Speedy trial sought

Man accused of disemboweling his girlfriend

Attorneys defending a Sunrise man accused of disemboweling his girlfriend after she said another man’s name during sex say they are ready for his day in court, prompting a Broward judge to set jury selection for Feb. 13.

Defense lawyer Melisa McNeill said Thursday that the decision to demand a speedy trial, a constitutional right waived more often than it’s invoked, was made for one reason only. “We’re ready for trial,” she said.

The timing of the request has another benefit for Fidel Lopez, 25, who is charged with first degree murder and two counts of sexual battery in the Sept. 20, 2015, slaying of Maria Nemeth. Putting the case in front of a jury as soon as possible blocks the state from seeking the death penalty because Florida’s method for imposing the sentence has been ruled unconstitutional.

Broward Circuit Judge Ilona Holmes formally barred the state attorney’s office from seeking the death penalty Wednesday. Prosecutor Tom Coleman declined to say whether the state would appeal that decision.

Wednesday, both sides will return to Holmes’ courtroom to argue whether jurors will be allowed to hear Lopez’s recorded confession to Sunrise police.

Police said after his arrest that Lopez admitted killing Nemeth, enraged that she called out her ex-husband’s name twice during sex. He said he became a “monster” and described what he did to her in graphic detail, police said.

In a motion filed last Friday, defense lawyers argued that Lopez was given an improper Miranda warning and that he did not fully understand his rights when he gave his statement. The defense is also hoping to limit the number and types