ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — The new high-profile attorney for the man accused of killing his pregnant ex-girlfriend and an Orlando police lieutenant says his new client's right to a fair trial may be being infringed upon.
Markeith Loyd and well-known Miami attorney Terrance Lenamon appeared in court Wednesday to try to delay one of his two trials even more than it already has been.
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Markeith Loyd is accused of gunning down Orlando police Lt. Debra Clayton in a Walmart parking lot in January 2017 after she recognized him as being sought in the shooting death of his ex-girlfriend, Sade Dixon, and her unborn child in December 2016.
Loyd was on the run for nine days before his capture, investigators said.
Orange County Deputy Norm Lewis was killed in a motorcycle crash while responding in the search for Loyd.
On Wednesday, Lenamon claimed the removal of the original prosecutor could be costing Loyd his right to a fair trial.
State Attorney Aramis Alaya was reassigned and removed from the case by an executive order from Gov. Rick Scott in 2017 when Alaya refused to pursue the death penalty. Now Lenamon is concerned about what could happen once Scott leaves office in early 2019, around the same time Loyd is set to go to trial.
.@TerryLenamon says he is concerned by the expiration of @FLGovScott's executive order appointing Brad King's office in March of 2019 could wreak havoc on the case, given that we don't know who the governor will be at that time. #WFTV
— Field Sutton (@EFieldSutton) August 1, 2018
Loyd alleged prosecutors are pushing for a trial next January to make sure they don’t lose control of the case.
“I suggest that if Mr. Lenamon doesn’t like January, pick a date,” said Asst. State Attorney Ric Ridgway.
The judge is giving both sides one week to propose another trial date.
Chief Judge Frederick Lauten is allowing a week for both sides to propose alternative trial dates and further deal with the executive order issue. There will be another hearing next Thursday. #WFTV
— Field Sutton (@EFieldSutton) August 1, 2018
Loyd was in the courtroom for the hearing but did not say a word, unlike his last appearance in July when he lashed out over how long it took to remove his prior attorney.
“What I’m saying is more has to be done in my case. And we’ve wasted a year and a half with an incompetent lawyer,” Loyd exploded on July 17.
Read: Markeith Loyd gets new high-profile attorney, later trial date, lashes out in court
Loyd is accused of killing his ex-girlfriend, Sade Dixon, and her unborn baby in December of 2016. #WFTV pic.twitter.com/tjeuZIwQCf
— Field Sutton (@EFieldSutton) July 17, 2018
Loyd is also accused of killing @OrlandoPolice Lt. Debra Clayton in January of 2017. #WFTV pic.twitter.com/ZuAf0lrNv3
— Field Sutton (@EFieldSutton) July 17, 2018
Loyd’s previous attorney, Roger Weeden, left voluntarily because the judge worried he wasn’t legally qualified to represent Loyd.
Loyd had been asking to have Lenamon represent him since the beginning of the case, and has been in the loop for some time.
Read: Markeith Loyd withdraws new attorney motion, asks that prosecutor be removed
“[Lenamon] was already being aprised of what was going on in the case. We had discussed certain issues with him before, so he knew what was going on in the case,” said Ted Marrero, Loyd’s second chair attorney on July 17. Marrero also said that while the change of attorneys causes an automatic delay for the trial, it’s faster than starting from scratch.
Read: ‘Told you don’t play with me’: Records show texts between Markeith Loyd, slain pregnant woman
One day earlier, a judge denied his request to have the prosecutor removed from his case, claiming a conflict of interest.
The one thing we know for certain today is that the court plans on taking up the issue of Loyd's representation going forward. Defense attorney Roger Weeden bowed out over a technicality, leaving the first chair spot on Loyd's team open with a September trial looming. #WFTV
— Field Sutton (@EFieldSutton) July 17, 2018
Read: Transcript of Markeith Loyd interrogation (WARNING: GRAPHIC LANGUAGE)
Loyd and his legal team claim a conflict of interest based on the fact that State Attorney Brad King, who was appointed to the case when Ayala refused to pursue the death penalty, could be in a unique position to learn secrets about the defense because he serves on the state's Justice Administrative Commission.
Ahead of today's hearing, Loyd had filed a handwritten motion with the court making a second attempt at ousting prosecutor Brad King from the case based on an alleged conflict of interest. That was denied in a written order yesterday. #WFTV
— Field Sutton (@EFieldSutton) July 17, 2018
Loyd and his attorneys made their case for removing King in June as the JAC's general counsel testified by phone that King doesn't handle much.
"The commissioners have no role in our day-to-day operations," attorney Ana Martinez said.
King testified that he has no intention of seeking information.
"There are only two grounds to disqualify the state attorney's office," assistant state attorney Ric Ridgway said. "Neither of those has been demonstrated."
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King's team argued that you could put anyone else in that chairmanship and nothing would change, but Chief Judge Frederick Lauten disagreed.
When Loyd was taken to the Orlando Police Department's headquarters after his arrest in January 2017, his face was bloody and bruised, and he yelled, “They beat me up” to Channel 9’s cameras.
Loyd suffered a fractured eye socket and other injuries to his face.
Watch: Markeith Loyd goes on profanity-laced rant during first court appearance
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