Jacksonville Criminal Defense Attorney Blog
As a Jacksonville Criminal Trial Lawyer, I follow the criminal trials and their results in Duval, Clay and Nassau Counties. A recent high profile murder case this week ended in a mistrial. According to an article in the Florida Times Union, Andrew King has to have another Jacksonville trial because the jury could not come to agreement on the verdict. King has been accused of killing a twenty-two year old woman and her unborn child. The state attorney’s office argued that King killed the victim because she caused relationship problems with him and his girlfriend, who was the victim’s roommate. King’s Jacksonville criminal defense lawyer argued that under that theory, King would have a beef with his girlfriend, not the roommate. Apparently, the whole criminal jury wasn’t convinced that King was guilty of the murder and told the judge. A mistrial is a trial that ends inconclusively because the jury cannot reach a verdict. A mistrial can also be declared by the judge if there is serious misconduct during the proceedings.
According to the Jacksonville Arrest and Booking Report, the victim in King’s case was Felicia Burney and was 35 weeks pregnant. She had been sharing a home with King’s girlfriend, Kathleen Butler. The cause of death was stab wounds to her head and neck. Police reported that King had been acting hostile towards Burney and she had been in fear for her life. There was no signs of forced entry in the house and police believed King had possession of a set of house keys. Evidence was collected at the scene of the murder and sent to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Often times in a Jacksonville criminal case, items are analyzed for fingerprints and DNA. Apparently, King’s DNA was found on items collected at the scene. That can be explained because it was his girlfriend’s home and he had been in it several times.
When you are arrested for any crime in Duval, Clay or Nassau County, it is important to have a Duval County Lawyer experienced in conducting trials. While not every case goes to trial, you are entitled to have one and make the prosecutor prove the case against you if you wish. While not every Duval County criminal attorney is comfortable trying cases, our Jacksonville attorney, Victoria “Tori” Mussallem, has conducted many trials to favorable verdicts. Prosecutors and judges know which criminal attorneys go to trial and which don’t. Assistant state attorneys know the Jacksonville criminal attorneys that will not proceed to trial and instead just “plea out” all of their clients. Don’t settle for an attorney who handles criminal cases in Jacksonville who cannot handle EVERY aspect of a criminal case.
Call our Jacksonville Criminal Trial Law Firm for a FREE CONSULTATION at (904) 365-5200. The Mussallem Law Firm is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week