Amato’s lawyers ask judge to sequester jury
Lawyers want interrogation video tossed for upcoming murder trial
Lawyers for the Chuluota man accused of killing his parents and brother are asking a judge to sequester the jury for his upcoming trial, to prevent them from being influenced by news coverage of the slayings.
Jeff Dowdy, one of Grant Amato’s lawyers, made the request to Circuit Judge Jessica Recksiedler in a court motion filed Monday, saying, “The possibility of exposure to internet or social media by a juror during a trial is a preventable error that can cause years of unnecessary litigation.”
It’s a rare and expensive request — sequestered juries are typically placed in hotels for the duration of the trial and monitored to ensure they don’t encounter information about the case outside of the courtroom.
The case against Amato, now 30, has been covered extensively online, on TV and social media. Orlando Sentinel articles were used as exhibits in the motion.
Amato has maintained his innocence and pleaded not guilty in the January shooting deaths of his parents, Chad and Margaret Amato, and brother, Cody Amato. Authorities say Amato killed his relatives after he was kicked out of the family’s Sultan Circle home Jan. 24 because he had violated his father’s ultimatum to stop speaking with a Bulgarian webcam model. Amato had stolen about $200,000 from his family to spend on the online relationship, detectives said.
He remains in the Seminole County jail on a $750,000 bond and faces the death penalty if convicted.
Dowdy had previously argued the state has produced no physical or forensic evidence that ties Amato to the killings, but did not respond when asked Monday whether that was still the case.
In a separate court motion filed Monday, another of Amato’s lawyers, Jared Shapiro, asked Recksiedler to prevent the jury in Amato’s trial from seeing an interview he gave detectives the day after his family members’ bodies were discovered.
Amato’s lawyers claim he was “illegally seized” for an interrogation by Sheriff’s Office investigators EvaMarie Multari and Daniel Anderson. His lawyers also claim Amato was not read his Miranda rights.
In the motion, Shapiro argued that the interrogation was “custodial,” meaning Amato was not free to leave. In a police report, Multari indicated the interview was voluntary.
Bob Kealing, a spokesman for the Sheriff ’s Office, declined to comment on the motion Monday, citing the open case.
Amato stayed at the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office for about seven hours, speaking to Multari and Anderson about his relationship with his family and his whereabouts around the time of their deaths. He repeatedly denied having anything to do with the killings.
After the interview with detectives, Amato asked, “What am I allowed to do?”
“Live your said.
Amato stayed in the room to speak with his surviving brother, Jason Amato. After he spoke with his brother, Multari asked Grant Amato whether he wanted to tell investigators any additional information about what happened the night of the killings. He said no.
Anderson later came in and asked Amato questions to determine whether he was eligible to be held under Florida’s Baker Act, a law that allows people who are a danger to themselves or others to be involuntarily committed into a mental-health facility.
Amato walked out the door at 4:34 p.m. Jan 26, according to the timestamp on the interrogation video. He was arrested on murder charges at a hotel about 32 hours later.
His trial is expected begin in July. life,” Anderson to