. Dunn has claimed Davis threatened him with a gun, and he fired to defend himself. After Simons' testimony wrapped up at around 12:40 p.m., court took a lunch break. The film debates the question: "Is it possible to be both pro-gun and pro-life?" Once parked, Rouer said Dunn told her I hate that thug music. Rouer went into the store to purchase the items and shortly after the gunshots rang out. 3 Minutes, 10 Bullets. "[24][25], In closing arguments at the first trial, the defense lawyer for Dunn cited the language of Florida's stand-your-ground law. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Brunson, Davis, and Thompson remained in the vehicle listening to music which was described as "very loud." In the article, a potential juror Richard David Smith, who happens to be a freelancer for Folio, spoke about his experience being screened for the trial. In Season 1 episode "The Night Terror Stalked the Town", it is revealed that James was named after a paternal uncle. Mr. Dunn and his lawyer said the teenagers got rid of the shotgun during the very brief period they pulled out of the gas station. The wounds, the examiner said, indicated that Mr. Davis, who bore no traces of alcohol or drugs, was sitting in the vehicle and leaning away. Dunn recounts a new version of the facts where he now as added a threat, this shit is going down now to be circulated to his family and asks his brother to include that. The last state witness of the day was also from the FDLE, Maria Pagan, who is an expert in firearms and ballistics. In a second trial, Dunn was found guilty of the first-degree murder of Davis and sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole plus 105 years in prison, which is two de facto consecutive life sentences.[4][5]. Anyone can read what you share. Ittook place at the infancy of the Black Lives Matter movement, which was launched on social media following the 2013 acquittal of George Zimmerman for the shooting death of another 17-year-old Florida native, Trayvon Martin. It looked like a firearm and he treated it like a firearm.. On February 3, the jury selection process in Michael Dunn's murder trial will begin. Prosecutors received permission from the court to let the jury handle Dunn's gun. Saying, "I then realized that we hadn't really discussed what happened, as we were more concerned with whether or not anyone was hurt. John is Board Certified in Civil Trial Law in Florida. Also Read: WWE News: Ronda Rousey reveals why UFC match was bigger than WrestleMania, Booker T just voted in the Sportskeeda Wrestling Awards. As his head clears the window frame, he says, This is going down, Mr. Dunn said, quoting Mr. Davis and using an expletive in the quote. He comments on my (the Davis attorney) assertion that there were no weapons and wishes his lawyer would counter these assertions. When Daviss fianc returned from the store where she had bought wine, Dunn sped away, leaving three boys with their dying friend. He's not a racist. Austin testified to Dunn's behavior at his son Christopher's wedding, saying he was in control of his actions. and his crew gained permission to film inside the Jacksonville court house, as long as they did not film the jury. Gabel cautioned Healey that "the mistake" being made Saturday was "the same one made in the first trial.". [9][12] The front seat passenger, Tevin Thompson, initially complied and turned the volume down, but Jordan Davis requested the volume be turned back up. Rouer told jurors that she had two rum and colas and Dunn had "maybe [] (CNN) Fighting back tears and visibly shaking on the witness stand, Rhonda Rouer testified Saturday in the Florida murder trial of her boyfriend, Michael Dunn, and gave jurors her account of what happened the night Jordan Davis was fatally shot. Rousey also revealed that she and her husband are planning to have a baby and that she does not know what the future holds for her. Dunns attorneys contend 17-year-old Davis was the aggressor, saying the teenagers had a gun in the SUV that night in 2012 at a Southside gas station, but a gun was never recovered from the scene. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. "He realizes under Stand Your Ground the significance of that or even self-defense. [26], On February 15, 2014, after more than 30 hours of deliberation, the jury found Dunn guilty on the three counts of attempted murder. Meet 46-year-old Rhonda Lynn Hallock Rouer. Rhonda Lynn Hallock was previously married to Mark Thomas Rouer. [52][53] During the 2016 Democratic National Convention, Davis' mother, Lucy McBath, talked about supporting the Black Lives Matter movement and said, "His death doesn't overshadow his life."[54]. Early Saturday morning, Judge Russell Healey excused juror #4 because of a comment made by the juror that got published in Folio Weekly in an article titled, "An Interview with a Dunn Jury reject.". On Saturday defense attorney Waffa Hanania tried to mitigate that by getting Rouer to admit that it was her idea to order the pizza, and she wasn't sure if Dunn ate any of it. [57], Last edited on 22 February 2023, at 01:33, First District Court of Appeal for the State of Florida, "Dunn jury hears from former fiancee, juror dismissed", "Michael Dunn, Jordan Davis, and America's Racist Heritage", "Black Teen's Shooter Rants About Killing 'Thugs' So They 'May Take the Hint and Change Their Behavior', https://efactssc-public.flcourts.org/casedocuments/2019/2063/2019-2063_notice_88213_notice2ddiscretionary20juris2028direct20conflict29.pdf, "Did Jordan Davis have weapon? By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. From the other side, prosecutor John Guy (who also helped toprosecute the George Zimmerman case) framesthe defenses argument this way: When you cant argue the facts, argue the law; when you cant argue the law, argue the facts. First Coast News has successfully fought for your access to these documents and we'll bring you more exclusive content on Thursday night at 8 p.m. during our special, Michael Dunn, fatal encounter. Pin. Filmmaker Silver (Who Is Dayani Cristal?) We will consult wherever injustice lives. Dunn later testified that he still feared for his safety as well as that of Rouer who was to return to the vehicle imminently. The 9 a.m. start was delayed for more than an hour. H.S., Torrington, CT and Vero Beach Senior High, graduating in the class of 1983. Meet 46-year-old Rhonda Lynn Hallock Rouer. Kuritz says if Rouer's testimony changes on the stand and more closely sounds like what she's been told in letters from Dunn, that could present a problem for the defense. That juror was eventually dismissed by the judge Saturday. "[45][46] She described Dunn as "a good man. He said the blacks are racist in Jacksonville and the more I am exposed to these people, the more prejudiced against them I become. He calls blacks in the south the scourge of this country and then puts a smiley face. It was WrestleMania. Randy and Beverly Berry, who lived in Aero Acres in Fort Pierce with Dunn's parents. Please logout and login again. Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. He is still referring to his demands to his lawyer Cory Strolla and Cory apparently was determined to withdraw if Dunn continued to force him into a premature trial date and again refers to Davis history with authority figures, as if he was one. Check here, Be the first one to comment on this story. According to online records, the couple wedded May 22, 1989 in Indian River, Florida. Later, Simons demonstrated on "Bendy," an anatomical figure, the position that Davis was in when he was shot. Related to the case (on page 6), he talks about suing the State of Florida and using the money to buy a house. He is now serving life in prison without parole. The shooting, he told jurors, had nothing to do with the obnoxious bass music or rap crap as he called it Tuesday that thundered out of the teenagers Durango, which was parked alongside his vehicle. Brian told Rhonda what he did on the way back to their hotel after the shoot occurred, and she was inside the store buying liquor when the shooting took place, so she had no idea what he did until their return. The defense is expected to begin presenting its case late Monday morning. The state called 27 witnesses in the trial, including the young men in the SUV with Jordan Davis and Dunn's then-fiance Rhonda Rouer, who was also there. The film follows Rob Schenck, a pro-life Evangelical minister; Lucy McBath, the mother of teenager Jordan Davis; and attorney John Michael Phillips as they interact in the years after the shooting. The Folio writer confirmed to Action News at 12:35 p.m. that it was his article that led to the dismissal of juror #4. He wants this person to make comments on social media on his behalf. The Law Offices of John Phillips are based in Jacksonville and Jacksonville Beach, Florida, but John is licensed in Florida, Georgia and Alabama and before the U.S. Supreme Court. According to her Facebook the Florida woman, attended Vogel Jr. During Simons' testimony, several photos Davis' body were shown to the jury. Former Florida state attorney Angela Corey stated that her office would seek a retrial for this charge. Mr. Dunn said he saw Mr. Davis with a weapon. Rhonda took the stand over the weekend to tell her side of what happened Nov. 23, 2012. Rouer said both she and Dunn had cellphones but neither dialed 911. Dunn and his fiancee, Rhonda Rouer, then drove to their motel, ordered a pizza and stayed the night without contacting police. His fiance, Rhonda Rouer, says the last thing she heard him say was, "I hate that thug music." Rouer was in the convenience store when she heard gunshots, and when she ran outside, he told. (CLICK ANY LINK TO DOWNLOAD PDF OF EACH LETTER): Dunn reference a few criminal defense lawyers he spoke with and how one mentioned to him that he never mentioned a gun to Rhonda. We look at the testimony of Rhonda Rouer, Michael Dunn's fiancee, in his trial for the murder of Jordan Davis, and how it damaged his self-defense argument. She also said Dunn mixed both of them another rum and soda adding his fifth from his earlier at his sons wedding in the hotel room. Nobody did fire back, did they? Mr. After Knox took the stand, four character witnesses testified for the defense. Despite claiming he doesnt use the word thug, he calls Ron Davis the daddy of the thug. He also talks about the Bible and then brings up the 3 thugs in the SUV and calls it a rotten culture. He wants white jurors as hed rather be judged by 12 than carried by 6.. Under questioning from prosecutors, Rouer admitted to never calling 911 or trying to wave down a police officer the night of the shooting or the next day. [21] Contrary to Dunn's claim that he mentioned a weapon to Rouer, she testified that he never mentioned a gun either that night or the next day. The prosecutor, John Guy, expressing incredulity during his cross-examination, also picked apart Mr. Dunns testimony. "I'm not really sure what the investigators are thinking, but I told them what was up,". In the letter addressed to "Baby," Dunn goes on to tell her "I cannot recall if I ever conveyed the details of my decision making to you. Rhema Thompson began her post at WJCT on a very cold day in January 2014 and left WJCT to join the team at The Florida Times Union in December 2014. Kuritz says judging by the writing in Dunn's letter he believes the accused killer understand it might be presented in court. The couple drove back to their hotel, ordered a pizza and Dunn made them some alcoholic drinks. 2023 Phillips & Hunt. "I hate that thug music," Dunn told Rouer, according to her testimony. Those friends, Leland Brunson, Tommie Stornes and Tevin Thompson, all testified Friday that Davis cursed at Dunn when he asked them to turn the music down, but didn't threaten him. Court will not be in session on Sunday and will resume Monday at 9 a.m.Watch continuinglive gavel-to-gavel coverage on ActionNewsJax.com. Court is expected to resume at 9 a.m. Watch continuing live gavel-to-gavel coverage on ActionNewsJax.com. Meanwhile, the trial of Michael Dunn resumes 9 a.m. Monday. ', "Michael Dunn convicted on 4 of 5 charges in loud-music murder case", "Michael Dunn sentenced to life without parole for killing of Florida teenager", "Verdict: Michael Dunn found guilty of first degree murder", "Florida Man on Trial Again in Loud Music Killing", "Prosecutors want to put Michael Dunn in prison before murder retrial", "Life without parole for loud-music murderer in Florida", Michael Dunn sentenced to life without parole for killing of Florida teenager, Appeal filed in Michael Dunn's conviction in teen Jordan Davis' death, "Supreme Court rejects Brevard man's appeal in racially tinged murder of Jordan Davis in Jacksonville", "Ron Davis in contact with Trayvon's father", "Gun Reform Advocate Lucy McBath Heads To Runoff For Georgia House Seat", "Citing Parkland shooting, anti-gun-violence activist is running for Congress in Georgia", "Lucy McBath Wins Georgia Congressional Race Against Karen Handel", "When Black women use motherhood's power to advocate for Black lives", "Timeline: The Black Lives Matter movement", "Black Noise, White Ears: Resilience, Rap, and the Killing of Jordan Davis", "Mother of Jordan Davis Speaks Out: "His Death Doesn't Overshadow His Life" at Democratic Convention", "Movies Sold at Sundance 2015: A Complete & Updated Guide", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Murder_of_Jordan_Davis&oldid=1140842638, This page was last edited on 22 February 2023, at 01:33. 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