The Dan Markel Case: Who Is Paying The Defendants' Legal Fees?
Hiring a criminal defense lawyer isn't cheap; who is footing the bills here?
Sigfredo Garcia
A small army of lawyers is working on cases related to the 2014 murder of Florida State University law professor Dan Markel. In addition to the prosecutors working under State Attorney Willie Meggs, the three defendants — confessed hitman Sigfredo Garcia, alleged hitman Luis Rivera, and accused conduit Katherine Magbanua — all have their counsel. Markel’s ex-wife, Wendi Adelson, and three members of her family — brother Charlie Adelson, and parents Harvey and Donna Adelson — all have lawyers too (and through these lawyers, the Adelsons have denied any and all involvement in Markel’s death).
Luis Rivera, who previously pleaded guilty and is now cooperating with police, is represented by Chuck Collins, who was appointed by the court. But his co-defendants, Sigfredo Garcia and Katherine Magbanua, both have privately retained counsel. And unlike the Adelsons, who have a successful dental practice and extensive real estate holdings, Garcia and Magbanua don’t appear to be flush with money (notwithstanding the mysterious cash infusions they received after Markel’s murder, which they blew in part on cars and breast implants).
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Who is paying the legal fees of Garcia and Magbanua? That’s the question raised by this report from WTXL:
A request has been put in from one of the men charged in the death of Florida State law professor Dan Markel to waive his lawyer fees because he can no longer afford them.
Sigfredo Garcia’s attorneys filed the motion on Tuesday to request that his lawyer fees be waived due to his ex-wife Katherine Magbanua’s arrest and charges as a co-defendant in the case involving Markel’s death.
The request stated that Magbanua was responsible for paying the remaining balance for counsel fees but was no longer able to. It also said that Garcia had been unable to help with the balance either, as he has been in custody since May.
So Magbanua is (or was) covering Garcia’s fees, but who is covering Magbanua’s fees? I’ve heard a number of theories about that, but nothing concrete. I reached out to her lawyers, Christopher DeCoste and Tara Kawass, to inquire. DeCoste declined to comment, citing the confidentiality of fee arrangements.
The next court appearances for both Garcia and Magbanua are pre-trial case management hearings on December 6. In the meantime, if you have information or theories about the Markel case that you’d like to share, please feel free to email or to text (646-820-8477). Thanks.
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Attorneys Request Waived Lawyer Fees for Suspect in FSU Law Professor Death [WTXL]
David Lat is the founder and managing editor of Above the Law and the author of Supreme Ambitions: A Novel. He previously worked as a federal prosecutor in Newark, New Jersey; a litigation associate at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, in New York; and a law clerk to Judge Diarmuid F. O’Scannlain of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. You can connect with David on Twitter (@DavidLat), LinkedIn, and Facebook, and you can reach him by email at [email protected].
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