ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — An Orange County judge heard Thursday from attorneys for the man convicted of killing his ex-girlfriend’s daughter, killing her and then hiding her body in the woods.
A jury found Sanel Saint Simon guilty last month for the 2014 death of 16-year-old Alexandria Chery.
He’s now facing the death penalty.
His attorneys are asking the judge to allow family and friends from Haiti to testify on Saint Simon’s behalf via video conference.
The problem with these witnesses, the defense claims, is that they're poor and without passports and can't come to the US to testify in court. So they're asking to have everyone testify via live video link from Haiti. #WFTV
— Field Sutton (@EFieldSutton) March 15, 2018
“There is a treaty between Haiti and the United States and perjury is is covered as an extraditable offense,” said defense attorney Erin Hyde.
The attorneys told the judge that Saint Simon was severely abused as a child and was neglected by his mother.
They want his family to describe the "dismal and impoverished" conditions Saint Simone was raised in and how he was "treated as a servant" growing up.
Prosecutors were worried there’s no way to ensure people testifying on foreign soil will tell the truth.
They told the judge they haven’t been able to question the defense witnesses in advance.
“If I speak to his cousin who says, ‘I grew up with him from such and such dates in such and such town and this was our experience,’ but then I speak to another witness who says that witness wasn’t around, well, now I have a problem,” said prosecutor Ryan Williams.
Verifying the potential testimony that Saint Simon was abused is key for prosecutors.
It would take one juror to feel like a bad past excused the murder.
The death penalty requires a unanimous vote. Without that, Saint Simon will spend life in prison.
The judge did not make a decision.
Saint-Simon was convicted last month of killing his ex-girlfriend's daughter, 16yo alexandria Chery, back in 2014. He faces the #deathpenalty when the jury returns for the sentencing phase. #WFTV pic.twitter.com/l0ratTmkey
— Field Sutton (@EFieldSutton) March 15, 2018
The central issue for today's hearing is whether and how certain witnesses for Saint-Simon's defense will be allowed to testify for sentencing. #WFTV
— Field Sutton (@EFieldSutton) March 15, 2018
The defense claims to have a number of Saint-Simon's friends and family from Haiti who are willing to testify to the rough and violent past he experienced growing up there, as potential mitigation for Chery's murder. #WFTV
— Field Sutton (@EFieldSutton) March 15, 2018
Prosecutors are upset because they've been given no way to contact most of these witnesses and have no idea what they're going to say. #WFTV
— Field Sutton (@EFieldSutton) March 15, 2018
According to an affidavit filed with the court, this is a general synopsis of anticipated testimony from the defense: Saint-Simon was raised "in dismal and impoverished living conditions." #WFTV
— Field Sutton (@EFieldSutton) March 15, 2018
The witnesses will say Saint-Simon "physical/mental abuse and neglect" as a child. He was apparently "abandoned by his biological mother as a child and left in the care of his grandparents." #WFTV
— Field Sutton (@EFieldSutton) March 15, 2018
The witnesses will say Saint-Simon was "treated as a servant and suffered sever beatings at the hands of his extended family" growing up. #WFTV
— Field Sutton (@EFieldSutton) March 15, 2018
The witnesses will say Saint-Simon was "treated as a servant and suffered sever beatings at the hands of his extended family" growing up. #WFTV
— Field Sutton (@EFieldSutton) March 15, 2018
As far as the remote video testimony issue, ASA Ryan Williams is arguing there's no way of knowing who these defendants are. Many of them don't have birth certificates. #WFTV
— Field Sutton (@EFieldSutton) March 15, 2018
The defense says it has cut down to ten the number of prospective witnesses and has birth certificates for all of them. #WFTV
— Field Sutton (@EFieldSutton) March 15, 2018
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