Did judge push back trial date for Susan Lorincz, charged in neighbor's shooting death?
Circuit Judge Robert Hodges on Tuesday told lawyers in the case of Susan Louise Lorincz, charged with fatally shooting Ajike "AJ" Shantrell Owens in June 2023, to continue preparing for a June trial, despite the defense request for a later date.
Assistant Public Defender Amanda Sizemore, one of Lorincz's two lawyers, filed a written motion with the court listing several reasons the trial should be pushed back on the calendar.
First, Sizemore said, nearly 1,000 pages of discovery — including hundreds of pictures, media evidence, witness depositions and information from Lorincz's cellphone — still need examination.
Second, the defense experts still need to be consulted. And third, Sizemore and co-counsel Morris Carranza are preparing for a death penalty case that is set for trial in September.
The defense is hoping for a November trial.
Carranza, who was in court Tuesday, listed some other reasons the court should grant a continuance.
He said the defense has three key witnesses that have not yet being deposed because they cannot be found.
Also, the lawyer said his office has transcripts that need to be typed. And the defense may use experts who would re-create the scene of the fatal shooting.
He said while the prosecution may think this is a straight-forward case, it actually is complicated.
Responding to the defense, Assistant State Attorney Adam Smith said several depositions have been taken and more are scheduled for May. Prosecutors said they believe discovery can be completed before jury selection, currently slated for mid-June.
Furthermore, Smith said Lorincz's cellphone and its information have been provided to the defense. Smith said the state's investigators are searching for the witnesses Caranzza mentioned.
Assistant State Attorney Rich Buxman and Smith are expected to prosecute the case.
Judge's decision
The judge ask the defense how long it will take to present its case at trial. Carranza said while he cannot be certain, his best guess is maybe a few days.
Smith told the judge the entire trial should last roughly a week.
The judge said the trial is not expected to begin for almost two months, so he's anticipating the June date can still work. He said if anything happens, then he'll consider a request to reconsider. Otherwise, he wants to stick with June.
A pre-trial hearing is scheduled for June 5, with jury selection set for June 17 or June 24, according to court records.
The judge said he doesn't want to complicate things with too many lawyers, which means different schedules.
Owens' mother, Pamela Dias; the victim's best friends, Kimberly Robinson-Jones and Tarlisa Brown; and family attorney Anthony Thomas, who has been with the family since the early days of the case, were in court during the hearing.
Outside the courtroom, the foursome listened to Smith and Racheal Franklin, a victim/witness advocate, explain the next steps in the case.
Speaking on behalf of the group, Thomas told a Star Banner reporter he doesn't believe the defense will have a difficult time gathering all the information needed in time for a June trial.
As to how the Owens children are coping, Dias said it depends on the day. She said they're still trying to process what happened to their mother.
Background of the case
Ajike "AJ" Shantrell Owens was standing outside her neighbor's home in the Quail Run subdivision off Southwest 27th Avenue the night of June 2.
Lorincz, who was inside, fired a shot through the locked front door and struck Owens, 35, killing her.
Owens, who was Black, was a single mother with four children. Lorincz, who is white, was accused of using racial slurs when scolding Owens' children in the neighborhood.
Sheriff's detectives investigated the shooting and Lorincz was arrested several days later. Lorincz, 59, has said she acted in self-defense. She has pleaded not guilty to charges of manslaughter with a firearm and assault.
If convicted on the manslaughter offense, Lorincz could be sentenced up to 30 years in prison.
In January, Lorincz was in court demanding a speedy trial. She made that request because of medical concerns and worries about her treatment at the county jail. She wanted to resolve her case swiftly. At the time, she said she did not know how much longer she could survive.
Hodges denied that motion, telling Lorincz to speak to her lawyer about such moves. He advised her to not personally address those matters with the presiding judge.
Manslaughter: Picking up the pieces: Ocala community looks for normalcy following Owens tragedy
Lorincz is being held at the county jail, where bail is set at $151,000. She is on suicide watch. The jail is operated by the Marion County Sheriff's Office and medical care for inmates is provided by Heart of Florida Health Center.
Contact Austin L. Miller at austin.miller@starbanner.com
This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Judge hears Susan Lorincz's request for trial delay in shooting case
