A Florida woman awaiting trial for the 2020 death of a her boyfriend, who suffocated inside a small suitcase, has obtained a new attorney who apparently answered her ad for someone “ready for your close-up on nat’l television.”
Sarah Boone, 46, has been representing herself since June, when the court ruled that her behavior forfeited her right to court-appointed attorney, WKMG reported. James Owens, who promptly filed for a continuance of the scheduled October 7 trail start date, is either Boone’s eighth or ninth lawyer since her arrest in February 2020.
Boone claims she and her boyfriend, 42-year-old Jorge Torres Jr., were playing hide-and-seek when Torres climbed into the suitcase, according to WESH. She claimed she fell asleep, forgetting to get him out, and he was later found dead 11 hours later from asphyxiation. Investigators, however, say they found videos showing Boone mocking Torres as he begged for help.
In June, a judge ruled that “the defendant’s choice to engage in misconduct that undermintes the legitimate exercise of the right to counsel,” noting the most of Boone’s attorneys had been forced to withdraw because of her behavior toward them. The judge called it “irreconcilable differences” that included “antagonism, hostility” and attacks on the attorney’s professionalism, according to WKMG.
Earlier this week, the court struck a motion from a law firm in California that sought to have Boone’s case dismissed altogether because her right to a speedy trial had been violated.
“Unafective (sic) substandard state provided attorneys should have made this request long ago proving this as a fact,” the motion said.
The court dismissed the motion outright because the California law firm was not involved in the case in any way.
After the June ruling, Boone began representing herself, but according to court records, Owens responded to an advertisement Boone issued after she parted with a different attorney.
“Looking for a prosperous challenge? Ready for your close-up on nat’l television? Are you zealous with a side of keen,” the ad read.
Owens filed Friday for the continuance, saying he needed more time to prepare. A ruling has not been issued.
