kathryn Dugan

Day 1 Direct

Clariza Lebredo - Direct

Day 3 Direct

Erika Johnson - Direct

Day 3 Redirect

Erika Johnson - Redirect

Christopher Corbitt - Direct

Day 3 Redirect

Christopher Corbitt - Redirect

Day 4

DA Donna Adelson Aug 22, 2025 – Sep 4, 2025

Trial Summary

Delivered the State's opening statement on the first day of trial and served as second-chair prosecutor throughout, handling the cell-site and records case through Sergeant Corbitt, the family-history testimony of Robert Adelson, and the cross-examinations of several defense witnesses.