Watch the full coverage of the live stream on The Emily D. Baker YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/live/Q2sgVWyygnQ

Join us for a comprehensive recap of Day 1 of the Donna Adelson murder trial, which kicked off Friday, August 22nd, 2025, in Florida. Judge Everett is pushing for a swift trial, aiming to have the case to the jury by September 5th!

Discover the state's powerful argument outlining Donna Adelson as the "relentless driving force" behind the murder of Dan Markel. We delve into their claims of motive (hatred for Dan Markel, desire for relocation of her grand children), alleged bribes (including a $1 million offer), and threats.

We analyze the defense's strategy, which surprisingly focused heavily on praising Dan Markel as a loving father and professor, while arguing that there is "not a single piece of evidence" directly linking Donna Adelson to planning, hiring, or intending the murder. Their core theme: "It wasn't me."

Luis Rivera took the stand and confirmed that he was hired to participate in the murder of Dan Markel. He testified that he had no direct contact with "the dentist" (Charlie Adelson) or any other member of the Adelson family. He confirmed that "everything went through Katie." He also stated he knew nothing about "the lady in Tallahassee whose kids who needed her kids" (presumably referring to Wendi Adelson).

RESOURCES

Donna Adelson Trial Playlist - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsbUyvZas7gL0_OPy2AliqyEjGcI8QzBu

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Watch the full coverage of the live stream on The Emily D. Baker YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/live/X7H24DzEPnI

Due to numerous public records requests in the Bryan Kohberger Case, law enforcement agencies in Idaho released over 200 crime scene photos online, some of which depict the victims, albeit blurred.

The lack of judicial oversight in the release process of the Bryan Kohberger Case led to a lawsuit against the city of Moscow. Madison Mogen's mother, Karen Laramie, requested a temporary restraining order (TRO) after redacted crime scene photos were released. On August 15th, Idaho Second District Judge Marshall issued a TRO, blocking the city from releasing any further images, audio, or video depicting the inside of Madison Mogen's bedroom until a preliminary injunction hearing on August 21st. While the TRO specifically applies to Mogen's bedroom, the city has stated it will not release photos or videos from any victim's bedroom until the court fully reviews the matter. The attorney representing the families, Leander James, emphasized that the families want peace and not conflict, and urged the public to avoid viewing the photos.

RESOURCES

Alex Murdaugh Trial Playlist - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsbUyvZas7gK8GOeWkGfi7acMnT-D0zaw

Official Press Release - https://www.ci.moscow.id.us/CivicSend/ViewMessage/Message/268331

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Watch the full coverage of the live stream on The Emily D. Baker YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/live/ArCNozStXbQ

Donna Adelson's defense attempted to subpoena Wendi Adelson to testify, but her attorneys successfully moved to quash (squash/get rid of) the subpoena. The judge ruled that Wendi Adelson would assert her Fifth Amendment rights if called by the defense, and calling a witness solely to invoke the Fifth Amendment in front of the jury is inappropriate. Wendi Adelson is still subpoenaed by the prosecution, which grants her derivative and use immunity for her testimony.

Jury selection began on August 19th, 2025. The process involves individual voir dire, where potential jurors are questioned one-by-one to prevent information about the high-profile case from influencing other jurors. The goal is to find jurors who have not formed an opinion about the case, even if they have heard about it.

The judge read a statement of the case and the material part of the indictment to the potential jurors. Donna Adelson is charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, and solicitation of first-degree murder in the death of Dan Markel on July 18, 2014. These statements are not considered evidence of guilt.

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In this episode of The Emily Show Podcast, I am covering the recent court date in the Denise Richards, Aaron Phypers, Divorce case. They were in court on August 8, 2025; however, ahead of that court date, Aaron Phypers brought on counsel for the limited purpose of representing him during the Temporary Restraining Order proceedings. Additionally, it was reported by People and other outlets that police were called to Calabasis when Denise Richards showed up at the home where Phypers and his family are still living. Denise, through her attorney, stated that she was allowed at the house and was retrieving her dogs. 

A video purportedly showing Bryan Kohberger in his prison cell has been circulating online, prompting a response from the Idaho Department of Prisons. Is the footage real, and who within the prison leaked it? Additionally, Bryan Kohberger is complaining of ‘harassment’ by other prisoners within the supermax facility. The prison also responded to media requests, stating that prisoners frequently communicate and that the ‘perceived harassment’ has been reported to him. 

Finally, Roblox has lost substantial value amid a wave of lawsuits and conversations around whether or not children are being protected on the platform. Roblox says safety is at the forefront of their platform, but the Roblox community disagrees. Once Roblox banned known Roblox creator Schlep, the creators rallied to call out Roblox for failing to protect children and respond to complaints and reports adequately. One of the most well-known creators in the space, KreekCraft, not only highlighted the issue on the platform but also stepped away from their creator ‘star’ program. We are going to see a lot more about issues on Roblox, and it’s time to have a conversation with anyone you know using the platform. Let me know what you think. 

RESOURCES

Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) -  https://www.icactaskforce.org/TaskForceContacts 

NCMEC National Center For Missing & Exploited Children – https://www.missingkids.org/home 

ChildHelp for the prevention & treatment of child abuse – https://www.childhelp.org/ 

Louisiana v Roblox - https://aglizmurrill.com/Files/Article/322/Documents/RobloxLawsuit.pdf

Schlep Video – https://youtu.be/hMqAw_NjHK8 

KreekCraft Leaves Roblox – https://youtu.be/tlJoKLwSgMI  

KreekCraft Response to Roblox –https://youtu.be/tjhElJYwnCQ 

Moist Critical Breakdown Roblox Predator Problem –  https://youtu.be/JqOZreneog0 
Denise Richards Divorce The Emily Show August 4 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cv_edOWUdAQ

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Watch the full coverage of the live stream on The Emily D. Baker YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/live/NZXF2GjEDGA

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is in a difficult position regarding Former Trooper Proctor's federal discovery. While federal discovery was provided in the Karen Read case, a protective order limits its use. Defense attorneys in other cases argue for access to this information, as Trooper Proctor was a lead investigator. The Commonwealth has been negotiating with the US Attorney's Office to modify the protective order. The motion for modification also seeks permission for the Norfolk District Attorney's Office to review remaining confidential materials provided to the prosecution and defense teams in the Karen Read case.

The Commonwealth has made headway with the feds to review additional discovery materials, including grand jury and non-grand jury materials, which they have not yet seen. These materials were not part of the discovery turned over in the Karen Read case, suggesting they might be separate investigations. For the new grand jury and non-grand jury materials, the Commonwealth will first review them to determine if they need to be disclosed. Then, the federal court will decide if these materials can be turned over, potentially with an additional protective order.

A future hearing on discovery process is scheduled for August 28th, 2025, at 2 p.m. ET. The Brian Walshe case is moving forward to trial in October 2025; highlighting the urgency of receiving discovery and rulings on motions to dismiss to prepare for trial.

RESOURCES

Proctor Discovery Hearing August 12 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpvMV9XQhOs

Karen Read Civil Case - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NimCmMVTbfE

Donna Adelson Pre-Trial Hearing August 13 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRAkjqjIHUI

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Watch the full coverage of the live stream on The Emily D. Baker YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/live/FRAkjqjIHUI

Jury selection for Donna Adelson's trial is set for August 19th, with the state's case beginning around August 25th. Once a jury is seated, opening statements will follow quickly. Most motions were addressed, with the court ruling that evidence would be admitted if relevant.

Dan Markel, a legal professor, was murdered in 2014 amidst a child custody battle with his ex-wife, Wendi Adelson, Donna's daughter. The prosecution alleges that Donna Adelson and her son, Charlie Adelson, conspired to murder Dan Markel to resolve the custody issue, believing that without a father, the court couldn't force shared custody in Tallahassee. Two gunmen and a "middle person" (who worked at Charlie's dental office and is expected to testify) have already been prosecuted in connection with the murder. Charlie Adelson was also convicted. This will be the fourth time the government has prosecuted a part of this case, with Donna being the last to be charged.

Will Charlie Adelson will testify? How will Wendi Adelson will testify. Will Donna testify?

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Watch the full coverage of the live stream on The Emily D. Baker YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/live/dpvMV9XQhOs

Obtaining a federal download of Former Trooper Michael Proctor's phone data is sought by attorneys for multiple defendants in Norfolk County murder cases because it may contain exculpatory evidence. However, Proctor's lawyer claims nothing exculpatory exists outside the federal materials, partly because Proctor got a new phone in February 2024, potentially wiping earlier data. The problem is that the state police and Norfolk DA cannot directly extract this data; they must get it from the feds, who rejected requests for discovery from other prosecutions but turned it over in the Karen Read case.

In the Karen Read case, the federal discovery was turned over, but it came with a federal protective order prohibiting its use in other cases. This creates a "boot loop" or "procedural quagmire" because Assistant District Attorney McLaughlin, who worked on the Read case, is aware of potentially exculpatory and impeachment information regarding lead investigator Former Trooper Proctor contained within these federal materials. Under Rule 14, McLaughlin is obligated to disclose the existence of such information to the defense in other cases (like the Walshe case), but the federal protective order prevents the office from physically turning over or even reviewing this material for exculpatory content. This forces the defense to argue for potentially exculpatory evidence they cannot see or definitively prove.

RESOURCES

Myles King Discovery Hearing August 5 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_gRWoUtPKY

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Watch the full coverage of the live stream on The Emily D. Baker YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/live/6jS8ZvrgoVU

On August 4, 2025, a scheduling conference where the defense argued about the overwhelming volume of discovery (10-11 Terabytes) and requested the prosecution narrow down what will be used at trial. The judge, however, noted that the defense has had the same discovery as the prosecution and that the prosecution has an obligation for full disclosure.

A contentious motion to quash a subpoena issued by the defense. The defense is accused of seeking communications between the victim's family's civil spokesperson and the District Attorney's office, which the victim's family's lawyer argues is improper and irrelevant to the criminal trial.

RESOURCES

Alex Murdaugh Trial - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsbUyvZas7gK8GOeWkGfi7acMnT-D0zaw

Kouri Richins New Charges - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43ULdoW-g4w

Kouri Richins Playlist - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsbUyvZas7gJYyEMQDM_Cn4icqWBV20fW

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Watch the full coverage of the live stream on The Emily D. Baker YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/live/V_gRWoUtPKY

A hearing was held on August 5th, which was intended to continue the evidentiary portion of the motion to dismiss for the Myles King Murder Case, but this did not happen. Instead, the court requested the defense and prosecution to collaboratively create a comprehensive list of all evidence, when it was turned over, and which items are considered prejudicial by the defense. This is complicated by the fact that the prosecution did not consistently bate stamp documents.

Another significant issue is the ongoing delay in receiving discovery related to Former Trooper Michael Proctor's text messages, which are relevant to five cases, including the Myles King case. The court is waiting for federal authorities to release this discovery.

The defense is frustrated by the continuous "dripping faucet" of new discovery, making it difficult to prepare their case. The bar for dismissing a case due to discovery failures in Massachusetts is high, and typically, the remedy is to grant more time for trial. The Karen Read case has brought attention to this widespread issue of lingering discovery in Massachusetts cases.

The next hearing for the Myles King case is scheduled for August 12th at 2pmET, where the judge will continue to try and clarify the specific evidence at issue for the motion to dismiss. Neither Adam Lally nor Proctor testified on August 5th, and they are not expected to testify on August 12th either.

RESOURCES

Adam Lally Testifies at Discovery Hearing - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKcnfgU-Lrk 

Karen Read Motion to Dismiss Hearing - https://youtube.com/live/DspEzUu2lGM

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Watch the full coverage of the live stream on ‪@TheEmilyDBaker‬ YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/live/fjBRC1EgNL8?si=FHARvyhjby51vnFM

We sat down with the incredible Robert Alessi, a DLA Piper partner known for his linguistic prowess and legal expertise. While typically practicing environmental and finance law, Robert became a key figure in the high-profile Karen Read case, offering his extensive experience with experts.In this interview, Alessi shares his fascinating journey, from his unexpected path into pharmacy (and how that background still serves him in complex cases) to his insights on the evolving landscape of high-profile cases influenced by social media.

Discover how his love for learning and unique scientific background have shaped his legal career, especially when working with diverse expert witnesses.

DOCKET:

1:02 - Robert's General Legal Practice & Working with Experts

3:33 - From Pharmacist to Attorney: A Unique Career Path

6:00 - The Love of Learning in Law & Language in the Courtroom

9:59 - Word Games & Vocabulary in Legal Practice

11:59 - The Impact of Pro Bono Work on High-Profile Cases (Karen Read)

16:00 - Teamwork on the Karen Read Defense & Meeting David Jannetty

18:54 - Robert & David Jannetty's Upcoming Podcast

20:38 - Advice for Attorneys in High-Profile & Online Cases

22:40 - The Importance of Public Engagement with the Judicial Process

23:52 - Where to Find Robert Alessi & Podcast Updates

STAY IN THE LOOP WITH EMILY D. BAKER

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