Published at 1:31 PM, January 31, 2025
KISSIMMEE, Fla. (Court Television)– Stephan Sterns is doing all he can to avoid a prospective death sentence as his lawyers submitted a series of movements today looking for to have the charge struck on the basis that it’s unconstitutional.
Stephan Sterns was charged 2 days after 13-year-old Madeline Soto vanished. (Osceola County Sheriff’s Office )
District attorneys are looking for a death sentence for Sterns for the murder of 13-year-old Madeline Soto, his sweetheart’s child. Sterns is individually dealing with lots of charges that he sexually abused Soto after more than 1,500 pictures and videos were discovered on his phone. The 2 cases are being attempted individually, and Sterns is set up to stand trial for the sex criminal offenses next month.
Sterns’ lawyers in the murder case submitted 3 different movements on Thursday looking for to have the capital punishment disqualified as a possible penalty, arguing it’s unconstitutional. All 3 movements argue that various elements of the 1996 Florida statute that describe annoying aspects are excessively unclear and based on be used in an “approximate and irregular way.”
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Amongst the irritating aspects district attorneys are anticipated to present are Soto’s age, Sterns’ relationship with her as an authority figure and the supposed sexual assault (which would work as a previous conviction if Sterns is condemned on the charges ahead of the murder trial). Among Sterns’ movements keeps in mind that there is absolutely nothing to avoid a conviction from being used as an annoying aspect, “even if that conviction develops from the exact same criminal episode as the capital felony, and even if the capital and other charges are attempted together.”
Sterns’ legal group submitted a different movement in limine in his murder case requesting all victim effect proof to be proffered beyond the jury’s existence. The movement requests for the judge to identify “not just whether the proof is proper under the statute licensing it, however that the witnesses themselves are mentally efficient in keeping suitable etiquette before the jury, so regarding prevent unjustly and unconstitutionally irritating the jury and triggering bias to the Defendant.”
District attorneys in Sterns’ sexual attack case have actually not submitted an intent to look for the death sentence case. A 2023 Florida law permits the state to pursue capital penalty if a grownup is founded guilty of sexually damaging a kid under age 12.
No hearing date has actually been set on the movements. Sterns’ murder trial is arranged to start on Sept. 25, 2025.
