NEWS

Ex-judge Fulford could join Segura's defense team

Tallahassee Democrat

In another twist in the quadruple murder case of Henry Segura, his attorneys are asking that a former circuit judge who once ruled over proceedings be allowed to join the 37-year-old’s defense team.

At a Friday hearing, Leon Circuit Judge Terry Lewis also delayed until Aug. 22 the trial, which was set to start at the end of February.

Segura is facing four counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Brandi Peters, 27, her twin daughters, Tamiyah and Taniyah Peters, 6, and their son, JaVante Segura, 3, who were found dead Nov. 20, 2010, at their Saddle Creek Run home.

Segura’s attorneys Nathan Prince and Chuck Hobbs asked Assistant State Attorney Jack Campbell in court Friday to allow former Leon County Circuit Judge Jackie Fulford to join the defense team.

Campbell said he would need to confer with State Attorney Willie Meggs before making a decision on whether to allow Fulford to join.

Fulford, a former chief assistant state attorney in Meggs' office, was present during pretrial proceedings but declined to comment on the potential of her joining Segura's defense until a ruling is made.

Fulford, who presided over the case from June 2013 to July 2014, retired involuntarily from the bench in September when a judicial panel recommendation said medical issues interfered with her ability to perform her duties as a judge.

"Judge Fulford has volunteered to come on to have another set of eyes," Prince said in court.

Testimony precluded from the trial by Fulford in 2013 resurfaced last week when a witness recanted his earlier statements that imply someone besides Segura committed the murders.

Segura’s counsel filed motions two weeks ago suggesting Peters actually was killed because she worked as a drug courier, had been skimming drugs and refused to pay upwards of $90,000 back to the Mexican cartel she reportedly worked for.

Campbell has voiced concern over the interjection of new evidence in the eve of trial.

Segura trial will go forward with death penalty in limbo

Filings include testimony from James Carlos Santos, a former member of the Vice Lords gang in Chicago, who’s serving time in Tomoka Correctional Institute on charges including armed robbery.

Santos’ written affidavit suggest Peters’ death was a cartel hit and reveal that she may have had a connection to Angel Avila-Quinones.

Santos initially denied knowing Avila-Quinones. A partial match to the Colombian national’s DNA was found at the scene of the murders.

Campbell has contended Santos’ story does not prove a clear link to Avila-Quinones, but instead is a defense tactic to throw “red herrings” into the process. DNA hits in a federal database that pointed toward Avila-Quinones are not admissible in court, Campbell argued last week.

Lewis has yet to rule whether to allow Santos’ testimony in the trial, saying he needs more information before deciding.

Contact Karl Etters at ketters@tallahassee.com or @KarlEtters on Twitter.