Judge appoints standby counsel in Markeith Loyd case, orders psychological evaluation

ORLANDO, Fla. — Murder suspect Markeith Loyd was in court Tuesday morning in Orange County.

Loyd is accused of fatally shooting his pregnant ex-girlfriend, Sade Dixon, in December and Orlando police Lt. Debra Clayton in January.

To speed things along, Judge Frederick Lauten appointed private attorney Roger Weeden as Loyd's standby counsel. Loyd has repeatedly stated that he prefers to represent himself at trial.

It's uncertain how Weeden was selected, but he said he was previously contacted by Loyd's relatives and he has had productive conversations with him in the past.

"He called me here today, and the judge knows my experience," Weeden told Channel 9. "But the judge did not know I had prior conversations with him. I know that."

Lauten decided to call in a psychiatrist to visit Loyd in jail and to decide whether he's mentally competent to stand trial.

Loyd said he wouldn't cooperate with any psychological evaluations.

Earlier this month, Florida Gov. Rick Scott removed State Attorney Aramis Ayala from Loyd’s case and appointed State Attorney Brad King to prosecute it instead.

The decision came after Ayala announced that she won’t pursue the death penalty in Loyd’s case or any other during her tenure.

Loyd said the continued fight over the death penalty in Orange and Osceola counties is violating his rights.

During the hearing, Lauten decided that King will try Loyd's case, and that the Florida Supreme Court would have to consider Ayala's appeal to Scott's decision.

Cox Media Group