Judge denies request to delay trial in Orlando Halloween mass shooting case

Judge denies request to delay trial in Orlando Halloween mass shooting case

A handwritten letter asking for a new attorney was not enough to persuade a judge to delay the murder trial of a teenager charged in a deadly Halloween mass shooting in downtown Orlando in 2024. Jaylen Edgar, 18, asked an Orange County judge Tuesday to replace his defense attorney, a move that likely would have postponed the trial scheduled to begin this week. 

ORLANDO, Fla. - A handwritten letter asking for a new attorney was not enough to persuade a judge to delay the murder trial of a teenager charged in a deadly Halloween mass shooting in downtown Orlando.

Jaylen Edgar, 18, asked an Orange County judge on Wednesday to replace his defense attorney, a move that likely would have postponed the trial scheduled to begin this week. 

Two people were killed in the 2024 shooting. Edgar is charged with two counts of first-degree murder and seven counts of attempted first-degree murder. 

Edgar wanted new attorney

New Details:

In a two-page, handwritten letter to the judge, Edgar alleges that he has been "ineffectively represented" by his current attorney. 

Edgar wrote that his attorney failed to consider his mental state during the night of the incident and that the state tried to "force-feed a 50-year plea deal" down his throat.   

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"Legally speaking, I am not willing to entertain any plea offers until I have explored all of my defense options," Edgar wrote. 

His request comes just before his trial is set to begin on Jan. 12. Jury selection is set to begin on Thursday.

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Judge denies request

Judge Keith Carsten denied the request less than 10 minutes after hearing Edgar’s concerns on Wednesday, ruling there was no good cause to remove his current lawyer.

Edgar showed little emotion in the courtroom but briefly addressed the judge, saying he was dissatisfied with his legal representation.

"I’m not satisfied with the representation," Edgar said when questioned by the judge. 

He claimed he had been told there was no defense prepared for trial and argued that his attorney failed to include mitigating factors related to his mental health, including information from a doctor.

Judge Carsten rejected those arguments, saying the court could not find that Edgar’s attorney had provided ineffective assistance based on what had been presented.

"The request to discharge Mr. Barrett is denied," the judge said.

During the hearing, Edgar’s attorney also raised a separate issue, alleging a discovery violation by prosecutors. The defense said the state recently added evidence, including pages from a Florida Department of Law Enforcement report and possible fingerprint test results from the gun found on Edgar the night of the shooting.

Judge Carsten said he would consider whether the late disclosure violates legal standards and indicated he would rule on the issue during a hearing scheduled for Wednesday morning. For now, jury selection is expected to proceed as planned.

The backstory:

Edgar, who was 17 years old at the time of the shooting, is accused of killing two people and injuring several others after shooting into a crowd gathered in downtown Orlando on Halloween night in 2024.

Two people were killed in the shooting: Timothy Schmidt Jr., a 19-year-old University of Central Florida student; and Tyrek Hill, a 25-year-old man from Clermont. The shooting caused panic, with a 26-year-old woman being trampled by the fleeing crowd.  

Orlando Police released body camera footage of officers tackling Edgar to the ground and putting him in handcuffs.

Police said between 50,000 and 100,000 people were downtown at the time of the shooting.