Judge rules on Sarah Boone’s request to be unshackled at trial

ORLANDO, Fla. (Court TV) — Sarah Boone returned to court to represent herself on Friday, persuading a judge to grant two motions she had filed herself.

Sarah Boone speaks to the judge during a hearing in her case on Aug. 9, 2024. (Court TV)

Boone is charged with the second-degree murder of her boyfriend , Jorge Torres, who was found zipped inside a suitcase after the couple had been drinking. After eight attorneys withdrew from her case, Judge Michael Kraynick ordered Boone to represent herself, finding she had forfeited her right to an attorney .

Representing herself, Boone has struggled to gain access to evidence in her case and filed a handwritten motion this week asking for hard copies of discovery evidence to be provided to her. Much of the discovery has been handed over on a USB drive, which can only be used on a computer, and Boone only has access to electronics during specific hours in jail. Kraynick granted Boone’s motion, which means she will be able to review the evidence on paper.

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On Friday, Boone also argued her motion to be unshackled in court, specifying to the judge that she wanted to have her hands free during pretrial hearings but wanted to be fully unrestrained during her trial.

Orange County Sheriff’s Deputy Gavin Lowtan testified at the hearing, saying he did not believe that Boone should be unshackled.

“Based on her current charge of second-degree murder, she also has previous domestic arrests for battery strangulation,” Lowtan said. “She has three separate incidents at the jail for noncompliance where she was told to attend her court hearings, her scheduled court hearings, and she refused to do so, even though corrections officers told her she could be charged with contempt of court, she still refused to attend those hearings. When you combine all that, it shows a propensity for violence, and not wanting to follow lawful commands and orders from law enforcement personnel.”

“I’m just asking to sit here unhandcuffed so I can write without taking skin off of my wrist and being extremely uncomfortable,” Boone told the judge.

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Boone questioned whether she had missed any court dates and challenged the information from Lowtan, saying, “I’ve never missed a court date. In the almost five years that I’ve been here I’ve never argued, I’ve never hesitated.” Court TV reviewed the court minutes from prior hearings , which indicate that on at least one of the dates mentioned, Jan. 28, 2021, Boone had refused to be present.

Judge Kraynick ruled that Boone will not be handcuffed for future pretrial hearings, but will be in leg shackles. For the trial, she will have neither shackles nor handcuffs, but will be fitted with a “stun cuff.” Courthouse deputy Chad Barnett testified in court that the wireless, electronic cuff is secured to the defendant’s leg and can discharge 50,000 volts of electricity, causing the person to fall. A deputy will be assigned to monitor Boone and will control the cuff.

Boone is due back in court for another hearing on Aug. 14, where the two sides are expected to discuss how Boone can access some of the evidence in her case.